Welcome Spring Semester! Our First Culinary and Experimental Nutrition Class!








    Yesterday, we had the pleasure of practicing our knife skills (shown above) during our first class in culinary and experimental nutrition. While this activity was fun- It was challenging to retrain my brain. When I am cooking or meal prepping at home, I tend to do things a bit differently (and more quickly). However, there is something therapeutic and cathartic about the experience we shared as a class that was meaningful. Looking forward, I hope to improve the efficiency of my knife cuts overtime.  

    Pictured above are the cuts (and methods) we practiced during class. I normally hold my chef knife with my thumb and forefinger above the heel and the rest of my fingers tucked up on the handle. Holding my fingers this way provides me with precision when making cuts and keeps my fingers safe. I am a tip-fulcrum method cutter- meaning I try to keep the tip of my knife on the cutting board (depending on what I am cutting). My favorite type of cuts are supremes, as I simply love slicing into beautiful oranges and grapefruit and producing a delectable wedge of heaven. 

    I am very excited for this course as our focus is on highlighting plant based dishes and the importance of including them into our meal pattens. The rise in chronic illnesses has many people seeking ways to better manage their conditions and going plant-based (even once a week) has been shown to reduce chronic disease progression (Wang, et. al). Utilizing the unique skill set of a dietitian is one way to incorporate more plant based dishes into your meal pattern, and provides excellent new sources of macronutrients, phytonutrients, minerals and vitamins. I am truly looking forward to being someone's resource soon! 

Beautiful salad we made with the supremes, mint, cilantro (1st photo)

References

Wang Y, Liu B, Han H, Hu Y, Zhu L, Rimm EB, Hu FB, Sun Q. Associations between plant-based dietary patterns and risks of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mortality - a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutr J. 2023 Oct 4;22(1):46. doi: 10.1186/s12937-023-00877-2. Erratum in: Nutr J. 2024 Jan 4;23(1):6. doi: 10.1186/s12937-023-00891-4. PMID: 37789346; PMCID: PMC10548756.

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