On Friday, March 18, the Elizabethtown College Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-being demo kitchen was home to multiple different flavors and foods as students celebrated Nutrition Day. The event was run by the Student Wellness Advocacy Group (SWAG) and Assistant Director of Health Promotion Joni Eisenhauer.
The demonstrations started off with healthy smoothies. There were two options for students to try, strawberry banana oat and tropical spinach. The strawberry banana oat smoothie was both sugar and dairy free and was a pleasant pink color. Even though there was no added sugar, the fruits in the smoothie gave it just the right amount of sweetness.
The tropical spinach smoothie was created to show students that greens can be part of your breakfast while still tasting good. The spinach wasn’t detectable, as the orange juice and blend of tropical fruits took over.
The smoothies were created by Eisenhauer and SWAG team member Gabriella Stawinski. Stawinski said that she and Einsenhauer made the smoothies in large batches to give out to students. There were also recipe cards so that students could make the smoothies at home or in their dorm room.
Stawinski facilitated the smoothie demonstration, handing out cups to students and telling them how they could create their own. “Hopefully these events encourage people to try things and have them think about how their lives can be healthier,” she said.
After the smoothie demonstration was over, the test kitchen became home to two charcuterie boards. The boards were created by Eisenhauer, who has experience making savory and sweet boards. “I get excited about food and presentation,” she said. “I’ve been making charcuterie boards since before they were cool.”
There were two boards: savory and sweet. The savory board had hummus and mustard for dips, as well as crackers, tomatoes, pita chips, cheese and salami. One item that was featured was Babybel cheese, which Eisenhauer said can be a healthy snack on its own.
The sweet board included one of Eisenhauer’s favorite dips, dessert hummus, and had grapes, bananas and pretzels. The dessert hummus was chocolate flavored and tasted like brownie batter. Eisenhauer said that it’s a good treat because it’s not as unhealthy as other dessert alternatives. It’s also usually eaten as a dip, so you can satisfy your sweet tooth a little bit at a time.
Eisenhauer presented both boards, and then told students how to create their own board and how to use a charcuterie board. She also told students etiquette points, including how to consume a charcuterie board and what type of event you could bring one to. “It doesn’t have to be an $80 thing,” she said.
Eisenhauer also gave examples of charcuterie boards she has made in the past, like a hot chocolate board. She also told students that you can make a charcuterie board out of produce to make it even healthier. Since the board is portion controlled, it’s perfect for an appetizer at a party.
Both the smoothies and the charcuterie boards were held as drop in events, and students could swing by in between classes or after a workout. The SWAG team was planning on running nutrition trivia at night, but it was canceled due to a lack of signups.
Nutrition Day is dedicated to healthy eating, and is part of Nutrition Month, celebrated in March. Nutrition Month was first celebrated in 1973 and was established to get the general public interested in nutrition education.
Other events that have been run for nutrition month include tabling at the BSC and Blue Jay Bites. Make sure you keep an eye out for other SWAG events during Nutrition Month. Go to the Bowers Center website for a full schedule of events.
