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Chef Domenica Catelli Writes About An Unexpected Way to Avoid "The Freshman 15" at Mercyhurst College
WebMD

The “Freshman 15” is not a myth. It’s happening at colleges across the country. The absence of a home-cooked meal and a diet that mainly consist of burgers and fries quickly increases the body weight of our incoming freshman.

I had the opportunity to speak at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa. this past weekend. The beautiful, snow-clad, Harry Potter-like campus was charming as were the students and faculty. But what impressed me the most was what they have accomplished and done with their on-campus food program.

The two cafeterias on campus that I visited were filled with local and fresh foods. They utilized milk and meats from nearby farms. They have a five acre organic farm on campus that supplies a great deal of produce to the over 2000 meals they produce a day. They offer a gluten-free section, wood-fired pizzas, and an enormous salad bar. I let them know that they had better food choices at their disposal than many small towns. They also have a program called “hemisflavor,” which celebrates a different cuisine weekly thus, exposing the students to foods from Asia, Africa, the Mediterranean, etc.

Overeating a ton of highly processed junk foods is curbed at a school like Mercyhurst by offering so much variety to the students. The passion of the foodservice team is the driving force behind these changes. Chef Marcy’s passion to offer great food to the kids was inspirational. She did say that the desire for chicken nuggets, pizza and ranch dressing is still a forerunner but clearly, the offerings beyond these staple palate killers was an outstanding food program.  I saw students filling their plates with everything from fish and vegetables to a huge salad topped with a variety of vegetables — and yes, pizza.

If you have kids going off to college or already there and less than satisfied with the food options, I highly recommend that you encourage them to take a look at a successful and healthful program such as Mercyhurst’s. It serves as a blueprint for what can be offered to students that will promote health, wellness, an appreciation for where our food comes from, and less opportunities to gain that extra ten to fifteen pounds.

Until next time, stay fresh and delicious!

~ Chef Domenica



View original article here
Chef Domenica Catelli Writes About An Unexpected Way to Avoid "The Freshman 15" at Mercyhurst College
WebMD

The “Freshman 15” is not a myth. It’s happening at colleges across the country. The absence of a home-cooked meal and a diet that mainly consist of burgers and fries quickly increases the body weight of our incoming freshman.

I had the opportunity to speak at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa. this past weekend. The beautiful, snow-clad, Harry Potter-like campus was charming as were the students and faculty. But what impressed me the most was what they have accomplished and done with their on-campus food program.

The two cafeterias on campus that I visited were filled with local and fresh foods. They utilized milk and meats from nearby farms. They have a five acre organic farm on campus that supplies a great deal of produce to the over 2000 meals they produce a day. They offer a gluten-free section, wood-fired pizzas, and an enormous salad bar. I let them know that they had better food choices at their disposal than many small towns. They also have a program called “hemisflavor,” which celebrates a different cuisine weekly thus, exposing the students to foods from Asia, Africa, the Mediterranean, etc.

Overeating a ton of highly processed junk foods is curbed at a school like Mercyhurst by offering so much variety to the students. The passion of the foodservice team is the driving force behind these changes. Chef Marcy’s passion to offer great food to the kids was inspirational. She did say that the desire for chicken nuggets, pizza and ranch dressing is still a forerunner but clearly, the offerings beyond these staple palate killers was an outstanding food program.  I saw students filling their plates with everything from fish and vegetables to a huge salad topped with a variety of vegetables — and yes, pizza.

If you have kids going off to college or already there and less than satisfied with the food options, I highly recommend that you encourage them to take a look at a successful and healthful program such as Mercyhurst’s. It serves as a blueprint for what can be offered to students that will promote health, wellness, an appreciation for where our food comes from, and less opportunities to gain that extra ten to fifteen pounds.

Until next time, stay fresh and delicious!

~ Chef Domenica



View original article here