UVA Students Practice a Delicious Subject

The words “free food” often catch college students’ attention, but a new University of Virginia non-credit class comes with a hands-on assignment: undergraduate (and some graduate) students cook their own dinners before enjoying the free meals.

The cooking classes are made from a recipe for collaboration, said Melanie Brede, a dietitian and nutrition educator in Student Health who supervises 12 postgraduate dietitians during their 10-month internship at the UVA Health System. As an educational project, the interns create one-time cooking classes for undergraduate and graduate students, from beginning to end.

The students – up to 15 in each session – prepare the food alongside a chef and three of the interns. While similar skills and information are covered in each class, each features a different menu. (Students can sign up on a first-come, first-served basis through the Office of Student Affairs’ Connections website for the fourth and last class of the academic year, set to take place on April 13. On the menu: roasted fish with lemon dill potatoes and spring veggies.)

“Research shows that people who prepare food for themselves tend to eat better, and so our primary goal is to support students’ health by helping them improve their cooking abilities,” Brede said.

To whet the appetite, UVA Today checked out what was cooking in the kitchen last month.