MAKE

THE MOST OF YOUR MEALS

PROGRAM TOOLKIT

GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY WELLNESS

In accordance with the
Dietetic Internship Program

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MEALS

PROGRAM PURPOSE

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MEALS IS A SERIES

OF NUTRITION EDUCATION PROGRAMS GEARED
TOWARD THE GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY
STUDENT POPULATION.

THE PROGRAMS FOCUS ON EDUCATING
STUDENTS ABOUT THE BASICS OF NUTRITION,
INGREDIENT PROCUREMENT, AND MEAL
PREPARATION. THESE THREE CORE AREAS
FIXATE ON WHAT STUDENTS HAVE IDENTIFIED
AS TOPICS THEYD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT,
BASED ON RESULTS OBTAINED FROM A
CAMPUS-WIDE NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY.

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MEALS

NEEDS ASSESSMENT RESULTS

CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE
COMPONENTS OF A HEALTHY DIET
BASED ON THE DIETARY
GUIDELINES OR MYPLATE?

HOW CONFIDENT DO YOU FEEL IN

YOUR LEVEL OF BASIC NUTRITION
KNOWLEDGE?

WHAT ARE NUTRITION PROGRAM TOPICS YOU WOULD BE MOST
INTERESTED IN ATTENDING?
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Cooking
Classes

Reading Fueling Up Grocery

Nutrition for Working Shopping
Labels
Out
101

Myth
Debunking

Recipe
Healthy
Makeovers Eating On a
Budget

Menu
Planning

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MEALS

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

I.

NUTRITION BASICS

Though GSU students are required to take a healthy living course in their undergraduate
studies, students are not exposed to detailed nutrition information. Thus, they may need
additional resources to ensure that they are preparing or obtaining foods that best support
their overall health and wellness. Make the Most of Your Meals operates on the basis of
providing students with a general overview of important nutritional tenets that will assist
them in their food choices.

II.

INGREDIENT PROCUREMENT

Many undergraduate students are either living on their own for the first time, or are still
acclimating to their independence and the responsibilities that come with it. Shopping for
and preparing ones own foods can be difficult, especially when on a student budget. It is the
purpose of Make the Most of Your Meals to educate students on how to go about
purchasing food items that they can best utilize, given their available funds, kitchen
resources, and skill levels. Additionally, this segment of the program emphasizes the
importance of menu planning during the grocery shopping process, educating students on
the ways in which they can plan ahead for both their meals and necessary food ingredients.

III.

MEAL PREPARATION

There are many variables that might influence a students ability to prepare meals for him or
herself. With a busy academic schedule, it can be hard for students to find the time to
prepare themselves meals on a regular basis. Intimidation or a general lack of knowledge as
for how to prepare certain foods can also hinder a student from wanting to prepare their
own meals. Make the Most of Your Meals provides students with the chance to utilize basic
nutrition principles to become grocery shopping savvy, and to prepare meals that best
support their respective needs and lifestyles.

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MEALS

PROGRAM CONTENT

I.

NUTRITION BASICS POTENTIAL LESSON TOPICS

Understanding concepts:

II.

Macronutrients and Micronutrients

Fiber and Hydration
Supplementation
Reading Nutrition Labels
Myth Debunking
Fueling Up for Working Out
Healthy Vegan and Vegetarian Options

INGREDIENT PROCUREMENT POTENTIAL LESSON TOPICS

Purchasing foods based on:

Ingredient Variability in Different Recipes
Healthy Eating on a Budget
Advance Meal Preparation and Menu Planning

III.

MEAL PREPARATION POTENTIAL LESSON TOPICS

On-campus cooking classes and skills-based workshops:

One-pot Meals
Recipe Makeovers
Knife Skills
Preparing Meats
Pureed Meals

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MEALS

PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

NUTRITION BASICS
CONCEPTUAL NUTRITION EDUCATION
Under this tier of the program, students will have the opportunity to sign up for general nutrition
classes provided through the GSU Wellness Center. Classes should be implemented by GSU
dietetic interns. Classes must be rooted in sound nutrition science principles, while incorporating
information relevant to the student demographic, as defined by needs assessment survey
results.
Dietetic interns will either develop a novel nutrition education lesson plan during their rotations
with GSU Wellness, or implement a pre-existing lesson plan. When developing new lessons,
interns should select a relevant topic, and generate a professional lesson plan that aligns with
the program toolkit template. At the conclusion of his or her lesson, each intern should evaluate
his or her own performance, in addition to gathering participant feedback, using the provided
evaluation templates found at the end of this program toolkit.
The lesson plan template requires interns to identify the learning objectives, lesson components,
educational activities, and leave-behind materials involved in their lesson implementation.
Interns are to generate or provide any leave-behind materials for their audience members using
the resources available to them at GSU Wellness.
As lessons throughout the program will be provided in installments, they will be implemented on
a 6-week cycle basis.

INGREDIENT PROCUREMENT
GROCERY SHOPPING AND MENU PLANNING
Under this program tier, students will have the opportunity to sign up for ingredient
procurement classes (pertaining to grocery shopping and/or menu planning) provided through
the GSU Wellness Center. Classes should be implemented by GSU dietetic interns. Classes must
be rooted in sound nutrition science principles, while incorporating information relevant to the
student demographic, as defined by needs assessment survey results.
Dietetic interns will either develop a novel lesson plan during their rotations with GSU Wellness,
or implement a pre-existing lesson plan. When developing new lessons, interns should select a
relevant topic, and generate a professional lesson plan that aligns with the program toolkit
template. At the conclusion of his or her lesson, each intern should evaluate his or her own
performance, in addition to gathering participant feedback, using the provided evaluation
templates found at the end of this program toolkit.
The lesson plan template requires interns to identify the learning objectives, lesson components,
educational activities, and leave-behind materials involved in their lesson implementation.
Interns are to generate or provide any leave-behind materials for their audience members using
the resources available to them at GSU Wellness.
As lessons throughout the program will be provided in installments, they will be implemented on
a 6-week cycle basis.

MEAL PREPARATION
COOKING CLASSES
Under this program tier, students will have the opportunity to sign up for cooking classes
operated through the GSU Wellness Center. Classes should be implemented by GSU dietetic
interns, in addition to other guest health or culinary professionals. Classes must be rooted in
sound food science principles, while incorporating recipes that are appropriate for the student
demographic, as defined by needs assessment survey results. Students will learn basic cooking
technique in conjunction with basic nutrition lessons.
Dietetic interns will select a recipe that caters to skill-building in the kitchen (e.g. knife skills or
making food pures), develop a recipe page with detailed preparation instructions, as well as the
necessary supplies and ingredients called for during implementation. For each attendee, the
interns will provide a professionally formatted print-out of the recipe they choose to implement,
in addition to relevant cooking and skills-based tips that pertain to the lesson. At the conclusion
of his or her lesson, each intern should evaluate his or her own performance, in addition to
gathering participant feedback, using the provided evaluation templates found at the end of this
program toolkit.
As lessons throughout the program will be provided in installments, they will be implemented on
a 6-week cycle basis.

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MEALS

SAMPLE ROTATION SCHEDULE

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

WEEK 1
LECTURE: NUTRITION BASICS

WEEK 3
WORKSHOP: COOKING CLASS



WEEK 4
LECTURE: NUTRITION BASICS



WEEK 5
LECTURE: INGREDIENT PROCUREMENT

FRI

SAT

WEEK 2
LECTURE: INGREDIENT PROCUREMENT

WEEK 6
WORKSHOP: COOKING CLASS

THU

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MEALS

LESSON PLANS

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MEALS

LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE

LESSON TITLE:

LESSON TYPE:

o Nutrition Basics
o Ingredient Procurement
o Meal Preparation

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Students will:
1.

2.

3.

TOTAL TIME:

ACTIVITIES OUTLINE:

1.

2.

3.

REQUIRED MATERIALS:

LESSON TITLE:

Portion Size with MyPlate

LESSON TYPE:
Nutrition Basics
Ingredient Procurement
o Meal Preparation

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Students will:
1. Identify the food categories that constitute MyPlate, as well as the general servings that one
should consume from each.
2. Estimate the general portion sizes of each of the different food groups.
3. Design a meal that incorporates each of the MyPlate food groups.

TOTAL TIME:
Approximately 1 hour

ACTIVITIES OUTLINE:
1. Educator will pass out paper plate MyPlates for each audience member to write out what they
believe to be the appropriate portion size of each MyPlate food group on (e.g. student might
write 1 c vegetables in the vegetable portion of the plate). Educator will announce answers via
PowerPoint lecture once audience members have completed writing their estimations.

2. Audience members will divide into 5 teams (one team per food group). Each team will estimate
out the correct portion of their assigned food onto either a paper plate or Dixie cup. Once teams
unanimously agree on their estimations, teams will share by having one member physically
measure out their estimated portions in front of the group, using provided measuring utensils.

3. Audience members will utilize the leave-behind Practice with MyPlate brochure to create a
balanced meal that they can reference while making MyPlate approved grocery lists. Educator
will challenge audience to create a complete, balanced meal utilizing each of the food groups,
using the provided leave-behind brochure. Educator may want to verbalize the provided example.

REQUIRED MATERIALS:

Paper plates, drawn on with permanent marker to resemble MyPlate

Dixie cups, used to represent Dairy food group from MyPlate
Pens or pencils for audience to use
Liquid and dry food measuring cups
Portion Size with MyPlate PowerPoint (with included notes)
Practice with MyPlate brochure
Food items representative of each food group
o e.g. strawberries [fruit], baby carrots [vegetables], almonds or canned meat [protein], 1%
milk [dairy], whole grain granola [grains]

LESSON TITLE:

Perfecting Pures featuring a Creamy Pured Butternut Squash Alfredo Pasta recipe

LESSON TYPE:
o Nutrition Basics
o Ingredient Procurement
Meal Preparation

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Students will prepare vegetable pure from scratch and incorporate into a satiating and balanced entre.

TOTAL TIME:
Approximately 1 hour; may extend time to include relevant nutrition education

INGREDIENTS:

4 strips of bacon
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup diced red onion
1 garlic clove
1 butternut squash
1 cup low sodium chicken stock

1 tablespoon diced fresh sage

1 tablespoon diced fresh thyme
1 cup 2% milk
salt to taste
2 lb. pasta

PREPARATION:

1. Cut butternut squash into cubes. Set aside 3 c for use in the recipe.
2. In a large skillet add the butter and red onion. Saut until slightly soft, about 1-2 minutes.
3. Next add in the garlic, saut for 30 seconds, stir and add the butternut squash, chicken stock,
sage, and thyme. Stir and cover. Cook until the butternut squash is fork tender, about 8-10
minutes.
4. When the squash is tender, add the squash to a food processor along with the milk and salt to
taste. Pure until smooth.
5. In the meantime, heat a small skillet to medium high heat, add the diced bacon to the pan and
saut until the bacon is crispy. About 4-5 minutes. When the bacon is done, place it on a paper
towel lined plate to let the grease drain.
6. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta, cook according to directions, do not overcook.
7. Drain pasta and add butternut squash sauce to the pasta, gently toss together and top with crispy
bacon. Serve!

REQUIRED MATERIALS:

Cutting boards
Knives
Stovetop
Stirring Spoons
Large pots
Colanders

Large skillets
Small skillets
Food processors

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MEALS

PROGRAM EVALUATIONS

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MEALS

SELF-EVALUATION FORM

1. Please give yourself an overall rating for implementation of this lesson:

5

4

3

2

1
Excellent Good Fair

Poor Unacceptable

2. Do you feel that your learners were engaged throughout the lesson?
Yes

No

3. What went well during this lesson?




4. Were there any specific challenges that arose? Please explain.




5. What do you think should be changed for future implementation?




6. Please provide any additional feedback that you may have regarding this
presentation.

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MEALS

PARTICIPANT EVALUATION FORM

1. Please give this lesson an overall rating:

5

4

3

Excellent Good Fair

Poor Unacceptable

2. Do you feel that you learned something new from this presentation?
Yes

No

3. What did you like best about this lesson?




4. What do you think could be changed for the future?




5. Would you consider attending another presentation?
Yes

No

6. Please provide any additional feedback that you may have regarding this
presentation.




Thank you for attending this presentation and completing an evaluation!