Let's Eat! Planning and Preparing Healthy Meals in our Teaching and Learning Community

By: Christina Mirtes, Jessica Grimone-Hopkins & Martha Baiyee

College life can be demanding, with classes, extracurricular activities, and work schedules often leaving little time for self-care. For many students, one of the first things to fall by the wayside is nutrition. Recognizing this challenge, we recently undertook a project aimed at supporting students' health and wellness through something both simple and profound: warm, healthy meals shared as a community, using the Faculty Development Center Mini-Grant Funding.

The Power of a Warm Meal

The idea was simple: bring students together to enjoy warm, healthy meals in a communal setting, while also teaching them how to replicate those meals on their own. By offering them a meal plan with the cost breakdown, we wanted to show that preparing nutritious food doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. Instead, it can be an achievable, cost-effective habit, even for busy college students.

Over the course of the project, we gathered as a group to enjoy these meals, sharing stories, laughter, and conversations that went far beyond the classroom. The impact was immediate and profound. One student captured this sentiment perfectly: "This meal felt like a loving culmination of the community we have built in this class. I felt cared for."

Teaching Healthy Meal Prep as a Life Skill

Central to the project was the idea that meal prepping is a crucial life skill. College students often struggle with maintaining a healthy diet due to time constraints, limited cooking skills, or tight budgets. Through this project, we aimed to show that with a little planning, it’s entirely possible to eat well without breaking the bank or spending hours in the kitchen.

Each meal was designed to be simple yet nutritious. Along with the meals, students received a detailed meal plan that broke down the cost per serving and provided easy-to-follow recipes. For many students, this was a revelation. One participant shared, "I loved to take the time to talk with my classmates and enjoy a delicious meal! I love that we talked about how this was a cost-effective and easy meal that we could make at home!"

The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Students appreciated the simplicity of the meals and the practical guidance on meal planning. In fact, 100% of participants found the meal plans helpful, with 80% saying they were likely to make a similar meal at home. As one student put it, "I also enjoy cooking healthy meals for myself, so I would definitely create something like this at home. For people who do not cook for themselves, I am sure it helps them see how easy it could be."

Building a Sense of Community

One of the most meaningful outcomes of the project was how it contributed to a sense of community among the students. Sharing a meal together is a powerful way to bring people closer, and this project reinforced that. In a time when many students feel isolated or overwhelmed by their responsibilities, something as simple as sitting down to a meal with classmates made a difference.

All participants said that eating warm meals together contributed to a stronger sense of community in the college setting. One student’s words stood out: "I was so grateful when I saw we had food being provided for us. I was excited because I was hungry and had not had much money for lunch. It made me feel almost emotional that we have professors willing to take the time to cook and provide us with a meal."

This feedback reflected how the project went beyond just offering food, but it made students feel valued and supported, which is critical to fostering a positive and inclusive college experience. Sharing these meals helped cultivate an environment where students felt connected to one another, strengthening relationships that might not have formed in the usual hustle of campus life.

Our results not only demonstrate the immediate impact of the project but also highlight the potential for long-term benefits. By learning how to plan and prepare simple, nutritious meals, students gained a valuable skill that can support their personal wellness now and in the future.

Encouraging Others to Get Involved

This project showed that something as simple as sharing a meal can have a significant impact on student well-being. Not only did it provide nutritious food, but it also helped foster a sense of belonging and community, which is essential for students’ overall wellness.

For faculty members looking to support their students in similar ways, we encourage you to apply for the Faculty Development Center (FDC) Mini-Grant. This grant helped fund the meals, tools, and made it possible to reach more students. Projects like this are an excellent opportunity to enhance students' health and wellness in creative, meaningful ways.

Imagine the possibilities if more faculty members took the time to introduce wellness initiatives into their classrooms. Whether it’s providing meals, teaching life skills like meal prep, or finding other ways to support students, small efforts can have a lasting impact. Together, we can help students thrive, not just academically, but holistically by equipping them with the skills and support they need for a healthy future.

By bringing warm meals into the classroom, we have created a ripple effect that goes beyond the plate. We’re nourishing not just bodies, but minds and communities as well.