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Teaching Kitchens Equip Bear Pantry Members with Cooking Skills

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Exciting things are stirring in the Foods Lab on the top floor of Kampeter.  

Interactive cooking classes, called “teaching kitchens” spark connections between peers and support cooking skills as dietetic graduate students lead hour-long sessions focusing on creating meals from the Bear Pantry. 

Titled “Foodie Fridays”, the idea for this class stemmed from a collaboration between the Bear Pantry and the dietetics department to focus on supporting UN Sustainable Development Goal #2: Zero Hunger. MSU students, faculty, and staff are receiving food from the Bear Pantry but may not know how to cook nutritious, balanced meals with the ingredients. As there was not a resource currently being offered, Stephanie Urich, Clinical Instructor for the School of Health Sciences, and Dr. Alex Johnson, Director of the Center for Community Engagement, decided to fill this gap.  

Over two separate sessions, Monse Velazquez, graduate student in the dietetics program, led fifty Bear Pantry members through the process of cooking a chicken pot pie and a chickpea curry…all from ingredients you can commonly find at food pantries.  

Monse was inspired to focus on canned goods. “Growing up in Paraguay, we didn’t have canned goods like we do here in the U.S… When I moved here, I realized canned goods were very affordable, but I didn’t know how to cook with them, and that was a challenge. Many Bear Pantry members are international students who face this same barrier. Having access to canned goods is helpful, but only if you know what to do with them. I wanted to fill that gap and make pantry foods feel approachable, familiar, and exciting,” notes Monse. 

“Having access to canned goods is helpful, but only if you know what to do with them. I wanted to fill that gap and make pantry foods feel approachable, familiar, and exciting” 

A blend of hands-on cooking experience and nutrition education made up the session. The participants were placed in groups and worked together to create the meal, then Monse led them through creating nutritious, balanced meals with ingredients on hand. 

“One thing I think is really special about this new project is the opportunity it brings our Nutrition & Dietetics students to get real-world, hands-on experience. We’re not just having fun and eating delicious food in the kitchen (although we are doing that!). We’re helping to build food literacy and improve health outcomes in our campus community,” Stephanie remarks. 

Dietetic graduate student Betsy Whitehurst will be continuing the monthly series starting next February. 

That’s not the only way teaching kitchens support the Bear Pantry. 

Dr. Daniela Novotny, Senior Instructor for the School of Health Sciences and her DTN 695 research class led two teaching kitchen sessions focusing on meals from the Bear Pantry in October. With an audience of first-generation college students through the Bears Lead group, the sessions focused on cooking basics, dorm cooking, and snack hacks. Power Bowls with Creamy Avocado Sauce, Bean & Veggie Quesadillas, and Microwave Peach Crisps were all on the menu. 

Being a research class, the group analyzed the data to find that the group felt more confident in the kitchen and built their nutrition knowledge on a statistically significant level.  

Teaching kitchens are showing great promise in supporting the Bear Pantry! 

How to Join Foodie Fridays 

  • You must be a Bear Pantry member to join.  
  • A sign-up form will be emailed to Bear Pantry members in advance. The form will also be posted in the Bear Pantry. 
  • Come and attend a fun cooking session!
  • Spots fill quickly so don’t miss out!  

Oats: Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner

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Oats.  It’s a shelf-stable, affordable, staple grain found in many households.  It can be added to muffins, breads, and cookies; or – as almost anyone knows, as a hot bowl of breakfast cereal.  In just ½ cup, this excellent source of grains provides 4 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein, along with calcium, iron, and potassium.

Because of the mild flavor oats carry, it pairs easily with a large variety of add-ins.  This makes it easy to turn a simple bowl of oatmeal into a complete meal!  Let’s look at some options that will help you create a filling dish with a variety of nutrients and benefits to keep you full and energized.

Basic Breakfast Bowl:

First: Cook the oats with milk (instead of water) for additional protein (up to 8 grams per cup) and calcium. Milk substitutes, such as almond or soy will add their own nutrition benefits.

Add fruit: There are so many options here, some of which can also be found at the Bear Pantry.  Chop up a piece of fresh fruit, add frozen berries, dried fruits – like raisins or cranberries, even canned or jarred fruit works great!  Regardless, you’ll be adding in important vitamins that boost your immune system and help create quick energy.

Healthy fats:  A great way to top off the bowl and keep you full longer is to add nuts or nut butters.  Trail mix and single serve cups of peanut butter are often available at the Pantry and would be a great option.

Savory Lunch or Dinner Bowl:

First: Start by cooking oats in water or broth for a savory flavored base.

Add protein: Eggs are another great product offered at the Pantry.  They are a great source of protein (7 grams per egg) and pair great with the heartiness of these grains.  Scrambled, poached, or hard/soft boiled would work in this bowl.

Seasonings: Give the bowl a unique taste by adding fresh or dried herbs and spices.

Add vegetables:  This is a great dish to add cooked vegetables from a previous meal to.  Get creative and try new flavors together!

Finally, top with a sprinkle your favorite shredded or crumbled cheese to melt over the bowl.

Bear Pantry Hosts First Virtual Food Demo

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The Bear Pantry and the Nutrition and Dietetics department are partnering to promote healthy eating choices, while decreasing food insecurity on campus.

Dietetics Intern, Nicole Koetting, give a food demo for PB&J Energy Bites using food from the Bear Pantry

Missouri State University Dietetic Intern, Nicole, demonstrated how to utilize food from the Bear Pantry to make good, healthy snacks.  In her recipe, Nicole used staple Bear Pantry items to make PB&J Energy Bites.

PB&J Energy Bites can be made with ingredients found in the Bear Pantry

PB&J Energy Bites

Serving size: 1 bite (45 calories, 6g carbohydrates, 2g protein, 2g fat, 1g fiber)

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup  rolled quick oats
  • 1/3 cup nut or seed butter
  • 1 Tbsp chia seeds
  • 1/4 cup jelly or fruit spread

Directions:

  1. Combine and stir all ingredients together in a medium sized bowl
  2. Use a spoon or scoop to make 1-inch sized balls and rolls with hands until round.  Store in a container in the fridge.

Dietetic Internship Graduate Certificate at Missouri State

This program’s mission is to prepare competent registered dietitian nutritionists who are citizen scholars, with expertise in either public affairs or rural health, who will meet the need of dietetic practitioners across the nation.

Learn More about the Dietetic Internship

Learn more about the Bear Pantry