My third week at Northern Michigan University was filled with trips to various places in Marquette and the surrounding areas. The content of the trips ranged from health to agricultural education. In between my "field trips," I also made headway on the major projects I am supposed to complete by the end of my internship. It's exciting that things are coming together!
Bariatric Surgery Meeting
Speaking of adventures, last week I had an opportunity to sit in on a bariatric surgery information meeting. The meeting essentially provided an overview of how the procedure works, the role the counseling sessions and nutrition sessions play and how it affects the patients' life overall. It was interesting from my standpoint because I purely there to observe and gain an understanding of the surgery in general. My initial impression left me thinking that the health professionals didn't stress how life-changing the operation is, even if it does help patients lose weight. While statistics, such as less than 1% has to have a large incision, put the surgery in perspective in terms of success rate, the risk of developing leakage and exactly how much the patients would have to change their lifestyle were answered vaguely. I would hope these patients consider every variable before committing to the surgery and maybe seek out others who have had the procedure. The meeting was definitely an eye opening experience, for in this case, the guidelines for nutrition were radically different than the general guidelines established by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Nutrition for a bariatric patient literally stresses how little they can eat and how much more protein they need to be consuming. By the end of my internship I may observe an actual bariatric surgery! I won't hesitate to share my thoughts on that!
Mission: Local Food
A few days later, I took a trip to the Local Food Coop and Hoop House, this time on a official tour. Abby, the program coordinator of the Food Coop, gave me a detailed tour about the items sold in the Coop and informed me how successful the operation has been. In time, they've generated revenue totaling 5 million dollars annually! In the near future, the business is expanding to a larger locations where they can host cooking classes and continue bridging the gap between local farmers and residents of the Upper Peninsula. They also have a Hoop House project that focuses on sustainability and improving the soil in order to expand the growing season. My hope is to use the tomatoes they grew for my picnic to show NMU Dining's appreciation for their efforts!
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| Info Courtesy of the Food Coop |
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| Fresh, Local Coffee Beans. Yum! |
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| Any Nut Mix You'd Every Want! |
Major projects update
The annual picnic plans that I have to formulate are coming together quite well. I've decided to go with a travel theme, for I love adventure and my eagerness to explore pushed me to intern here. [Honestly, I didn't know what I was getting into and I've never been to the UP.] I work directly with Sue, a supervisor of NMU Dining. Our mission is to host an epic picnic dedicated to the staff! Thus far, I've planned a burger bar with toppings from around the world. I found a thai peanut sauce recipe that will transform an ordinary burger into a mouthwatering masterpiece and much more! [Can't reveal it all yet!] The budgeting side of planning the picnic will definitely be an experience too.
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| Thai Burger for the Travel Picnic! |
Monthly Nutrition Presentations
One of my other responsibilities as an intern is to create the monthly nutrition presentation plans for the upcoming school year. In total, I am in charge of figuring out nutrition themes, table design, food samples, recipes, and marketing plans for seven presentations. At first, I was intimidated, but I've enjoyed the freedom to get creative and plan presentations that matter to the students of NMU. For example, August is National Sandwich Month, so I created a presentation titled "What's on Your Bun?" that focuses on making healthy sandwich topping swaps and to get creative with building a sandwich. I have heard too many times that students don't take control of their meal or add new items and would rather have a pre-made sandwich. To motivate students to carry out the suggestions laid out in the presentation, I thought it would be fun to make it a contest for the top creative sandwiches too.
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| Nutrition Presentation "Everything Guides" |
Food Allergen Training Manual
I have really started to lay out the plans for the food allergen training manual, which I have titled "Eat on." [Eat stands for Enforcing Allergen Techniques, at least for now.] The first week I was here, I interviewed the chefs and a few student employees to gain a sense of what worked and didn't work last year when trying to deliver foods to students with allergies. I have decided focusing on education and expectation would improve the allergen program significantly. Ultimately, I want to create a training manual and operations piece that supports the cooks and student employees and give them the confidence to serve students with allergens. I am looking at this project from all angles, including the marketing side, which influences the student body most. By creating a friendly environment that can support the needs of those with food allergies, NMU Dining can be more successful in selling meal plans and most importantly, everyone can be happy eating in the dining courts.
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| Draft 1: E.A.T. ON Allergen Manual |
Farm Tour
Sunday I traveled an hour with Steve and Lexie to support the local farm tour. The "farm of the day" was an organic cow farm that housed about 90 cows total. Unlike commercial farms, the farmer must continually work the fields and plow the land until grass no longer grows when he/she wants to plant new crops. I also learned that cows age 2-6 years act like teenagers. When one cow decided to walk around the herd, they all followed. Eventually they were all moving in a circle- It was quite comical!
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| "Teenage [Organic] Cows" |
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| Lexie and I |
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| Part of the Cow Farm |
Cassandra
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