The Instructional Kitchen provides a variety of educational, and nutrition-focused programming for students to cultivate healthy habits. Check them out below.
Programs
Information, dates/times, costs, and registration for each semester’s student wellness programs can be found in the “Program Registration”/”Student Wellness” or “Student Wellness Programs” sections in Active Illini member portal. Refer to the Active Illini informational page for instructions on how to login.
Nutrition Coaching
Whether your goal is weight management, muscle gain, sustainable living, or creating a healthy relationship with food, our staff will help create an individualized game plan that will suit your needs.
- Complete a questionnaire with your background and health history
- A nutrition assessment will include a 24 hour food recall, consistency of meals, variety/balance of meals, physical activity habits, social-emotional ties to food, etc.
- This assessment will become the starting point to determine “where you are now” and “where you want to be”
Nutrition coaching is conducted by our staff of dietetic, food science and human nutrition students, under the guidance of two Registered Dietitians from McKinley Health Center.
Get Fresh!
Get Fresh! is a cost-effective seasonal foods program that aims to increase the availability, accessibility, and consumption of fresh produce on campus.
- Fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables
- Farm to table produce from the Student Sustainable Farm
- Participants use their Get Fresh! tote to pick up produce in the ARC instructional kitchen every week for 6 weeks
- Recipes and educational resources prepared by Peer Nutrition Educators from McKinley Health are included!
This program is offered through a collaboration between Student Wellness, McKinley Health Center, and Student Sustainable Farm
Cooking Classes
…in the Instructional Kitchen!
Try a variety of classes learning how to cook, bake, and enjoy new recipes.
- All classes include cooking demonstrations with generous tastings of each recipe!
- Food containers will be provided to take home leftovers.
- Contact us with any food-related allergies or sensitivities a minimum of one week in advance of your scheduled class. We will do our best to accommodate your request and will contact you if we are unable to meet your needs.
Recipes from the Instructional Kitchen Cooking Classes will be archived on the Recipes and Inspiration page.
Illini Eats
Leave the meal planning behind and put down the shopping list! Grab a to-go meal kit from the ARC instructional kitchen. These chef curated meals serves two for only $10!
Tasting Thursdays
Tasting Thursdays is a program where you can sample delicious food from the Instructional Kitchen and learn a tip or two about keeping up great wellness habits.
Sponsored by
Instructional Kitchen
Our commitment…
Engage the diverse Illinois students and other campus community members in opportunities to learn about, cook, taste and share health-supporting, sustainably-produced food.
Educate about the culinary and other skills needed for planning, preparing, serving, and evaluating healthy meals.
Provide a safe, clean and sustainable space for the campus community to engage in research, service-learning, experiential learning, and personal growth and development.
Utilize culinary education as a part of a strategy to improve food security, employment opportunities, and simultaneously improve health for underserved individuals and the campus community.
(Re) Connect a positive food experience with the growth of local, whole, and more sustainably produced food.
Demonstrate the viability of hands-on experience with healthy food preparation and tasting for improving eating habits and life-long health
