Two Deakin University students are hoping to encourage more young people to develop healthy eating habits through a series of fun videos showcasing simple and nutritious meals.
Third-year bachelor of nutrition students Chelsea Hughes and Alessia Indovino have created a selection of recipes, packed with goodness, that form part of a new healthy eating resource called Nourished@Deakin being launched as part of National Nutrition Week.
National Nutrition Week is an annual campaign encouraging Australians to increase their vegetable consumption to the recommended five serves per day.
Ms Hughes said she wanted to inspire young people with fresh ideas about meal planning and preparation and encourage them to have fun in the kitchen at the same time.
“Most of us think about good health and nutrition but it can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to improving our eating habits,” Ms Hughes said.
“I’m really excited to use my knowledge of nutrition to help others become the healthiest versions of themselves and build a really positive relationship with food.”
As part of their work, the pair surveyed Deakin students about their food behaviours, how they navigate meal planning and eating.
Ms Indovina said the feedback they received helped them identify target areas for improvement.
“We developed recipes that increased vegetable consumption, were affordable, sustainable and focused on meals that are commonly skipped such as breakfast,” Ms Indovina said.
Nourished@Deakin features resources including tips on food storage, dietary guidelines and three recipe categories: breakfast, lunch and dinner and snacks and treats.
“We grouped lunch and dinner together to show these meals as interchangeable and easy to make in bulk so there are leftovers in the fridge ready to go,” Ms Indovina said.
The recipe videos were filmed at Deakin’s Waurn Ponds Estate with help from Waurn Ponds’ executive chef Adam Draper and feature ingredients sourced from the Waurn Ponds Community Garden which was established to promote sustainable cooking with fresh seasonal fresh produce.
