By Katrina Hageman
Editor’s note: This story was written from the perspective of writer Katrina Hageman, sophomore in agricultural communication, who participated in the Culinary Boot Camp. She shares her first-hand experience in the second half of this story.
Iowa State University students of all majors had the opportunity to enroll in Culinary Boot Camp, gaining valuable food safety, meal prepping and grocery shopping tips and tricks.
The class was made possible by Erica Beirman’s involvement in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows (IEFF) program. Beirman, teaching professor of food science and human nutrition, is one of 11 members of the 2024 cohort.
Beirman proposed the creation of FSHN 4930, a two-credit course known as the Culinary Boot Camp, in an effort to teach college students culinary and nutrition skills to encourage a healthier future.
“Culinary Boot Camp benefits students by providing knowledge and life skills to help prepare and plan healthful meals,” Beirman said. “Students are immersed in thought-provoking activities paired with hands-on experience to allow opportunities to create a foundation they can continue to build upon for a lifetime of healthy habits.”
On Oct. 23, the Culinary Boot Camp kicked off in the Student Innovation Center’s Culinary Creations Lab. Funding from the IEFF program supported students by supplying a cutting board, thermometer, glass dish and knife.
Isabel Ekwall and Mahala Mueller, graduate students in the Master of Professional Practice in Dietetics (MPPD) program, led the course with assistance from Elizabeth Doyle, senior in dietetics.
“When it comes to cooking, college students don’t often get taught the basics, which is critical for their futures,” Ekwall said. “Learning how to cook will help students understand health and nutrition.”
“We believe everything starts in the kitchen,” Mueller said. “We want to educate students about foods that are easy to make and nutritional so they don’t have to rely on processed or fast foods.”
Ekwall and Mueller played a significant role in creating the Culinary Boot Camp’s seven-week curriculum because of their involvement in the MPPD program. This course allowed the graduate students to get firsthand dietetic experience as instructors.
My experience in Culinary Boot Camp
I signed up for Culinary Boot Camp because I wanted to become more knowledgeable about preparing meals and how to incorporate healthy foods into my diet. I was excited to learn basic skills that are used every day in the kitchen. During the seven-week course, we covered a variety of topics:
- Safely storing food, heating leftovers and awareness of foodborne illnesses
- Developing budgets, meal prepping and efficiently grocery shopping
- Exploring nutrition and diets using MyPlate
- Cooking basics and recipe conversions
- Virtual Hy-Vee grocery store tour with nutritional recommendations from dietitians
- Reducing food waste, composting, eating seasonally and growing herbs
- Meal prepping a full-course meal
One concept I fully enjoyed was learning more about the nutrition needed to stay healthy and how to prepare nutritious meals on my own. From simple meals to the skills needed to complete more complex meals, this course taught me how to be successful in the kitchen.
As a college student, saving money is an important aspect when finding daily meals. The Culinary Boot Camp taught me how to budget and efficiently grocery shop to make my own meals instead of relying on fast food or cheaper processed foods.
The Student Innovation Center’s Culinary Creations Lab created an amazing environment to learn and try new things. Each week, we ended class with making different recipes ranging from all kinds of foods. This hands-on experience helped grow my skillset and allowed me to experiment with different ingredients I typically am not exposed to, such as chickpeas, sriracha, goat cheese, paprika and tahini.
Two sections of the FSHN 4930 Culinary Boot Camp course are planned to be offered in fall 2025 for all undergraduate students. I highly recommend enrolling in this hands-on learning course. It will assist you in learning valuable life skills you will use for years.
Hear more about Ekwall and Mueller’s experience teaching Culinary Boot Camp on this SICTR Second Podcast.