The University of Memphis hosted its first nutrition lunch class of the semester Sept. 5 at the Sports Complex. Participants learned the basics of grilling and prepared their own grilled pizzas.
The class is part of a series run by Melissa Petersen, assistant director of Nutrition Programming and Operations at the R. Brad Martin Student Wellness Center. Petersen, who teaches in the university’s Tiger Food Lab, said the goal of the class is to help students gain practical cooking skills they can carry beyond campus.
“My thought is that when students leave college, they’re more likely to live somewhere with a grill than own something like a food processor,” Petersen said. “It’s a very healthy, economical way to cook, and it allows infinite variation.”
The program will host classes on select Fridays throughout the fall semester, with registration available on the Campus Recreation website. Each class costs $15 to cover ingredients and includes lunch. Petersen said she hopes the sessions provide students a “low-key way to practice” cooking skills without the pressure of being watched over.
“Sometimes you just need to do it and get comfortable,” Petersen said. “The grill is basically a stove and an oven at the same time, it does the work for you.”
