Eagle Dining pilots Mindful Moms by Sodexo

Eagle Dining by Sodexo at North Carolina Central University launched a pilot for community-based healthy living and cooking classes in partnership with Durham Cooperative Extension.

The program is known as “Mindful Moms by Sodexo”, a program for 12 Durham families who have either aged out of the local Welcome Baby program, are classified as low income, or are interested in learning how to prepare healthy meals that are high in nutrition; but not high in cost.

The outreach concept is based on Mindful, Sodexo’s award-winning approach that focuses on transparency of ingredients, delicious food, satisfying portions and clarity in message so that making Mindful choices becomes second nature.

While designed for campus dining, Mindful is an approach that can easily be adopted at home with family.

The Durham families received a meal featuring locally harvested fruits and vegetables prepared by Durham Tech students under the culinary direction of Cheralyn Schmidt Berry, Durham County Cooperative Extension agent, Family and Consumer Sciences.

“The Mindful Moms by Sodexo program is the culinary portion of the Seed to table food and nutrition programming offered at Durham County Cooperative Extension,” said Schmidt Berry. “Here families can learn how to grow, cook and enjoy food to increase family food security, reduce diet related diseases, teach life skills to sustain health, build families through learning and loving food, develop intergenerational relationships through cooking together. Families can afford organic ingredients if they know how to grow and cook the meals in the home.”

After the meal, Eagle Dining’s Marketing Specialist Kelsey Matthews educated the class on what it means to be mindful about healthy eating.

Attendees then stood to recite the mission statement —pledging to cook with more fresh ingredients, educate their families on making healthier food choices, and to be more mindful long-term.

For the cooking lesson, families were led by cooking instructor, Chef Marcus Grant, Eagle Dining by Sodexo’s director of residential dining.

On the menu—a Mindful meal by Sodexo: Chicken Parmesan, Veggies & Spaghetti. The meal featured grilled chicken breast, garlic herb tomato sauce, fresh basil and parmesan cheese with whole wheat spaghetti and roasted vegetables.

Chef Grant talked the families through preparing the Mindful meal with a live cooking demonstration, while engaging in questions and answers.

The team emphasized the importance of purchasing locally grown fruits and veggies, using a thermometer to determine when your chicken is fully cooked, and how to roast veggies to make a coolie.

Each family received a complementary thermometer to use at home.

Upon completion of the cooking demo, families tasted sample-sized portions and received a Mindful Meal Prep Kit created that day by Chef Grant. They also received a Mindful measuring cup, measuring spoons, a cutting board, and a Mindful water bottle, courtesy of Eagle Dining.

Schmidt and her team provided locally grown pears which were harvested earlier in the day.

Organizers offered a second class in the series with a holiday-themed cooking demonstration on November 20 which covered brining, roasting, and carving and how to make Mindful meals out of holiday leftovers. The third class in the series featured a Mindful shrimp salad and each participant received a diploma to hang in their kitchen at home.

Currently twelve Durham Tech students and two NCCU/Eagle Dining Marketing Student Interns volunteer.

In the upcoming semester, Chef Cary Snow, instructor for NCCU’s Hospitality and Tourism Department, will build it into his curriculum and have his culinary classes do the prep work each week for the take-home Mindful meal.

"It is important that we create more opportunities for students to engage in community service while honing their culinary skills,” said Kelsey Matthews, unit marketing specialist, Sodexo Campus Services. “Not only are they engaging in community service, they are networking with chefs, local farmers, and professionals who can help jump-start their careers. We love our partnership with Durham County Cooperative Extension because their values and many of Sodexo's core values align directly."

For more information, contact Kelsey Matthews, unit marketing specialist, Sodexo Campus Services, North Carolina Central University at (919) 314-7535 or Kelsey.Matthews@sodexo.com.