On Monday, University Recreation collaborated with Sodexo to host their first Motivational Eats via Zoom. Motivational Eats offers healthy eating tips and recipes to the UTRGV community.
Inspired by the UREC student staff saying they constantly eat at home and their sleeping schedule has changed, UREC and Sodexo collaborated to provide healthier alternatives, said Samantha Villarreal, recreation program coordinator in Brownsville.
“We want to give students the healthier options and knowledge for them to learn,” Villarreal said.
The sessions are held at noon, last half an hour and are available for all members of the community. Susie Gonzales, Sodexo marketing coordinator and a registered dietitian, provides recipes and tips for viewers.
For the first session, Gonzales demonstrated making a breakfast burrito. Breakfast burritos can be easily made while people are staying home, she said.
“[Making a breakfast burrito] is also family friendly,” Gonzales said. “If you have kids, it’s something you can get them involved in.”
The recipe for a breakfast burrito, provided by UTRGV Dining Services, is as follows:
Ingredients
1 teaspoon of bacon bits, fully cooked
1 teaspoon of diced bell peppers
1 teaspoon of diced onion
1 teaspoon of diced jalapeño
1 teaspoon of shredded cheese
1-2 eggs, whisked.
Instructions
- In a skillet, add protein meats and vegetables
- Sauté for 2-3 minutes on medium heat
- Add eggs and scrambles until fully cooked
- Serve scrambled egg mix over a tortilla and roll burrito-style
Add more nutrition to this recipe by including beans, avocado, spinach and a Greek yogurt spread. Try making a breakfast burrito using a whole wheat tortilla. Use any vegetable combinations that you have on hand.
Tips
–The measurements of vegetables or protein can be adjusted to fit the person’s preference.
–If the burrito is too big, cut it in half and store one piece in a freezer or refrigerator for another time.
The benefit of a breakfast burrito is people consume their vegetables, fruits and proteins in the morning, Gonzales said.
“And then, with your healthy grain or whole grain tortilla, it adds an extra amount of nutrients, vitamins and minerals,” she said.
For those who are bored with their daily meals, Gonzales recommends adding different vegetables they do not normally eat to their burrito.
“Just switching around your veggies will add a little more variety to your meals,” she said.
People who do not have a stove or skillet can also make a breakfast burrito with a microwave. Place the whisked eggs and added vegetables in a mug, and microwave for about three minutes or until the eggs are fully cooked, Gonzales said.
“It’s adaptable to your kitchen,” she said.
One viewer during the session asked what specific pan Gonzales was using. She replied kitchen safety is what is important, not the brand of equipment.
“As long as your food can be cooked properly, you could use different equipment,” Gonzales said. “Just use whatever you have available for you right now.”
Veronica Reyes Leos, an office assistant for the Undergraduate Recruitment and New Student Orientation department, attended the session and was impressed with the burrito. Leos said her daughter, a university student, would be willing to make breakfast burritos.
“[Motivational Eats] is a very good idea to give out to students so that way students don’t have to go out that much,” she said. “They can avoid communication with the outside world, so they can take care of themselves.”
Leos plans on attending the next session.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the UREC offered Motivational Mondays, a popular event for students that is similar to Motivational Eats, Villarreal said. Motivational Mondays attendees received samples of the healthy food discussed.
“We thought we could easily do that virtually for students to give them … some consistency,” she said.
For future Motivational Eats sessions, Gonzales will keep teaching easy recipes that help build healthy eating patterns.
“[Students] get to learn how to cook something easy, and they also get to learn about the nutritional benefits of these foods,” she said.
Next Monday, Gonzales will make lasagna rolls with Alfredo sauce. On April 27, she will make banana energy bites, Villarreal said.
Julie Serino, a UREC program assistant and monitor of the sessions, said students benefit from attending by learning how to cook their own food.
“We’re used to doing Motivational Mondays on campus and giving them the actual food, and, this time, they’re able to learn it by themselves just by watching the video,” Serino said.
As of now, there are no sessions planned for May or summer, but Villarreal hopes Motivational Eats will be offered throughout summer.
“We kind of want to see how these go … and what we need to adjust, and then we’ll go from there,” she said.
While staying at home, students should prioritize keeping their bodies energized to continue with online classes, Gonzales said. For this, she recommends sticking to a healthy eating pattern of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, lean protein, nuts, seeds and legumes.
“All of that variety … as long as you’re consuming it, will ensure that your body has enough vitamins and minerals for maintenance,” she said.
Gonzales also recommends experimenting with food at home to avoid boredom with healthy eating.
“It should become part of your lifestyle and not a diet,” she said.
People can join the Zoom sessions with the meeting ID: 772-583-9748.
The sessions are recorded and will be posted on the UREC’s website or YouTube channel.
