BOONE, N.C. — Is “a healthy chocolate peanut butter cup” an oxymoron? Is Banana Nice Cream a thing? Is it possible to cook spinach and Parm pasta in a stovetop popcorn pot?
No, yes and absolutely! These healthy concoctions can be found in the AppEats virtual cookbook, and junior Lisa Pham wants Appalachian State University students to get cooking. The program is sponsored by Appalachian’s Wellness and Prevention Services, part of the Division of Student Affairs.
A public health and nutrition and foods double major from Hickory, Pham is promoting AppEats during her AppState Instagram takeover the week of May 20. Her own Instagram account, Phamphitphood, is definitely for foodies. She said she hopes the Instagram takeover will get more students thinking about healthy eating.
The cookbook — for students, by students — features a variety of healthy and relatively inexpensive recipes created for easy preparation in a dorm or small kitchen. Recipe categories include No Cooking Required, Microwaveable, Stovetop, Oven and One Pot. The flavor profiles, according to Pham, are “delicious.”
The cookbook was first imagined by Courtney Harris ’18, who was also a nutrition and foods major. “She passed the project along to me,” Pham said, “and I’m carrying it like my baby.”
Pham promotes the cookbook at tables at a variety of campus locations, where she hands out samples of power balls — snack spheres made of oatmeal and peanut butter.
Lisa Pham’s version of Banana Nice Cream, a recipe featured in the AppEats virtual cookbook written by students for students. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Pham, who plans to graduate in 2020, is a member of Appalachian’s WE CAN or Wellness Educators for Change, Advocacy and student Needs. She is ardent about its mission to “positively impact student wellness by empowering peers to change health behaviors, working as an advocacy group for student well-being, and addressing student needs to promote and protect healthy lifestyles.”
Pham’s parents immigrated to America from Vietnam and quickly adapted to a stateside eating culture, she said. “It was McDonald’s all the time. My dad developed Type 2 diabetes and my mom’s cholesterol is high. I want to prevent disease and educate everyone about nutritious eating. McDonald’s is OK every now and then, but not every day!”
Standing a firm 5 feet tall, Pham appears fit and strong; she is a weight lifter and works as an attendant in the weight room at Appalachian’s Student Recreation Center. She likes to bake and, like her mother, she never measures. “I get the food science of baking, so I just eyeball it,” she said. “The problem is I stress bake. That’s no good. So, I share it — you have to share it.”
Pham said she came to Appalachian as a first-year student thinking she would transfer to North Carolina State University as soon as possible. “Then, I joined WE CAN,” she explained. “I felt more at home there than ever before. My advisers were so supportive, and I love my professors here. They’ve helped me find internships and empowered me as a person.”
Next year, Pham plans to work as an undergraduate research assistant with Dr. Alisha Farris, assistant professor in the nutrition and foods program. After that, she is considering graduate school for global public health.
“I hope to work internationally for women and children, developing (a) healthy and nutritious food program,” she said.
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About Student Affairs at App State
Student Affairs at App State supports student success and well-being by fostering a culture of care, inclusion and engagement. Its mission is to develop lifelong learners and dynamic leaders through meaningful experiences that challenge and support students. Grounded in a commitment to care, engage and transform, Student Affairs creates a student-centered environment that encourages resilience, leadership, service and global learning. Student Affairs encompasses the following units: Campus Activities, Case Management, the Child Development Center, Community-Engaged Leadership, Counseling and Psychological Services, Office of the Dean of Students, New Mountaineer and Family Engagement, Off-Campus Student Services, Plemmons Student Union, Student Conduct, M.S. Shook Student Health Service, Student Legal Services, Student Veteran Services, University Recreation, and Wellness and Prevention Services. Learn more at https://studentaffairs.appstate.edu.
About the Department of Nutrition and Health Care Management
The Department of Nutrition and Health Care Management in Appalachian State University’s Beaver College of Health Sciences provides graduate and undergraduate programs. The undergraduate health care management program prepares students for entry-level management positions, while the online Master of Health Administration degree is designed for working professionals who desire to advance their careers. The undergraduate nutrition and foods program prepares students for careers in dietetics or food systems management in a variety of settings, including schools, hospitals, nursing homes and food banks. The highly competitive master’s degree in nutrition provides a pathway for students to become registered dietitians. Learn more at https://nhm.appstate.edu.
About the Beaver College of Health Sciences
Appalachian State University’s Beaver College of Health Sciences (BCHS), opened in 2010, is transforming the health and quality of life for the communities it serves through interprofessional collaboration and innovation in teaching, scholarship, service and clinical outreach. The college enrolls more than 3,600 students and offers 10 undergraduate degree programs, nine graduate degree programs and four certificates across seven departments: Kinesiology, Nursing, Nutrition and Health Care Management, Public Health, Recreation Management and Physical Education, Rehabilitation Sciences, and Social Work. The college’s academic programs are located in the Holmes Convocation Center on App State’s main campus and the Levine Hall of Health Sciences, a state-of-the-art, 203,000-square-foot facility that is the cornerstone of Boone’s Wellness District. In addition, the college supports the Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness and has collaborative partnerships with the Wake Forest University School of Medicine’s Physician Assistant Program, UNC Health Appalachian and numerous other health agencies. Learn more at https://healthsciences.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.
