Turkey roulade with apple cider gravy. Browned butter mashed potatoes. Pumpkin roll cake.
Those were just a few of the things whipped up by College of Medicine students at a cooking class hosted by the Integrative Medicine Interest Group (IMIG) just before Thanksgiving.
One might never guess the dishes all had a healthier twist, were it not for the tips provided by the instructor from the UAMS Culinary Medicine Program and the student group’s mission to help its members and others live more healthful lives – even during the holidays.
“Our holiday meals tend to be the biggest of the year, and we’re all focused so much on the flavor, but perhaps not so much on how healthy the food is,” said third-year student Humam Shahare, the group’s Vice President. “But there is room for both. I think that is what we are here to figure out today – how to achieve that balance of pleasure and health. Balance is what it is all about.”
The Thanksgiving-focused class included gourmet recipes devised by a professional chef. It was the first for the year in the IMIG Cooking Series. Organizers plan to offer future sessions focused on themes such as cuisine from around the world. The group received a $2,500 grant from the Arkansas Medical Society-sponsored Medical Education Foundation for Arkansas (MEFFA) this fall to re-launch the series, which also has received past support from MEFFA.
“IMIG is very excited to bring back our cooking classes,” said IMIG President Sairi Zhang. “The last time we were able to do them was back in 2020. At the time, the classes were held at Pulaski Tech, and they were very popular with medical students. Unfortunately, COVID put a temporary stop to things.”
“This year, we were fortunate to receive the MEFFA grant to restart the classes and host them at UAMS’ very own teaching kitchen,” Zhang said. “The new location is much more convenient for medical students, and the staff are fantastic. We are so happy to be able to offer these events to students, as they are a fun, interactive way to learn about healthy diets that can be used to educate future patients.”
The UAMS Culinary Medicine Program kitchen is located on the first floor of the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging. The facility, which opened a couple of years ago, provides ample space and top-notch equipment for events such as the IMIG series as well as interprofessional education courses, an elective for fourth-year medical and pharmacy students, and culinary medicine education that has been integrated into the third- and fourth-year medical school curriculum.
Culinary Medicine Instructor Alyssa Frisby, MS, RD, LD, also referred to “balance” when explaining that festive, delicious food can also be healthy. For example, she said, mashed potatoes can be prepared without incorporating butter or cream within the potatoes. Instead, cooks can brown butter to drizzle on top, adding a punch of flavor with less fat and calories.
During the class, more than a dozen students divvied up the menu and prepared the multi-course meal with guidance from Frisby. Other IMIG officers who attended and helped to organize the class included M4 Class Representative Pranav Kolluru, Treasurer Alex Heffington and Secretary Vanessa Weidling.
“This is also a great opportunity for us to unwind, said IMIG Vice President Shahare. “So, a little bit of nutritional education here, a little bit self-care there, and if people who come to our cooking classes end up leaving with a little bit more info on how to take care of themselves, then I think we’ve hit our goal.”