UH Dining Services hosted its first on-campus event recognizing National Nutrition Month at Cougar Woods Dining Commons, offering students an engaging way to learn about healthy eating. The national observance, coordinated each March by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, promotes nutritious habits and healthy relationships with food. At UH, Dining Services centered the event on one frequently overlooked nutrient: fiber.
“Food and nutrition are a part of our daily life, at least three times a day for most — so, we should be paying attention to what we put in our bodies,” said Susan Griffin, MS, RD, director of Wellness & Sustainability. “Fiber is such an important nutrient that most Americans, 90% or more, are not meeting daily minimum recommendations, despite the fact that fiber prevents so many diseases and even increase their lifespan.”
Fiber is found in plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Because fiber intake varies by food type and portion, combining different sources throughout the day is key. Staying well hydrated is also important to receive the full benefits of fiber.
Nursing junior Kennedy Pipking emphasized fiber’s role in digestion, noting that insoluble fiber helps flush out substances the body no longer needs.
“To have access to certain foods that are beneficial to your heart, your cardiovascular system, your skin: I feel it’s really beneficial,” said Pipking. “And starting that now at 20 is just pivotal.”
Education made easy
Interactive booths staffed by Dining Services and campus partners — including Cougar
Cupboard, the Center for Student Empowerment and UH Wellness — introduced topics such
as Where does fiber come from? Why is it important? And how to build a healthy plate.
Dining hall guests could pick up a “passport” and visit each booth, participate in hands-on activities and learn nutrition tips along the way. Students who completed the passport earned a free reusable bag, expanded their nutrition knowledge and enjoyed a balanced meal.
“I saw that fiber promoted healthy sleep patterns as well, which I thought was an interesting fact about it,” said Abram Riggs, senior, double majoring in geology and geophysics.
To boost engagement, attendees could try to win a wellness shot by sinking a ping-pong ball into a drink-labeled cup, learn how to make guacamole using kitchen equipment at the Teaching Kitchen booth, build a shaker salad or add nutrient-rich toppings to their meals.
“I think it's really smart and helpful for a bunch of people to actually know more about food nutrition,” said Riggs. “There might not be people who would take a class on that or want to go out of their way to do it. But if it’s here while you’re already spending time getting lunch, it makes sense to just have fun interactive activities in order to learn a bit more about it.”
Variety is key
A healthy plate typically includes half filled with colorful fruits and vegetables,
one quarter of whole grains, and one quarter of lean protein. Increasing fiber can
be as simple as grabbing a small apple or swapping white bread for whole wheat. Menus
across Cougar Woods stations during the event featured fiber-rich options, including:
- Black bean sweet potato quesadilla.
- Baked plantains.
- Cilantro lime rice.
- Charred Brussels sprouts.
- Vegan cassoulet of white beans, aromatic vegetables, and herbed breadcrumbs.
- Roasted vegetable mix of eggplant, red peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, and herbs.
- Blueberry chia seed oat milk pudding.
- Sunflower butter chocolate chip cookies.
“(The event) honestly introduced me to stuff I could make at home and more food options,” said George Olear, freshman, mechanical engineering.
Griffin recalled that a student asked whether chicken was a source of fiber. While it isn’t, the question sparked a meaningful conversation and encouraged broader thinking about food choices- underscoring the value of nutrition education.
“Are only the students that care about health partaking? I would say, ‘No!’,” said Griffin. “It's good to have a mixture, because I think we can meet people wherever they're at.”