Students learn about food, health and culture in Italy
Associate Professor of Nutrition & Dietetics Gretchen L. George (Family, Interiors, Nutrition & Apparel Department) facilitated learning about diet, health and disease with a group of 15 students as part of the 2022 Health & Wellness Italy Abroad Program.
Students experienced new flavors and food practices by touring region specific tomato farms (e.g., San Marzano), visiting water buffalo dairies to observe healthy farming practices and production of mozzarella, engaged with a local production and packaging company to discover the art of Italian pasta and observed ancient food and culture at Pompeii. Students learned through movement by hiking trails on the Volcanic island of Ischia and Amalfi coast, participated in a local farm-to-table immersion where they sipped local wines and devoured Mediterranean cuisine, practiced yoga and meditation along the mountainside, viewed sunsets from a top a castle, swam in clear blue waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea and soaked in ancient healing thermal baths.
Through structured based learning, students learned about the first medical school and botanical garden in Salerno, attended guest lectures regarding nutraceutical and labeling research at University of Salerno and applied themselves deeply in the NUTR 253 Diet, Health and Disease course lectures and discussions aligned with each day hosted by George. It was an unforgettable experience for all.
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