The College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (CAFNR) hosted a Sustainable Table food competition for the new Agletics initiative on July 19, 2024.
Agletics, led by TeKedra Pierre, Ed.D., director of CAFNR Information, Impact, and Sustainability Center (IISC) in collaboration with the Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) athletics department, represents a pioneering effort to integrate agriculture research and nutrition with athletics to provide student-athletes with information on nutrition and healthy eating habits.
Organized by Jacklyn Sanders, Ph.D., assistant professor and extensions specialist, the session started with an informative food safety review by Tamra Tolen, Ph.D., assistant professor. Dr. Tolen presented to the athletes during a previous Agletics session, introducing them to food microbiology through an experiential learning activity. She highlighted the significance of hand washing and demonstrated how bacteria can grow and spread if hands are not washed properly. The session was informative and practical, and it provided valuable insights into the importance of maintaining proper hygiene in food handling.
Before the food challenge, Tierra Williams, a nutrition student intern, discussed the nutritional facts of the ingredients provided to the athletes. She highlighted the health benefits, calorie content, and portion sizes of the items they would be cooking with. Later, Mary Snowden, RD and director of the dietetics internship program elaborated on the nutrients and health benefits of each food item. Their insights provided the athletes with a better understanding of the importance of healthy eating as it relates to sports performance.
After the class session, the students headed to the Food Lab in May Hall to start the competition. PVAMU Wellness in Houston Extension Agents Jamiyah Hill and Teisha Holliman were there to facilitate and judge the competition.
The athletes were split into six teams of 6-7 athletes, and they all received the same food items which were:
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 can of whole kernel corn
- 1 small pack of cherry tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 5-minute rice
Also, each team had access to various herbs and spices to enhance their meal. The teams were given 30 minutes to prepare and cook a meal using all the ingredients.
The students were then judged on the following categories:
- Presentation
- Taste
- Teamwork
The top three teams were selected for final judging, but only one team left with bragging rights.
The team known as “Bold Beautiful Cooks” was selected as the winner of the challenge.
Food Challenge team winners “Bold Beautiful Cooks”.
“The idea of the sustainable table session was to be a fun and exciting hands-on session for our student-athletes participating in the summer bridge program,” Sanders said. Sustainable Table was created by CAFNR alumna Paris Williams (‘24) to provide students with access to fundamentals of cooking on campus.
For more information about Agletics contact: TeKedra Pierre, Ed.D. tepierre@pvamu.edu
La’Beaula Times
Communication Specialist II
lstimes@pvamu.edu
