Q: How do you make these lessons fun and engaging for teens? 

A: I think any room and any lesson can be fun.  I feel like it is a matter of setting the tone of the room.  It is a personal priority of mine to establish at atmosphere of kindness and respect while bringing enthusiasm to each lesson in order to keep everyone engaged.  

Q: How would you define healthy eating and its importance for people, especially teens, to get the right food? 

A: Make your own food!  If you like burritos, great!  Make them at home.  If you like cookies, great!  Make them at home!  If we could just use local ingredients and minimize processed foods which contain so many chemicals, additives, dyes, the list goes on in order to make foods shelf stable for months or even years, we could eliminate so many illnesses and diseases.  Obviously prioritizing fresh fruits, vegetables, and organic proteins would be best, but I'd be overjoyed if kids would just stop eating processed foods.   

Q: Does your class give insight on the importance of nutrition and energy? 

A: We cover the basic nutrients in courses such as Principles of Foods, but dive into more detail in Nutrition Wellness and Personal Wellness.  It is important for everyone to understand what we put into our bodies and how that nutrient will make us feel and effect our daily life.