New cookbook will help college students eat healthier

H6

By Judy Creighton
THE CANADIAN PRESS

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Although "The Healthy College Cookbook" was written by three former university students nearly 10 years ago, it's as applicable today as it was then.

The paperback book, written by Alexandra Nimetz, Jason Stanley and Emeline Starr, all alumni from Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., is published by Storey.

Each September, as students leave home to live in residence or off campus at colleges and universities, tales abound of the many who lack cooking skills existing on fast food or processed products while eating on the run.

"We know that it's easy to settle for unhealthy food when you don't have the time to prepare something, but we hope that this book will provide alternatives to the evils of fast food," the authors write in their introduction.

And as they point out, by providing recipes that contain fewer than five ingredients, many of the dishes can be made "in the same time it takes to have a pizza delivered."

The authors also don't claim to have a lot of experience in the kitchen, but realized that cooking their own meals was healthier, less expensive and quicker.

The book takes its cooking novices through an opening chapter on setting up their first kitchen.

They suggest what equipment to buy (emphasizing purchasing much of it at yard sales or second-hand stores).

Next comes a list of necessary food staples for the kitchen pantry or refrigerator. How to understand cooking terms follows as well as a whole section on selecting herbs and spices.

The book then takes their readers food shopping, giving important tips on label reading, expiry dates on products "to try to avoid buying chicken or fish on a Sunday because most supermarkets don't receive shipments over the weekend."

Then there are 200 hearty, inexpensive recipes that the authors claim "anyone can cook -- yes anyone."