Solan, September 9
The Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at the School of Bioengineering and Food Technology of Shoolini University celebrated National Nutrition Week under the theme “Nutritious Diets for Everyone.”
The theme, in alignment with the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, emphasised the importance of nutrition across all life stages. The week-long celebration featured a series of engaging events aimed at promoting nutritional awareness and healthy eating habits among the university community.
The inauguration of Nutrition Week was done by Shoolini University Chancellor, Prof. P.K. Khosla, alongside Registrar, Prof. Sunil Puri, Dean of Research and Development, Prof. Sourabh Kulshreshtha, and Head of the Department, Prof. Dinesh Kumar.
Subsequently, one-on-one nutrition counseling sessions were conducted by MSc and BSc Nutrition students. These sessions, which were open to all university members, involved the use of a Body Composition Analyzer (BCA) to assess 14 nutritional parameters and provided personalised nutrition advice tailored to participants’ dietary habits and health concerns.
A group of Nutrition and Dietetics students, accompanied by faculty members Ms. Srishti Mathur and Dr. Mamta, visited the military campus in Solan. Dr. Mamta addressed military families on the importance of proper nutrition. To reinforce the lessons, pamphlets were distributed to around 50-60 soldiers. The visit culminated in interactive physical challenges, such as push-ups and lemon spoon races, followed by a quiz competition. The winning team received fruit baskets and certificates for their efforts. Lt. Col. Prince concluded the session by presenting tokens of appreciation to the participants.
The department held a Nutrition Extempore Competition, where students from both BSc and MSc programmes were divided into groups. Each group selected a topic at random, including “Plant-based Diet vs. Meat-based Diet” and “Modern Nutrition Science vs. Ayurvedic Nutrition Science.” Teams had five minutes to present their arguments, followed by a three-minute rebuttal session.
The celebrations continued with a cooking competition. Students displayed their culinary creativity by preparing nutritious, budget-friendly dishes using both traditional fire-based and innovative non-fire cooking methods. A panel of eleven faculty members judged the dishes on taste, nutritional content, and cost-effectiveness through sensory analysis, with winning teams receiving certificates for their exceptional contributions.
On the penultimate day, the department hosted a webinar on the unique nutritional challenges of space exploration. Mr. Zaid Khan, Founder of Space Food Club, delivered a thought-provoking presentation on the dietary needs of astronauts, the complexities of food preparation in space, and recent advancements in space food technology.
As a special addition, the department also celebrated National Sports Day on August 29, featuring a guest lecture by renowned sports dietitian Mrs. Ansa Saju, further enriching the week’s diverse learning experiences.
