Plant-Based Power ups

[Time: 2.5 hours]

Introduction & Pre-Evaluation (20min)

Overview - Michelle

Lesson (1-1.5 hours)

Participants will be divided amongst 5 groups coordinating with the 5 recipes. Each group is assigned an
instructor who will guide each recipe and go over the health related benefits of each. At the end of the
lesson everyone will group up and taste all of the recipes then proceed to the classroom for a discussion.

BBQ Black Bean Burgers - Will

Talking Points:
1. Black Beans
a. Good source of protein: 7g per serving
i. Maintain lean body mass
2. Good source of fiber: 6g per serving
a. Helps to regulate blood glucose and insulin levels
i. Lowers cholesterol
ii. Helps prevent constipation
3. Decreased amount of fat (& saturated fat) compared to burgers made with beef
a. Contain unsaturated fats which help improve your body’s lipid profile
Materials:
❖ Medium Skillet ❖ Spatula
❖ Stove ❖ Plastic wrap
❖ Blender/food processor ❖ ½ cup or ¼ cup measuring cups
❖ Large mixing bowl ❖ Strainer
❖ Fork ❖ Large pot
❖ Large spoon

Watermelon, Cucumber, and Feta Salad - Jenn

Talking Points:
1. Watermelon
a. Watermelons are comprised on 92% water
b. Contain high levels of lycopene, a phytonutrient which give the fruit its red color and are
effective at protecting cells from damage
i. Lower risk of heart disease
ii. Lowers blood pressure
 c. Lycopene is also an inhibitor of inflammatory processes
d. Vitamin A from watermelon can also promote growth of new collagen and elastin cells
which helps keep skin and hair healthy
2. Cucumber
a. High alkaline levels which help regulate the body’s pH and neutralizing acidity.
i. Beneficial for GI issues like: heartburn, gas, bloating
b. Contain silica which aids in developing healthy connective tissues in muscle, ligaments,
tendons, cartilage and bone
c. Help prevent hypertension with high levels of fiber, magnesium and potassium
Materials:
❖ Large bowl ❖ Fork
❖ Small mixing bowl ❖ Knife
❖ Whisk

Jackfruit “Crab” Cakes - Tyler

Talking Points:
1. Jackfruit:
a. Originate from the indian subcontinent and is also known as the jacktree or jak.
b. Some can grow up to 80lbs making them the largest tree-borne fruits in the world
c. Can be used in desserts, savory meals, salads, candied varieties and roasted fruit, as well
as eating the fruit raw
d. Contain antioxidants, such as lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene, this fruit can be
very beneficial for skin health, as it can minimize the effects of free radicals and
oxidative stress
i. Beta carotene can also be broken down into vitamin A, reducing oxidative stress
in the eyes, preventing macular degeneration
e. Contains a phenolic compound, artocarpesin, which which may be beneficial for
preventing inflammatory and respiratory diseases.
Materials:
❖ Cutting board ❖ Baking sheet
❖ Knife ❖ Measuring cup
❖ Large bowl ❖ Small bowl
❖ Whisk ❖ Fork

General Tso’s Tofu Stir Fry - Carlee

Talking Points:
1. Tofu:
a. Also known as a bean curd, and is produced by coagulating soy milk.
b. Rich source of iron magnesium, copper, phosphorus, calcium and potassium
i. Prevents anemia, improves cardiovascular health
c. Isoflavones
i. Phytoestrogen which can promote heart health and maintain bone health
 d. Helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels with a low fat and high protein content
Materials:
❖ Knife ❖ Whisk
❖ Cutting Board ❖ Large 10 “metal skillet
❖ Clean, absorbent towel ❖ Shallow mixing bowl
❖ Something heavy to place over tofu (Ex: ❖ Wooden spoon
cast iron skillet) ❖ Slotted spoon or fork
❖ Small mixing bowl ❖ Quart size freezer bag

Baked Veggie Balls in A Marinara Sauce - Claudia

Talking Points:
1. Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans
a. High fiber content helps regulate blood glucose levels, lipid profile and insulin levels
helping to prevent diabetes
i. Prevents constipation and helps regulate a healthy digestive tract
b. Iron, phosphate, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and vitamin K help promote
bone structure and strength
c. Choline in chickpeas helps with sleep, muscle movement, learning, and memory
i. Aids in the absorption of fat and and reduces chronic inflammation
Materials:
❖ Large pan ❖ Ovenproof frying pan
❖ Medium pot with lid ❖ Large bowl
❖ Knife ❖ Baking sheet
❖ Cutting board ❖ Oven

Zucchini Cinnamon Walnut Cake with a Cream Cheese Frosting - Jenn

Talking Points:
1. Zucchini
a. One medium zucchini can supply 50% of the RDA for vitamin C
b. High pectin content
i. Polysaccharide which can improve cardiovascular health
ii. Improve arterials health and lower inflammation
c. Good Source of potassium
i. Helps to lower blood pressure and prevent heart disease
d. Good Source of B vitamins including folate, riboflavin and vitamin B6.
i. Help support a healthy metabolism by aiding in protein, carbohydrate and
nucleic acid metabolism
Materials:
❖ 9” x 13” pan ❖ Sifter
❖ Large bowl ❖ Wooden spoon
❖ Medium bowl ❖ Toothpicks
❖ Whisk or KitchenAid mixer
Floaters - Michelle & Melina
Sanitation - Ashton

Show & Tell (30min)

Each group will discuss what they learned while making their recipes.
❖ What is healthy about the recipe? (SMART)
❖ How did the food taste?
❖ What did not go well?
❖ What did go well?
❖ Would you try this at home? (SMART)
❖ Can you commit to making a vegetarian meal 1-2 times per week? (SMART)

Summary & Take Home Messages - Michelle

Post Eval (10min)

SMART Objectives:
Goal(s):
● To introduce adults to the intricacies of plant based cooking to promote learning and adaption
of new healthy food habits.
● To reinforce the the use of plant based meals as an important tool to use in order to promote
short-term and long-term health
Objectives:
● By then end of our 1 ½ hour lesson at least 50% of the participants will agree to try cooking one
of the recipes at home.
● After our 1 ½ hour lesson at least 75% of the participants will be able to identify one health
benefit of eating a plant based meal
● After our vegetarian meals lesson at least 50% of the participants will be able to identify a
protein source high in fiber

Independent Practice:
Article on the benefits of a vegetarian diet
- 20 ways to Enjoy more Fruits and Vegetables
- Eat More Plant Based Meals
- https://www.eatright.org/food/nutrition/vegetarian-and-special-diets/going-meatless-once-a-week
Classroom Layout
 Dining Room/Kitchen Layout

Discussion of Dining Room:

The dining room will be laid out into two sections; the kitchen and the classroom. The classroom
will be organized with 17 chairs for all participants to be seated and facing the whiteboard for
instruction. The introduction and pre-evaluation will be completed in this area. The participants will
then be assigned groups and relocated to the kitchen to begin making meals. The kitchen will be laid out
to have all groups within proximity to each other to encourage conversation amongst groups, but not
too close that ingredients and prep space will be interfering with other groups’. After completion of the
lesson, participants will return to the classroom for a discussion of the evening and the post-evaluation.

Discussion of Nutrient Analysis:

The detailed nutrient analysis is contained in the Nutribase versions of the individual recipes.
The main concept of the nutrient breakdown throughout these recipes in the nutrient density. As
participants will read in the independent practice handouts, vegan and vegetarian options provide
enough macronutrients and micronutrients to live a healthy lifestyle. We are focusing mostly on the
increase in fiber and adequate protein. Both of these nutrients increase satiety and can be beneficial for
weight loss/management and health in general. In each group the instructor will touch on them more in
depth going into heart health, muscle, etc. Saturated fat is one of the biggest nutrients decreased in our
meals. We want to make sure we touch on the nutrients we may not need as much of as well as the
beneficial ones. We have also mentioned a numerous amount of micronutrients found within these
recipes that include a variety of health benefits for the eyes, skin, bones, cells, muscles, hair, heart, and
many more. Overall these plant based meals provide a well-balanced variety of nutrients to promote a
healthy lifestyle.

Discussion of Pre and Post Lesson Evaluations:

Overall the results from our pre and post evaluation showed that our class had a decent
foundation of nutrition knowledge before taking our class. Each participant got a 100% on both the pre
and post evaluation quizzes. If we had known the level of knowledge of the participants beforehand we
could have created a more difficult quiz. One possible addition to this project could be an option for
participants to provide their nutrition related knowledge when they enroll. We didn't want to make the
quizzes too in depth, but this class understood the main concepts were were trying to teach very well.
Once noticeable change however, is that participants were able to describe a greater variety of health
benefits of eating plant based meals on the post evaluation. The majority of the answers on the pre
evaluation consisted of plant based meals being either “ lower in fat/ saturated” fat or “being healthy”
(n=9). On the post evaluation, the health benefits listed included: “contains important nutrients”, “high
in fiber”, and “contain phytonutrients”. According to the quizzes, our participants had an adequate
food/nutrition related knowledge before attending the class, but I feel they still left the experience
learning new information and recipes to try on their own for family and friends.