PCOM Georgia DO students showcase their healthy dishes which include Asian peanut
tofu with noodles, honey mustard pork tenderloin and a chicken fajita bowl.
A colorful array of healthy dishes was the result of a culinary medicine lesson taught to PCOM Georgia second year Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine students as an elective course. Student doctors brushed up on their culinary skills while acquiring a wide array of nutritional knowledge. They learned about diets to prevent and control chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, cancer, obesity, hypertension and heart disease.
What was on the menu? A chicken fajita bowl with cilantro and lime brown rice, honey mustard pork tenderloin with mashed sweet potatoes, shrimp fra diavolo and roasted asparagus, and Asian peanut tofu with noodles and sesame ginger broccoli.
Under the watchful eyes of a chef and two faculty members, students learned to cook
the dishes before enjoying them for lunch. During the food tastings, they listened
while groups presented about the health benefits of each dish including the serving
size, calorie count, amount of fiber, fat content, sugar, protein and total sodium.
Course director Joanne Kakaty-Monzo, DO, academic chair and clinical professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, commented, “What made your asparagus so salty? Put lemon, garlic and black pepper on it and forget the salt.”
“Use low sodium soy sauce and cut down the amount.”
They learned to substitute homemade seasonings so they could reduce salt intake.
Jessica Blakely, a second year DO student who was experiencing her “first stint in
the kitchen” called the experience “really incredible.” She said, “We’ve learned so
much about the cooking side of things and about food psychology and the importance
of colors in the perception of food. On the medical side, we’ve learned about how
these foods can help lower hypertension.”
According to faculty member Dennis Peffley, JD, PhD, a professor of pharmacology in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, following their time in the kitchen, the students reviewed cases that are relevant to each chronic disease. They discussed ways to make the meals healthier, while not sacrificing taste.
Established in 2005, PCOM Georgia is a branch campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), a private, not-for-profit, accredited institution of higher education with a storied 125-year history dedicated to the healthcare professions. Located in Suwanee (Gwinnett County), PCOM Georgia offers doctoral degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy and physical therapy. Graduate degrees are offered in biomedical sciences, medical laboratory science and physician assistant studies. The campus joins PCOM South Georgia in Moultrie in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state. Emphasizing "a whole person" approach to care, PCOM Georgia focuses on educational excellence, interprofessional education and service to the community. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 678-225-7500. The campus is also home to the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center, an osteopathic manipulative medicine clinic, which is open to the public by appointment. For more information, visit pcomgeorgiahealth.org.
Jamesia Harrison, MS
Assistant Director, News and Media Relations
Email: jamesiaha@pcom.edu
Office: 678-225-7532 | Cell: 470-572-7558
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