MILWAUKEE – Broccoli tastes good and is good for you.
That’s the message of an award-winning video produced by three Milwaukee Area Technical College students in the college’s Nutrition and Dietetic Technician program.
The video, called “The Flavors of Broccoli” and created by MATC students Jennifer Adamczyk, Sara Ortega and Soua Xae, won a video contest for National Nutrition Month sponsored by the Wisconsin Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (WAND).
The 90-second video extols the bountiful benefits of broccoli, a nutrient-rich vegetable that can improve blood sugar control, boost immunity and promote heart health. The video also features some of the group’s favorite recipes that include broccoli.
The students spent two days coming up with ideas for the video, then two weeks making it, Adamczyk said.
“We decided our focus should be about how to make broccoli more flavorful and showcase the different cultural ways to prepare it,” Adamczyk said.
Adamczyk and Ortega provided recipes and created dishes at home that are shown in the video. Xae provided technical expertise by editing and polishing the video.
“This truly was a group effort from the planning to the end result,” Adamczyk said. “We went back and forth on whether we should submit it or not, but ultimately we decided to go for it and see what would happen.”
The students are in their first year of the Nutrition and Dietetic Technician associate degree program, and completed the video as part of the Nutrition in Life Cycle Coordinated Practice course (DIETNT-166), said Heidi L. Katte, chairperson of the health promotion department.
Adamczyk and Xae plan to complete their studies in May 2023. Adamczyk wants to become a registered dietitian and work with children and adolescents in a school program. Xae plans to work as a nutritionist/dietitian in a fitness facility.
WAND is an affiliate of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a national network of nutrition professionals who provide expert food and nutrition services.
WAND placed the video on their website and can be seen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4RUyQRnep0. WAND will use it to motivate residents to engage in healthful dietary behaviors during National Nutrition Month, celebrated in March.
For creating one of two winning videos, the students received $100 reimbursement toward membership to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, membership to a Dietetic Practice Group (DPG), and/or membership to a Minority Interest Group (MIG).
Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 25,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 170 academic programs; and transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 40 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.