Collegiate Times

West End's own Executive Chef, Mark Bratton, recommends that first-time cooks start simple and small.

He recommends trying to cook foods that are typically considered comfort foods, such as macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and pancakes.

The reasoning is that "comfort foods tend to be simple and don't have a lot of pop to them. So, they're hard to mess up," said Bratton, who has worked at West End for eight years and who occasionally teaches at a cooking school in Roanoke called Foodies.

Bratton also suggested reading lots of good cookbooks - he personally likes "The Joy of Cooking" - eating at good restaurants and finding someone who loves the art of cooking and shadowing them. Bratton also said that people should always taste their own food before serving it to others.

In order to keep your weight down, Bratton recommends being aware of how many calories that you are taking in.

"The problem I see is that once freshmen come in, they go to the same shop over and over again and get the same thing. If you eat the mashed potatoes with the gravy and a steak and then eat a big cookie - it's going to add up," Bratton said.

Registered Dietician, Michele Lewis, who also teaches for the human nutrition, foods and exercise department, recommends that students keep balance in mind when preparing meals. This means getting your five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.  Many of her students often complain the fresh fruits or vegetables go bad; in order to prevent this from happening, she suggests buying in season, which will also help save money. Both Bratton and Lewis recommended purchasing local vegetables and fruits from farmers markets in the area.

Lewis also suggests that when buying microwaveable meals, look for ones that are lower in sodium, without hydrogenated oils and trans fats.

"Try to get protein in the morning because it will stay with you," Lewis said. "The biggest problem that I see is that students eat breakfast in the morning, and then they have to go the library and do other things and by the time they get home, they're starving and that's one reason why the Subway on University City Boulevard. and the Burger King on campus are some of the highest grossing fast food restaurants in the nation."

In order to combat feeling ravished by mid afternoon, Lewis will drink a smoothie in the morning that includes fruit, yogurt, soy protein and juice. She also recommends that students buy a slow cooker or Crock Pot so students can throw in several ingredients in the morning, let it cook for a few hours and when they arrive home, it will be ready to eat.

As far as cook books go, Lewis has three recommendations depending on interests and skill level. According to Lewis, most Crock Pots come with cookbooks already, but she personally likes "Fix and It and Forget It Lightly"-which includes easier, healthier recipes. She also likes Mennonite cookbooks, which tend to use very few ingredients but offer a lot of nutritional value. For those who really want to cook, she recommends using Better Homes and Gardens "New Cook Book."

Both Bratton and Lewis mentioned the importance of food safety. Lewis offered many pieces of advice in order to keep food at its best: if food is left out more than two hours, bacteria will start to flourish. Your fridge should always be kept at 40 degrees Fahrenheit lower in order to prevent things like milk from spoiling. Don't store oils near heat sources because they will go rancid. Always use one cutting board for meats and another for vegetables to prevent cross contamination. Use one paring knife for fruit and another longer knife for vegetables. She also recommends buying a meat thermometer.