BEST PRACTICES
I. SETTING UP ORGANIC HERBAL GARDEN:
1. Goal
To promote organic herbal farming by our Nutrition department students in our food science lab.
2. Objectives of the Practice
i) To motivate the students to initiate organic herbal gardening.
ii) To practice them to maintain the organic herbal garden.
iii) To exploit the herbs in recipes, and to generate income from them.
3. The Context
The Department of Nutrition & Dietetics conducts practical classes for all the three-year students. Students will do many recipes using green leafy vegetables and herbs like Coriander leaves, Mint leaves, and Methi leaves. Generally, we bought perishables in markets for our student’s practical use. Most often the herbs are laden with hazardous chemical pesticides that may cause health issues.
To overcome these glitches, students practiced setting up an organic herbal garden in the lab and customising those herbs (Coriander leaves, Mint leaves, Methi leaves) in various recipes during student’s practical sessions.
4. The Practice
Every year the Department of Nutrition & Dietetics students can take up the initiative to set up an organic herbal garden in our food science lab 20 days before the practical session starts in small trays and mud pots. Particular care was taken to avoid the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. We had a practice to grow these three herbs, and to use those herbs (Coriander leaves, Mint leaves, Methi leaves) in various recipes during students' practical sessions.
5. Evidence of Success:
Students were very happy and enjoyed using those organic herbs in incorporating in some of the unique recipes like Lemon Mint crush, Methi leaves chapati, Coriander, Mint leaves juice. These recipes are used to generate income through consultancy activity. Our students are motivated to set up an organic herbal garden in their home too. Innumerable requests from various other department students to assist them in setting up such organic herbal gardens in their homes.
6. Problems Encountered and Resources
Students will be doubtful about getting good quality seeds, less space for setting the gardens, maintenance of the herbs during vacation times and during the summer season was quite difficult.
II. EXPLORE THE FACTS OF DIFFERENT FOODS
1. Goal
To encourage our students to learn and explain the facts of different food substances.
2. Objectives of the Practice
i. To motivate the students to self-learn the important facts, nutritional information and health benefits of different kinds of food substances.
ii. To Practice the students to maintain their self-learning and sharing their knowledge with others too.
3.The Context
The Department of Nutrition & Dietetics students are encouraged to collect the known & unknown information, regarding health benefits, nutritional information about any kind of particular food substance and place it in our department notice board. This will help the students to promote self-learning habit and also the information laid in the notice board will help other major students also to learn the unknown facts about particular food substance and reading practice among them.
4. Practice
The students were instructed to put up their self-explanatory newspaper clippings, charts, pictures, explanatory views in the department notice board. The information placed in the notice board will last for a week. According to student’s alphabetical order and their turn, chances are given to all year students.
5.Evidence of Success
This best practice followed in our department will help rest of the other major students to learn the important facts, ( For example some of the facts decorated and loaded with good unknown information’s are Health benefits of Muskmelon, Brahmi leaves, Iron rich foods, Antioxidant rich foods etc…) Students during their lunch hours visited our department notice board and gained their knowledge about various kinds of foods. Many of the other major students benefited by reading and enthusiastically clarified their queries too with the staff members. It also helps young women to grow into holistic individuals in order to cater to the overall health and wellbeing of the family and society.
6. Resources
The messages placed in the department notice board are maintained as e-resources. During the pandemic period e-wall magazines were used.
