TCU Dining Expands and Elevates Healthy Frog Program

How do we create a holistic health and wellness program that meets students where they are as busy college students?

This was the question the Texas Christian University (TCU) Dining team set out to answer as they sought to expand health and wellness on campus.

As health and wellness have become increasingly important for students in the past decade, TCU Dining has continually adapted their programming to meet the growing needs of the student population through partnerships with various university departments, gathering feedback through surveys and focus groups, and working with interns to create a program for the students, by the students.

The TCU Dining team has always prioritized their campus partnerships to meet the needs of the student population and build a sense of community at TCU, and with the addition of their new Campus Dietitian, the team was ready to usher in a new era of health and wellness and create a program more comprehensive than ever before.

TCU Dining’s Campus Dietitian, Maddie Jacobs, MS, RD, LD, was originally recruited as an intern as part of TCU Dining’s longtime partnership with TCU’s Nutritional Sciences Department.

As one of the many examples of TCU Dining’s dedication to fostering professional development among students, Jacobs understood the value of building partnerships to meet students where they are and deliver valuable health and wellness education.

As she transitioned from intern to Campus Dietitian, Jacobs built on her connections established as a student and started cultivating additional partnerships to expand reach and provide holistic wellness education.

Following an extensive review of data from student surveys, focus groups, and interviews with key partners, Jacobs built upon existing programming and created the expanded Healthy Frog program which focuses on promoting holistic wellness through education, events, and student engagement.

As part of the Healthy Frog program, it was also important to Jacobs to continue the legacy of investing in professional development among TCU students and sought out aspiring dietitians to join her team. The Healthy Frog team spent the semester creating nutrition education content for social media, crafting dorm-friendly recipes, highlighting featured healthy options on campus, and writing articles to accompany the various health and wellness events.

These talented student interns were integral to providing evidence-based, relevant nutrition education to the TCU student body and were grateful for the opportunity to expand their skill sets and grow as nutrition professionals through working with TCU Dining.

“This internship has opened my eyes to the different career paths I can take as a nutrition student. Through these experiences, I’ve had the opportunity to build skills to prepare me for my professional career in dietetics” said Amelia Heimerman, Junior Health and Wellness Intern for TCU Dining.

The Healthy Frog team started out the semester with the launch of a new Healthy Cooking Class program entitled Chef Crafted with Care. Led by Executive Culinary Director Michael Smith and Jacobs, the class partnered with departments such as Housing and Residence Life and the Office of the Chancellor and President for a program that combines culinary skill training and nutrition education to provide participants with an unparalleled experience and skills to last a lifetime.

Next, the team built on their multi-decade partnership with the Nutritional Sciences Department and hosted an allergy-friendly bake off in honor of their national-award-winning Magnolias Zero 7 dining concept. The winners of the bake-off had their delicious creations featured at Magnolias Zero 7 for the entire student body to enjoy.

After two successful partnership programs, the Healthy Frog team was just getting started. In late September, the team organized a multi-departmental wellness fair which featured over ten on-campus departments and community organizations to provide a one-stop-shop for health and wellness resources for TCU students.

The fair also included a drawing for free fitness classes and gift cards to local restaurants.

“The purpose of the Wellness Fair was to empower students to take charge of their own health by featuring the diverse support system of health and wellness resources on and off campus,” said Jacobs. “Our event encouraged holistic wellness by connecting students to resources for physical, mental, and emotional health in one place.”

In response to feedback from student surveys and focus groups, the Healthy Frog team also partnered with TCU’s Campus Recreation & Wellness Promotion team to design a Create-Your-Own Post-Workout Snack Box event. Students had the opportunity to learn about post-workout fueling from the Campus Dietitian and create some delicious snack boxes during their gym sessions.

This event was so popular that the team partnered with TCU’s Frog Life organization to host a similar event during finals week entitled “Fueling for Finals” as part of their annual de-stress event featuring personal massages, therapy dogs, and other stress-relieving activities.

“This is exactly what I needed to get through my all-day study session” said one student as she made a custom snack box and inquired about how nutrition could help her stay healthy through finals.

Following a packed semester, the Healthy Frog team was eager to gather feedback from students on how their perception of health and wellness had changed in response to the expanded program. According to the most recent survey data, students indicated increased satisfaction with healthy options on campus and their ability to determine which options fit their nutritional needs. Students also exhibited increased nutrition knowledge, especially related to topics included in Healthy Frog education content.

“I am so proud of our direction in building a health and wellness program," said Dr. Jude Kiah, TCU Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. "No matter if you are a student with dietary needs, a student who wants to learn more, or just a student looking to understand how to navigate our meal plans, there continues to be something for everyone. There is clear momentum toward excellence, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.”

Looking to the future, the team is excited to continue to build the program in partnership with the student body to support overall wellness during a time of newfound independence and growth for students.

TCU Dining’s commitment to student well being has always been paramount, and the Healthy Frog program is the newest chapter in this team’s mission to continually raise the bar for university dining.