Shark Fuel: Students on campus crave better diets

Abhay Dharanikota, junior public health major, is the president of Shark Fuel, an organization dedicated to student health. At its first Shark Tank Thursday, a time for students to interact with organizations, Shark Fuel gave away meal plan kits and healthy food samples for students to try.

“We were giving out ginger shots at Shark Tank Thursday to improve students’ gut health, specifically their acidity components,” Dharanikota said. “We want to encourage students to meet the general recommendation of five fruit and vegetable servings a day through creative food options.”

With the motto “Fuel Good Feel Good,” Shark Fuel’s aim is to encourage clean eating habits for students. The club uses a Food First approach,

Dharanikota said that Shark Fuel will host workshops twice a month in the Carl DeSantis building. These classes will show students how to cook healthy recipes, such as pasta, while providing basic knowledge of each ingredient nutrient-wise, and proper cooking methods.

“By coming to these classes, students can pick up small skills of how to clean and cut food items properly. We are going to have cutting boards and other tools out. If they would like, they could prep meals for the week during the class. Or they could make one component during the class and take the rest of the ingredients with them to do it on their own. Students can choose their own pace for the class,” Dharanikota said.

Lauren Do Nascimento, senior communication major and managing editor of The Current, was present at Shark Fuel’s first Shark Tank Thursday. Do Nascimento looks forward to seeing how Shark Fuel will progress.

“I definitely think that Shark Fuel will be successful. This club is exactly what NSU needs. It’ll help us learn more about the type of food we prepare for ourselves,” Do Nascimento said. “I think having a cooking masterclass sounds cool, and I love pasta, so it’s a win-win.”

Shark Fuel members noticed that students complain about their digestive issues, which relate back to what they put in their bodies. Douglas Kalman, registered dietician and a clinical associate professor who instructs a nutritional neuroscience course, recommends students try a Food First approach on their own, which means eating a variety of healthy food, such as vegetables, fruits and whole-grain carbohydrates.

“An analogy one can use is, if you had a Ferrari, are you going to put the cheapest gas in your Ferrari or are you going to put the best fuel in it? Your body and brain are your Ferrari, so over time, if you learn to eat a more colorful plate, you’re using a more proactive health approach,” Kalman said.

The Market at College Ave in the University Center provides students with pre-made and pre-packaged food options. However, it does not include food labels. In association with NSU Health, Shark Fuel will work to add SharkSmart labels to packaged food on campus, so that it is easier for students to decipher the healthier option.

“One of the most important reasons to have a label on anything is so that the consumer that is purchasing it knows what is inside that package. We don’t need a package around the banana, but if you’re buying packaged food, such as sandwiches, snack items, corn muffins, doughnuts or anything that could be wrapped, the consumer has the right to know what the caloric value or makeup of that food is,” Kalman said.

Shark Fuel’s vision is to efficiently inform students about how to build healthy eating habits.

“The earlier students focus on their health, the better. We encourage anyone who wants to make a change for themselves or who is passionate about health to reach out because we are here to connect and help,” Dharanikota said.