Bistro Ruth research to be on display in D.C.


THIBODAUX, La. — When you go out somewhere nice to eat, are you worried about the nutritional qualities of your food or the taste? A joint study conducted by the Nicholls State University dietetics department and the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute discussing that topic, and other questions, will be presented at an annual conference in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Brigett Scott, interim assistant dean of the College of Nursing and Allied Health, will give a presentation at the 2018 Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo on the research, titled “Culinary and Dietetics Collaboration in the Kitchen Healthy Bistro Outcomes.”

“This research is important because we want to make sure we are meeting the needs of all of the customers at Bistro Ruth,” Dr. Scott said. “This helps us understand our customer’s preferences and through this research, we could see people were making health-conscious decisions.”

The annual conference will be from Oct. 20-23 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Culinary and dietetics students teamed up to create a healthy menu option – fewer than 550 calories, 18 grams of fat, 100 milligrams of cholesterol and 700 milligrams of sodium – at the popular, student-run Bistro Ruth restaurant. Dietetic students surveyed 315 restaurant-goers to determine what menu item they chose, why they chose that meal and if they were satisfied with their choice.

Results, taken during the 2017-2018 year, found that of the 12.5 percent who chose the modified healthy option, 96 percent were satisfied with their choice. More than one-third of those surveyed made their menu choice based on the protein in the meal.

“The overall health in Louisiana depends on healthier food options being available,” said Chef John Kozar, department head of the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute and co-author of the study. “What this research does is it shows our students that their customers are health-conscious and it’s important to keep that in mind as they advance in the industry.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 16, 2018

CONTACT: Jacob Batte, Media Relations and Publications Coordinator, 985.448.4141 or jacob.batte@www.nicholls.edu

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