Food and Rec Expo to bring Food Network chef

Nadra Mabrouk/Staff Writer

National Food Day is designed to push Americans away from the mass of factory produced foods spilled with genetically modified organisms to the alternative of naturally grown foods.

The 2011 Biscayne Bay Campus Food & Rec Expo will be held on Oct. 24 and will combine with the initiatives of National Food Day to present student’s with an array of health and recreational activities.

It will focus on helping students lead healthier lifestyles and will include the presence of Chef Robert Irvine from the Food Network, who is known for the Food Network shows “Dinner: Impossible,” “Restaurant: Impossible,” and “Worst Cooks in America.”

In 2007, Irvine was named an Ambassador of the Culinary Institute of America and noted as one of the “25 Fittest Guys in America” by Men’s Fitness magazine.

The event will lead with a a vendor fair that will be held in Panther Square from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Vendors will include Whole Foods Market, Smoothie King, and T.G.I Friday’s and more; some will have giveaways for the students. From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Chef Irvine will have a lecture and a cooking demonstration in the WUC theatre. Guests will be able to dine on the appetizers prepared by Irvine and his team.

The Expo will include diet and nutrition sessions, giveaways, and free massages, among other things. According to Warren Shaw, Assistant Director of Campus Recreation, screenings held by the American Heart Association, Aventura Hospital and Medical Center, Mount Sinai Medical Center and Eastside Chiropractic Center for things ranging from cholesterol to glucose will be held for students wishing to participate.

Students can get their fitness questions answered by personal trainers from the recreation center. They will have 100 free coupons for the students to try the personal training.

The event hopes to enlighten students on health and its effect on the educational experience and show them an appreciation for eating healthier foods and making responsible decisions regarding their body and active lifestyles.

There will be 30 vendors and sponsors expected to take part in the Expo. In 2007, Irvine was named an Ambassador of the Culinary Institute of America and noted as one of the “25 Fittest Guys in America” by Men’s Fitness magazine.