Professor Nadine Sahyoun from the Department of Nutrition and Food Science developed a 3 week summer course on the Mediterranean Diet and Culture and took 12 students to Greece in early June to experience in-person its diet and lifestyle. Students spent two weeks in Athens and the Peloponnese region immersed in the history and origins of the Mediterranean diet. The field trips included visits to small farms to experience cheese, yogurt and wine making; they visited olive groves in the famous Kalamata region and learned about olive oil production throughout the ages. They went on hikes to learn about Greek mythology and its links to the diet and health, and to explore wild herbs and their use in food preparation. Students also participated in cultural events and entertainment and visited historical attractions, including museums, monasteries and other ancient places of worship. At the course's beginning in Athens, the students attended lectures by world renowned Greek experts, such as Dr. Antonia Trichopoulou of the Hellenic Health Foundation. The trip included much learning, coupled with delicious food, and lots of fun. One of the participating students described the trip as "an experience of a lifetime!”
