When Shyann Beach wants a fresh and delicious meal, she doesn’t stop by the grocery or visit a local restaurant. Instead, the Director of Athletics Counseling heads straight to The Depot C-store at Holmes Student Center to pick up a Huskie Fresh meal kit.
“The way everything is precut and measured makes them incredibly easy, even if you think you’re a horrible cook,” Beach said. “It’s a great way to have a homecooked, healthy meal without the time-consuming shopping and prep work.”
Ashley Valinskas
Each Huskie Fresh meal kit provides a sustainable, nutritious and flavorful dinner that’s easy to prepare.
Designed with busy students, faculty and staff in mind, meal kits include easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions for a meal that’s ready to eat in about 30 minutes.
Beach said she’s been a Huskie Fresh customer since the program started in spring 2022, and she’s never been disappointed. In fact, it was difficult for her to pick only one favorite meal.
“Everything is really delicious, but I would have to say the Sloppy Joes (were a favorite),” Beach said. “I haven’t had one since I was a child and it’s not a meal I would have thought to make. It was easy, delicious, and nostalgic.”
Jay Monteiro, NIU Procurement Services Analyst, said along with being delicious, Huskie Fresh meal kits are user-friendly.
“It is very convenient because (everything) is done so you just have to put the ingredients together to prepare the meal,” Monteiro said. “Ordering is easy, you can use your credit card or Huskie Bucks, and pick up is simple and can be done at your convenience over three days.”
The student-run program is in partnership with the School of Health Studies, Nutrition and Dietetics program.Campus dietitian Meg Burnham and graduate assistant Ashley Valinskas work in partnership with six to 10 nutrition and dietetics undergraduate students to coordinate the program.
“Huskie Fresh connects co-curricular student learning with an opportunity to enhance the lives of our students and staff,” Burnham said. “Cooking and enjoying a nourishing meal is such an important part of self-care, and my hope is that Huskie Fresh can bring back some enjoyment to that process of connecting with food.”
Burnham said that nutrition students gain experience in a commercial kitchen, learning how to translate nutrition science into simple, fun messages that appeal to consumers. In turn, the campus community can experience a new meal that they may not have tried at home.
Valinskas, a master’s student in Nutrition and Dietetics who is also completing a dietetic internship, writes the recipes for Huskie Fresh and completes the production of the meal kits with a team of students. This spring look for things like honey garlic salmon, creamy tomato penne, Asian pork bowl and creamy Tuscan chicken.
“The thing I enjoy most about it is that it bridges my two passions together,” Valinskas said. “I have a background in culinary arts and have always loved to cook.”
Burnham said the result is a fresh home-cooked meal to enjoy without having to shop and prepare.
“All the chopping and prep work is done, customers skip straight to the final cooking,” Burnham said. “Meals are nutritionally balanced and can provide an opportunity to connect with friends and loved ones through food.”
Beach agreed.
“You will not regret giving these a try,” Beach said. “Even if you are intimidated by the kitchen you will be able to successfully make these meals. They really are delicious.”
Learn more about upcoming meal kits here.
Location and Pickup Times
Meal kits must be pre-ordered by the deadline listed in the chart. They become available for pickup in the Holmes Student Center building at The Depot (located next to the bookstore) starting at 4 p.m. Monday until closing time on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
| Huskie Fresh Kit Name | Deadline to Order Monday | Pickup Begins Monday at 4 p.m. | Pickup Ends Wednesday at 6 p.m. |
| Strawberry-filled Chocolate Cupcakes | February 6, 2023 | February 13 | February 15 |
| Honey Garlic Salmon | February 13, 2023 | February 20 | February 22 |
| Chicken Fajita Skillet | February 27, 2023 | March 6 | March 8 |
| Gyros with Greek Potatoes | March 13, 2023 | March 20 | March 22 |
| Creamy Tomato Penne | March 27, 2023 | April 3 | April 5 |
| Asian Pork Bowl | April 3, 2023 | April 10 | April 12 |
| Southwest Chili Mac | April 17, 2023 | April 24 | April 26 |
| Creamy Tuscan Chicken | April 24, 2023 | May 1 | May 3 |
No kitchen? No problem.
Since Huskie Fresh appeals to those students and staff with full kitchens, we wanted to find a way to connect with students who do not have access to a full kitchen. This spring, NIU Recreation is excited to offer Huskie Fresh cooking classes, free of charge to NIU students. Students will get to prepare and eat a Huskie Fresh meal from NIU’s Teaching Kitchen! Space is limited, we encourage early registration.
