As a college student trying to stretch her dollars, 19-year-old Julia H. puts fresh fruit in the splurge column of her budget. Desserts? Yep, they\u2019re also reserved for special occasions. \u201cI absolutely love fruits, and I know they\u2019re important for the sake of my health,\u201d says Julia, who is majoring in both environmental sciences and equestrian studies at the University of Findlay in Ohio. \u201cUnfortunately, because fresh fruit is so expensive, that usually means I have to kick it off my menu.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Julia spotted the Make It Mindful Challenge on her dining hall\u2019s Facebook page, she \u201cthought it would be cool\u201d to create a recipe that would wind up being served on campus. \u201cI won\u2019t lie,\u201d she adds, \u201cthe money prize was a motivator too!\u201d<\/p>\n
As Julia began browsing through the ingredient options, she first gravitated toward the expected: tomato sauce, cheese and so on. \u201cBut,\u201d she says, \u201cwhen the dessert options appeared, I thought, Oh, let\u2019s do that.\u201d Pineapples and strawberries sounded like a good combo to her. For the base, she picked Greek yogurt. Walnuts were added for crunch. And the finishing touch? A drizzle of honey.<\/p>\n
\u201cI must have been craving a summer dessert when I chose everything,\u201d says Julia. \u201cMost of all, I was going for toppings that I\u2019d really love to be able to eat more of. You know, more mindful.\u201d<\/p>\n