BREAKFAST + LIFE LESSON

When Harvard University students asked for weekday breakfast offerings to be enhanced beyond just cold offerings, Crista Martin, Director for Strategic Initiatives and Communications, worked with the dining services (HUDS) team to implement a do-it-yourself scrambled egg station pilot program. The DIY scrambled egg stations were set up with how-to posters, which provided step-by-step instructions, an induction burner, skillets, a variety of ingredients, and of course, eggs.

The HUDS staff found students were very receptive to the DIY station, because it was easy to navigate and offered a variety of inclusions, even accommodating those with food allergens or religious dietary restrictions. Other benefits Martin shared included safety—this is because students are using induction burners and there are no open flames—and labor savings. The Scrambled Egg Stations don’t require additional labor since all the cooking is done by students.

Upon hearing about the success of the pilot program, the American Egg Board partnered with HUDS to turn the step-by-step instructional posters into an educational how-to scramble eggs video. When the DIY scrambled egg stations were rolled out into all 12 residence halls for the new school year, each one had a video screen with a looping video, showing students how to cook their own eggs. HUDS is not only feeding students, they’re teaching them how to cook, a valuable life skill.