The Scarlet Chef Dining Hall Challenge: a multidimensional wellness approach in a campus dining setting

Objective: Evaluate perceived wellness outcomes and engagement factors from the Scarlet Chef Dining Hall Challenge. Methods: At a large public university, 22 undergraduate students competed individually or in pairs across three dining halls. Participants had 20 min to cook an original meal using dining hall resources and three "mystery ingredients." Twelve campus judges evaluated the dishes. Open-ended qualitative feedback was collected from participants and judges; swipe-card data tracked program reach (1,716 entries). Results: Participants reported perceived stress relief, increased creative expression, enhanced social/emotional connectedness, and greater engagement in healthy food preparation. Motivations included cooking interest, social interaction, competition, novelty, and academic break. Judges noted increased student-staff interaction and community building. Conclusions: Experiential, dining-hall-based programs can support student wellness by fostering social connections, reducing stress, fostering creativity, and promoting healthy eating. Leveraging existing campus resources offers a feasible way to boost student well-being and campus connectedness.