On December 23, 1994 the Dean's Office for Foreign Students held a Christmas banquet for 420 people invited from the MSc, Ph.D. and Erasmus students and family members. The dinner was used to present all the foreign guests with the booklet Food in the Netherlands: A Food Guide for Wageningen. This booklet stems from a 1992 study which indicated that some foreign students had difficulty maintaining sound dietary habits. Authors Trudy Wijnhoven, Wil Knuiman-Hijl and Brenda van Balen, tried to avoid telling students what's good and what's bad" for them by providing the reader with practical information regarding where to shop and how to store food. We just wish to present them with the facts and let them make their own choices," say the authors.
Contents include daily recommendations, based on Dutch health standards and food patterns. Yueming Li, Aquaculture MSc student form China said that she learned immediately where to shop by asking the students from the previous year. Zimbabwean students Innocent Nyakudya and Benjamin Hanyani-Mlambo, admit it was not easy to learn to cook. You have little experience cooking and it can be stressful to prepare a meal for many people in your corridor. Or when they cook you don't like it." Eshete Dejen said, It is hard to find the time to cook when you are busy with exams or the thesis." Luckily the Food in the Netherlands guide also includes a list of 26 fast food restaurants.
