Students studying dietetics at North Dakota State cook in an “unlicensed commercial kitchen,” Sherri Stastny, an associate professor in the health, nutrition and exercise department at NDSU said.

The students use the kitchen to cook for The 800 Cafe, named for the offered meals that are all around 800 calories and less than 10 percent fat.

Meals at the cafe are prepared entirely by students, of which all but one are juniors. The other is a senior.

Through a communal conversation in the kitchen, students said they think this course is important because it shows people that healthy and tasty meals can still be created for around the recommended 800 calories.

They also expressed finding the course, Food Service Management, helpful to learn things that they can use later in similar situations.

The skills they’ve learned include conversion between measurements, procedures, recipes and working with vendors.

Rosie Grant, Friday’s manager of The 800 Cafe, had responsibilities assigning everybody to a job, picking the theme and picking the course.

There is typically more than one course served at the cafe. Friday’s meal featured a  dried apple salad with candied pecans and apple cider dressing, herb crusted rosemary pork loin, butternut squash bake, roasted asparagus and black bean brownies.

The manager changes from week to week so everybody in the course gets a chance to plan, this set-up also encourages teamwork between the students.

Though the cafe is entirely student run, a professor supervises the cafe when it is open. All students in the course see and perform every part of the operation from washing dishes to preparing food to managing the cafe.

The price per meal at The 800 Cafe is $10.00 per plate. The price also includes a drink.

The cafe is open most Thursdays and Fridays until April 21. It is not open during the weeks of Spring Break “or the week of Easter break,” the cafe’s web page said.