It's National Nutrition Month!

Happy National Nutrition Month (NNM) everyone!!! I feel like it is Christmas in March! 

          As a volunteer in the Nutrition Department a nearby children’s hospital, I get to have a hand in all the NNM events going on this month. My first job was to choose 2 recipes for my upcoming cooking demonstrations, which take place in the family center of the hospital. This center is just remarkable; it has everything a patient’s family would need during a prolonged stay at the hospital. There is complementary laundry, massages, haircuts, computers, craft lessons, a fitness center, and even a movie theatre with movies being shown throughout the day. At least once a month, I have the pleasure of educating patient families, employees, and members of the community on various nutrition topics in the family center. In the past, I have presented on ‘Eating Healthy on a Budget” and “The Importance of Family meals”, which both generated discussions amongst participants and received excellent feedback (which is awesome for my first big nutrition debut!). 

Brochure to hand out

Handout

Table tents for the cafeteria and doctor's dining! 

Site for all presentations (except cooking demonstrations)

  For my “National Nutrition Month: Get Your Plate in Shape” presentation, I decided I will whip up some skillet granola for our make-your-own yogurt parfaits. To my dismay, I found out the family center is not equipped with a stove top…so my skillet granola has now been replaced with baked granola. Ironically, I don’t have a stove in my apartment, so I can’t practice this cooking demo! In addition to preparing a fun treat to eat, I will be teaching the participants the benefits of whole grain, flax seeds, wheat germ, honey, and probiotics...how exciting!!!

          My next presentation has been named, ‘Whole Grain for the Whole Family”. Here I plan to get the children involved as much as possible by making pita faces with whole grain pitas, hummus, and vegetables. I hope to erase any negative connotation children (and their parents) have against eating vegetables!  


Please visit National Nutrition Month resources to find all sorts of fun nutrition education materials! Happy National Nutrition month!