Wellness Fair!: 3/3/11

This afternoon, there was a wellness fair at Cunningham Children's Home in Urbana for all of the staff members there to attend, and Kelsey (U of I intern) and I had the opportunity to set up a Nutrition on the Move table there. (Nutrition on the Move is the name of the nutrition company my sponsor Susan at Strawberry Fields is the head of). The topic we promoted today was the benefits of whole grains, and why they are important to include in your diet. We did this by handing out samples of a quinoa and wild rice blend [that the cooks at Strawberry Fields kindly prepared for us this morning :)]. We also gave out handouts that included whole grain recipes and a whole grain guide that listed whole grains that people are usually unfamiliar with, cooking tips, and serving suggestions (D). In addition, we also brought along a board that had actual varieties of different whole grains glued onto it to "quiz" people and see if they could identify the grains (D). Although many people could only get the common ones like whole grain pasta and oats correct, I was suprised at how many people knew the more challenging ones (like wheat berries!). Many people were also pleasantly suprised at how good the quinoa tasted, and many wrote down the brand so they could buy it and make it at home! This made me feel great because I know that I am showing people that healthy food is not only good for you, but it can also taste really yummy too (F)! I realized that it is important to not only tell people about the benefits of healthy food, but also let them taste it, so they will be more willing to try new foods that will help improve their health and well-being (A).