MTSU Student Health Corps member Joscelyn Ortiz prepares an omelet during the “Healthy Cooking Demonstration” event for the 2013 National Nutrition Month in Ellington Human Sciences. Ortiz remains a member of the student organization. (Submitted photos)

March is National Nutrition Month and MTSU is doing its part to promote healthier eating within the Blue Raider community

At MTSU, Health Promotion, the Raider Health Corps and the Nutrition and Food Science Nutrition Coaching Skills class will be offering several presentations and workshops for the campus community, said Lisa Schrader, Health Promotion director.

Five days of special events are planned. Events Wednesday and Thursday, March 19-20, and Monday, March 24, will be held in Cason-Kennedy Nursing Building. The final two days, Tuesday and Wednesday, March 25-26, will offer healthy cooking demonstrations held in Room 107 of the Ellington Human Sciences Building, 2623 Middle Tennessee Blvd.

Upcoming events include:

Wednesday, March 19

Cason Kennedy Nursing Building Room 108

Noon to 1 p.m. —Misleading Health Foods

2 to 3 p.m. — Healthy Food on an Unhealthy Budget

Thursday, March 20

CKNB Room 105 

4:30 to 5:30 p.m. — Foods that Boost Immunity

5:30 to 6:30 p.m. — Healthy Food Substitutions

Monday, March 24

CKNB Room 108

2 to 3 p.m. — Vegan/Vegetarianism

3 to 4 p.m. — Unraveling the Hype of Detoxing/Cleansing Food

MTSU students attending last year’s “Healthy Cooking Demonstration” event in Ellington Human Sciences learned how an omelet — made with egg whites, turkey sausage and spinach — could be good for you.

Tuesday, March 25

Ellington Human Sciences Room 107

4 to 5 p.m. — Healthy Cooking Demonstration (limited to first 24 students*)

Wednesday, March 26

Ellington Human Sciences Room 107

5 to 6 p.m. — Healthy Cooking Demonstration (limited to first 24 students*)

* — Open to students only

Nutrition and food science instructor Ginny Bogle said her “students are actually doing the presentations in the nursing building” while Schrader will supervise the events at Ellington.

The nutrition topics to be presented in Cason-Kennedy were chosen based on student feedback, Schrader said.

“There is a lot of misinformation in our culture about nutrition and what it means to ‘eat healthy,’ and these programs were planned to help clarify that,” she said.

Schrader added that Raider Health Corps has offered the healthy cooking demonstrations for the past three years.

“We are excited to continue that annual event,” she said. “We are also pleased to partner with the Nutrition and Food Science Program, to be able to offer even more specific program content through National Nutrition Month.”

Attendance verification will be provided at all programs, Schrader said.

MTSU Health Promotion welcomes the opportunity to assist students, student groups and faculty and staff members with their health programming needs. For more information, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/healthpro/index.php.

The Raider Health Corps includes student volunteers who educate their peers on a variety of health issues. For more information about this student group, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/healthpro/

Nutrition and Food Science is one of four programs or schools in the Department of Human Sciences, which is one of six branches in the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences. To learn more about the nutrition program, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/humansciences/nutoverview_humansciences.php.

For more information about National Nutrition Month events, call 615-494-8704.

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)