MTSU dietetic students help ‘fuel’ National Nutrition Month with special fair

A Southwest beef and black bean dish introduced as a Meals, Ready to Eat entrée in 2010 reflects the trend toward ethnic menu items and is quickly becoming a soldier’s favorite. (U.S. Army photo by David Kamm )

Shopping and eating intelligently will be the focus of MTSU’s National Nutrition Month celebration, set from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 19.

Dr. Lisa Sheehan-Smith

Senior dietetic students, in collaboration with campus nutrition mentors and National HealthCare Corp. interns, will conduct a nutrition fair in the basketball court area of the Campus Recreation Center. The theme is “Go Further with Food: Fuel, Sustain and Empower.”

“We decided, looking at the underlying purpose of the national theme, we would … provide education on how to fuel bodies, promote getting more exercise into your daily life, and also … teach the participants how to be more sustainable with their food consumption and purchasing,” said Dr. Lisa Sheehan-Smith, a professor of nutrition and food science in MTSU’s Department of Human Sciences as well as a registered dietician.

Among the 11 interactive exhibits planned are “Healthy Eating on the Run,” “Hydration Station,” and “To Eat or Not to Eat? Figuring Out Processed Foods.”

Educational activities, information handouts, door prizes and food samples will be available.

The March 19 event, which is funded through grants from MTSU and The Dairy Alliance, is free and open to the public. A printable campus parking map is available at http://tinyurl.com/MTSUParkingMap.

Off-campus visitors attending the daytime events should obtain a special one-day permit from MTSU’s Office of Parking and Transportation at www.mtsu.edu/parking/visit.php.

For more information, contact Sheehan-Smith at 615-898-2090 or lisa.sheehan-smith@mtsu.edu.

— Gina K. Logue (gina.logue@mtsu.edu)