On October 19, 2018 the Master of Science in Nutrition students from Dr. Lilian de Jonge’s Nutrition and Weight Management class participated in a Food Day event at Lynbrook Elementary School in Springfield.
Mawyah Bashatah, Danielle Belton, Si Fan, Laurie Farmer, Anqi Liang, Alec Lowell, Lisa Marik, Monika Paris, Brenda Silvia-Torma and Alyssa Wilson, designed an interactive presentation that introduced students to the quantities of sugar on commonly consumed beverages and educated them on how to decode the amount of sugar on a beverage label. They shared healthy hydration alternatives such as fruit water for the students to try.
Food Day is an annual event in which students at a participating school are guided through a series of stations that are designed to highlight the importance of food choices and their impact on fitness and academic performance.
The event was sponsored by Real Food for Kids, a parent-led organization that works collaboratively with school officials, parents, and students to improve the nutritional quality of food served at public schools in Northern Virginia. It also supports school-based programs that promote the importance of eating healthy, nutritious food. Mason’s Department of Nutrition and Food Studies is an active supporter of Real Food for Kids in these efforts.