Food is more than a meal. Nutrition fuels children in school, individuals at work and seniors to thrive. Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida’s Nutrition Education Program inspires and engages neighbors in seven counties to incorporate more nutritious foods into their diet, adopt an active lifestyle, prevent chronic disease, manage a healthy weight and improve their quality of life.
Get to know Second Harvest’s team of nutrition educators and their thoughts on National Nutrition Month’s theme: “Beyond the Table.”
Leann
Brevard County Nutrition Educator
Favorite class to teach: Eat the Rainbow. This class sets a good foundation for exploring new nutrient-rich foods and allows the class to interact and discover new cultural foods by sharing their favorites.
Why I love my job: With each class, I get to see how participants make changes to their diets, like trying a new food or reducing their sodium intake, and then celebrate these changes with them and encourage them.
How does nutrition impact neighbors “Beyond the Table”: Poor nutrition affects many aspects of health. Some impacts happen relatively quickly, while others, like type 2 diabetes, take years to develop. Choosing nutrient-rich whole foods can make a huge impact on this disease. Though that sounds like a simple solution, changing a lifetime of eating habits can be extremely difficult and is made easier with the support of family, friends, and the community.
Morgan
Lake and Marion County Nutrition Educator
Favorite class to teach: MyPlate. MyPlate is such an important foundation when introducing someone to nutrition. MyPlate can cover many topics in one lesson, like the importance of eating whole grains and eating your colors, without having to teach those specific classes.
Why I love my job: I love nutrition and being healthy is something that is really important to me. Sharing some of the knowledge I know about nutrition is very rewarding.
How does nutrition impact neighbors “Beyond the Table”: In my classes, I try to help participants understand how to make better decisions in the grocery store. Becoming a more informed consumer will hopefully lead to healthier eating and better overall health.
Carolina
Seminole County Nutrition Educator
Favorite class to teach: Eat the Rainbow.
Why I love my job: I love connecting with the community around something as essential and universal as food.
How does nutrition impact neighbors “Beyond the Table”: Food impacts our neighbors because it is more than a meal or a warm plate. Food has the power to bring people together and strengthen connections not only with our families and communities but to our roots and ancestors.
Madelene
Orange and Osceola County Nutrition Educator
Favorite class to teach: MyPlate. This class is a wonderful example of what to incorporate and the serving size to achieve a healthier diet.
Why I love my job: Knowing and acknowledging that I can positively impact people’s lifestyles through education.
How does nutrition impact neighbors “Beyond the Table”: Nutrition is more than just a meal. It is the key to improving overall health and lifestyle.
Doreen
Volusia County Nutrition Educator
Favorite class to teach: Understanding Food Labels. Reading and understanding a food label helps the consumer make quick, easy and informed decisions when it comes to shopping for a healthy diet.
Why I love my job: Helping people find positive and healthy relationships with food. Eating can be enjoyable.
How does nutrition impact neighbors “Beyond the Table”: Having good nutrition helps reduce the risk of chronic diseases, obesity, heart disease and certain cancers.
Abir
Osceola County Nutrition Educator
Favorite class to teach: Understanding Food Labels. I love the reactions!
Why I love my job: I love the impact these classes have on the community and giving hope to people who want to learn and make changes without breaking the budget. It’s a feeling of fulfillment and joy.
How does nutrition impact neighbors “Beyond the Table”: Beyond the table is beyond what we can see and eat. It’s the challenge to afford food, the feeling of security when food is safe, clean and available for our neighbors.
Shavanna
Orange County Nutrition Educator
Favorite class to teach: Fresh, Frozen and Canned. This class covers the pros and cons of three different ways to purchase fruits and vegetables.
Why I love my job: Knowing that these lessons impact every generation, no matter how young or seasoned, eating healthy and creating positive habits has no age limit.
How does nutrition impact neighbors “Beyond the Table”: The theme of Beyond the Table considers not only where our food comes from but how our community members can have an overall healthy lifestyle, no matter where they sit. Thinking of food from farm to table is one way to think about food security and safety. Another is focusing on being physically active and using public parks, bike lanes, walking trails and other resources to improve overall health.
