Does an apple a day really keep the doctor away? Make that a locally grown apple and that’s what the UNH Nutrition & Dietetics club believes! On Monday, October 24th Nutrition & Dietetics students participated in Food Day, a national movement to promote health and support sustainable farming practices.
Students set up a station in Bartels where they handed out fliers explaining Food Day, provided tips about sustainable living on campus, and handed out apples donated by Middlefield’s Lyman Orchards. The documentary film “Ingredients,” which explores the benefits of eating locally-grown fresh foods, was played on two televisions in Bartels all day.
Coordinated by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Food Day’s mission is to have people start eating real, unprocessed food again. Rather than consuming factory-farmed animal products or artificially created foods high in salt and sugar, we should consume fresher foods grown from local farms.
Food Day participants hope to reduce the incidence of diet-related diseases such as obesity, cancer and heart disease by eating natural foods and supporting sustainable farming rather than large corporate agribusiness. Student organizer of the event, Kristen Lucisano, says this can be done by “eating less processed and packaged foods in favor of more fruits and vegetables from local farmers. People need to realize where their food is coming from.”
So how can UNH support sustainable living on campus? Well, the answer is simple. Students can drink from reusable coffee mugs, limit use of paper products, recycle plastic bottles, bring reusable shopping bags to the grocery store rather than using plastic bags, and even use a water filter to re-fill containers. And of course, students should always eat locally grown produce rather than junk food!
Lucisano says “today’s students will be the driving force for the type of change that needs to happen. They can implement Food Day’s goals while on campus and when entering the work environment.” Many students visited the station in Bartels for information and volunteers were excited to share their knowledge. Pleased with the student response to Food Day, the Nutrition & Dietetics club looks forward to this event in the years to come!
