Nutrition students from the University of Maine collaborated with Fellowship Health Resources to promote healthy eating during an ongoing agency-wide fitness challenge
Bangor, ME – February 17, 2012 – The Day Program at Fellowship Health Resources, Inc. (FHR) recently had special visitors from the University of Maine. Nutrition students Emily Hinkle and Hannah Ruhl shared a presentation about healthy living and nutritional information with FHR persons served as part of a community outreach program.
“Initially, Emily was just going to redesign our menus,” says FHR Day Program Coordinator Sherri Grant. “But then she offered to come and do some presentations, and we thought it would be a fun way of getting our persons served involved and more knowledgeable about nutrition.”
The UMaine students have now visited FHR Maine’s programs twice. “The first time, we talked about portion sizes and what your plate would look like with proper portions,” says Grant. “This time, they presented on healthy eating and why you should eat a variety of foods from every food group.”
Demonstrations include how protein builds muscle, how dairy products are good for bones, and how fruits and vegetables are good for healing and digestion. “After the presentation, they did a trivia quiz, which was a really fun group activity,” explains Grant. “Everyone learned a lot and definitely enjoyed the strawberries and dark chocolate, (research shows dark chocolate may be better for you than milk chocolate), that they brought for us for Valentine’s Day!”
Staff plan on inviting the University of Maine students back again before they graduate this May. “We’re participating in an agency-wide fitness challenge called Shape Up with FHR,” says Grant. “We have a lot of staff members on the Maine team competing to see who can walk the most steps, exercise the most minutes, and eat the most fruits and vegetables. We want to have the UMaine students back once again so that we can all become more knowledgeable about living a healthy lifestyle.”
Shape Up with FHR is a 12-week fitness challenge coordinated by the Administrative Office in Rhode Island. For information about Shape Up with FHR, please contact Jenn McKenna at 401-642-4409.