Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9600
ISSN: 2155-9600
Brian Devorkin
University of Michigon, USA
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Nutr Food Sci
Introduction: Never before has there been so much information surrounding how people should eat as well as pressure to conform to new trending diets. Eating disorders are running pervasive and students are starting to avoid those industry labeled 'fat-promoting' macronutrients carbohydrates and fat. • Through Food Savvy Friday, I educate the community and increase awareness of food literacy ranging from nutrition and sustainability to food insecurity. • College provides an opportunity to develop long- lasting behaviors • Without proper education around food, highly intellectual individuals at the University of Michigan may fail to understand the harm people experience in regards to their bodies, their minds, and the environment Purpose: College students are keenly aware of what they eat and how they are perceived. During their experience at a University, they are developing new lifelong habits. This is what makes it so important to offer an initiative like Food Savvy Friday. Developing a health culture at school will help encourage, but not enforce, healthy decisions. This will help promote health equity, raise awareness on food insecurity, and contribute to more sustainable living while on campus. Description: Food Savvy Friday, FSF for short, is an initiative sponsored by MDining and the Maize and Blue Cupboard at the University of Michigan. It aims to educate the community on food literacy. Through weekly social media posts and displaying advertisements in the dining halls and at the cupboard, FSF works to educate the community on sustainable and healthy habits. Food has an extremely large impact in many areas of life which is why the savvy topics include such a wide array of topics such as... • how to navigate food pantries • how to read nutritional labels • healthy recipes using food found at the campus cupboard • sustainable eating habits • proper nutrition during exam time Methods: MDining intern Brian Devorkin, also a member of the Student Advocates for Nutrition club (SAN), develops posts through his organization and then has them proofed by an MDining registered dietician before they appear in front of students. • Created by the students, for the students to highlight student engagement • There are about 16 content posts a semester • Each creation discusses something different • All the information is backed by research • The content is created for individuals without any background in environmental or nutritional science • We currently reach around 50-100 students Discussion: Since the implementation of FSF by Brian and SAN, there have been positive comments and follow-ups showing people really do care about health, food insecurity, and sustainability. The community just needs a culture centering around food literacy to really pique people's interests and encourage positive forms of change. What's great about FSF is that it hits many sectors of the UM campus initiatives... • Food Insecurity - Student Engagement • Health Equity - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion • Sustainability - Constructing Culture Implications: At the University of Michigan, there has been an initiative called sustainable Mondays now for a few years. Each Monday, dining halls follow certain guidelines to reduce meat options on the menu for the day and raise awareness of sustainable eating. I envision something similar happening for FSF to further foster a sense of nutritional wellbeing, sustainability, and improve health equity in our community. The key takeaway from FSF is that in order to increase food literacy on a campus-wide scale, there must be a culture change. This requires students to be properly informed and provided with engaging opportunities such as Food Savvy Fridays.
Brian Devorkin has completed his M.Sc and commenced PhD at the age of 31years from University of Michigon of Agriculture.