People laughed as the wind blew flyers and other papers around as they learned at the Lunch En Bleu event for National Nutrition Month, an annual campaign by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
At one table, there was a poster with pictures of empty plates and cups. This represented an empty dinner table to highlight food insecurity on campus. Students went up to it throughout the event and filled the dishes with drawings of their favorite foods and drinks.
The theme of this year’s campaign is “Food Connects Us.”
Julia Noel, the director of nutrition services for campus recreation, said the theme is, “meant to be a way to think about food in a different way outside of just what we put in our bodies and how it nourishes us.”
The event is to make people think differently about food like how it connects people culturally, with the environment, and about sustainable food practices.
A table hosted by the Shelby County Health Department had information about healthy eating and programs and resources for pregnant mothers, like free car seats and cribs. Another had information about renting bicycles on campus and opportunities to be a food mover.
Counseling services also had a station where students could color away stress on the lawn.
As another National Nutrition Month comes to the end, the University of Memphis continues its journey to alleviate food insecurity across campuses nationwide.
