In October, UGA Dining Services Nutrition Clericals collaborated with UGA Peer Nutrition Educators and the YMCA to provide nutrition education to Athens area kids.

Our goal is to instill good nutrition habits at a young age, and we were able to do so in a fun, kid-friendly way! We’ve had some great experiences recently and are excited to share what the Nutrition Clericals have been up to in the Athens community.

On Thursday, October 24th, we had a blast at the YMCA’s 7th annual Trunk or Treat! Our trunk was decorated in a vibrant rainbow theme, and we wore fruit-inspired outfits to encourage children to “eat the rainbow.”

Anna Faye, one of our Nutrition Clericals also designed an informative handout featuring nutrition education on pumpkins and apples on one side, complemented by a recipe and a coloring sheet on the other.

The response from children and parents was fantastic. Parents appreciated the recipe included in the handout and the children’s faces lit up at the prospect of coloring fall foods.

We gave out Cuties mandarin oranges while teaching the kids about balanced nutrition during the Halloween festivities!

Our next adventure took us back to the YMCA on Tuesday, October 29th, for a nutrition-themed field day as part of YQuest. Students played games in the beautiful YMCA garden and learned about MyPlate’s five food groups.

We were ecstatic when everyone was eager to play our nutrition-focused games and share their favorite foods. The kids enjoyed being outside and learned more about balanced nutrition amidst the excitement of the fall season.

We love sharing our knowledge about the joy of eating nutritious foods, and we are thankful for these opportunities. This collaboration between our dietetics programs and the YMCA is made possible by receipt of the 2024 Bobbi Meeler Sahm Service and Outreach Award.

Thanks for reading about our adventures, and remember to eat the rainbow!