We are so grateful for the UAND grant to help us celebrate National Nutrition Month!  Our goal this year was to inspire our fellow employees and visitors at our hospitals to Take a Bite Into A Healthy Lifestyle.  We hosted nutrition fairs at 5 of our facilities – IMC, LDS, Alta View, Riverton and TOSH.  Consequently we were able to involve many of our dietitians and reach a broad group of people.  Our fairs included displays of nutrition foods, colorful fruits/veggies, lots of handouts and ideas for healthy snacks, salads, breakfasts, info about our Nutrition Services, and most importantly featured Registered Dietitians as trusted nutrition professionals.

Additionally, we held a prize drawing for those who completed a Nutrition Myth quiz.  This turned out to be a great way to spark conversation and provide education on topics such as detoxes, coconut oil, cholesterol in eggs, sweetener choices and supplements.  We were reminded how much the general public is influenced by nutrition misinformation, and how much dietitians are needed to interpret new products and research!

During the whole month of March, we had NNM table tents in the cafés at each hospital along with posters to draw attention and get people thinking about nutrition.  We also published articles each week in the employee newsletter about National Nutrition Month, what a dietitian has to offer, and other nutrition topics.

We always consider it a success when we are able to help others learn to make healthy choices, improve quality of life and enjoy food that is delicious and nutritious!

Elaine Bankhead has been a registered dietitian with Intermountain Healthcare for 6 years.  She completed her degree at Utah State University and enjoys working in many areas including NICU, outpatient and diabetes education.  Elaine is currently the Networking Director for UAND and helps to plan events.  Hobbies include hiking, reading, party planning, gardening, playing the piano/cello and creating delicious food concoctions for her family.