Do you or your clients have a concern about the environment as it relates to the food supply? Or have you been thinking about this issue but have yet to learn much about it? Dairy Council of California has developed a new resource for health professionals that takes an in-depth look at this issue. The course is unique since it not only educates the participant on the many issues impacting a sustainable food supply, it also offers specific suggestions for how to address this issue with clients. This 4-credit hour online course titled Sustainability, Nutrition and Health is now available online. The course has two components: a 30-minute audio PowerPoint and a PDF handout containing background articles that are intended to broaden and augment the PowerPoint. The course is authored by Marianne Smith Edge, MS, RD, LD, a former president of the American Dietetic Association and a nationally recognized expert in this area. Access to the course is free. If you would like to take the posttest for CEU credits, this test is available at a very reasonable price from Nutrition Dimension.
Sustainability is an emerging concept and is a process that encompasses social, ecological and economic dimensions. The course focuses on consumers making decisions that are good for the family, good for the environment and good for individual health. The course talks about the meaning of organic food within the sustainability umbrella as well as the issue of feeding our ever-growing population.
The course is unique as it offers the practicing health professional concrete suggestions to use with clients. Health professionals can discuss with clients their choices regarding:
- The choice of food purchased
- Food packaging
- Home food preparation and storage
- Serving size and waste
Ultimately how to overlay sustainability with the other food and nutrition priorities of individuals and families is a personal choice. It is important, however, to remind clients to consider their health and personal preferences when making these decisions and to include foods from all of the food groups, since each food group provides essential nutrients.
Maureen Bligh, MA, RD
Project Manager
Maureen Bligh, Registered Dietitian
About me:
Maureen Bligh is a registered dietitian and project manager for the Dairy Council of California. She manages online communication and social media efforts, an internal Nutrition Trends Team and develops online continuing education courses for health professionals.
Maureen's career in dietetics spans over 30 years and began in clinical dietetics and out-patient education at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, California. She provided nutrition education to people of all ages, especially diabetes education for children, pregnant women and adults.
She has passion for providing reality-based, nutrition education to help people enjoy a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods to lead a healthy life. She was delighted to recently discover that her commitment to family meals helped shape healthy attitudes and habits for her two teenage sons.
Follow Maureen on Twitter: @MaureenB_RD