These four dietitians are on a Mission for Nutrition

A new team of Healthy Family Project dietitians are the faces and expertise for this year’s Mission for Nutrition campaign for National Nutrition Month. The annual March initiative was created by the American Academy of Dietetics inviting everyone to learn about developing healthful eating habits, according to a news release.  

The group of dietitians focus on different niches:

• Julie Lopez, culinary.
• Qula Madkin, sports nutrition.
• Chelsea Jones, meal planning.
• Hayley Ewing, grocery.

The dietitian team’s consumer introduction will take place during Mission for Nutrition through curated content. 

The Mission for Nutrition resource kit, featuring materials from health-conscious brand partners, was mailed to more than 400 retail dietitians at 52 retailers and more than 100 school foodservice and nutrition directors across the U.S. and Canada.

The recipients are encouraged to use the kit materials in events and activities throughout National Nutrition Month.

Also, Healthy Family Project released a digital Nutrition Education Resource Center on HealthyFamilyProject.com that offers free nutrition resources and materials year-round. Healthy Family Project will award a $1,000 continued education scholarship to one dietitian using the materials for National Nutrition Month events.

“Each year we look to enhance Mission for Nutrition, and the addition of our 2023 dietitian team was the perfect complement to an already robust and established program,” Healthy Family Project Vice President Trish James said in the release. “Our newly developed online nutrition resource center adds an extra value to the existing kits and offers additional ways for retail dietitians and school foodservice and nutrition directors to talk to shoppers and students.” 

Mission for Nutrition partners are donating $8,000 to International Fresh Produce Association’s Foundation for Fresh Produce to increase accessibility to fruits and vegetables in schools. Partners include Bee Sweet Citrus, Jazz apples by Oppy, Nature Fresh Farms and Shuman Farms RealSweet Onions.

In 2022, Mission for Nutrition had more than 17 million social media impressions, a number the organization expects to surpass in 2023, with initiatives including a live Facebook cooking class, Twitter party, social media giveaways, Instagram reels and TikTok, according to the release. 

TheMissionforNutrition.com houses a free downloadable weekly breakfast planner featuring brand partners' products and will be promoted digitally throughout the month as well as handed out in stores and at schools. 

The digital, in-store, and in-school program in 2022 reached more than 219 million consumers, the release said.

Mission for Nutrition was created in 2014 to focus on the importance of eating nutritious foods and the value of meal planning. The program celebrates and supports the efforts of retail dietitians and school foodservice and nutrition directors, raising more than $56,000 to increase accessibility to fruits and vegetables in schools and support Feeding America food banks. 

Created by Shuman Farms in 2002, Healthy Family Project creates programs, such as Produce for Kids, that provide easy, fun and inspiring recipes and healthy ideas. Healthy Family Project has raised more than $7.5 million to benefit children and families and provided 12 million meals through Feeding America.