Wood County UW-Extension Provides Nutrition Education Program at Library
A program at Everett Roehl Marshfield Public Library is helping families learn tips about eating nutritiously. Called “Nutrition Grab & Go’s with Snacks,” the program features eating tips and a chance to build a healthy “snack to go.”
Sarah Siegel, Family Living Educator for Wood County UW-Extension, has been organizing the events with help from Library Director Lori Belongia. Both women are members of the Healthy Lifestyles Coalition through Marshfield Clinic. It was at a Coalition meeting that Belongia expressed an interest in providing some nutrition programming, a program Siegel was then able to develop to meet the needs of library participants.
“There is a lot of misleading information in the media about nutrition. The grab & go’s are meant to give participants a tip they can focus on and achieve,” said Siegel. “People need to learn tips that they are able to carry out to develop healthier habits.”
An educational opportunity for participants to learn tips about eating nutritious and grabbing a snack to go, the program is not a sit-down program, rather participants spend as much time as they would like learning about the nutrition tips given out. They also have the opportunity to taste snacks that relate to the tips being discussed.
“An example of a nutritious tip would be: Eating colorful fruit and vegetables every day,” said Siegel. “Eating colorful each day helps a person choose variety of foods because each color serves a different purpose in your body.”
To coincide with that tip, at the July event, the snack provided was squash bars.
Along with providing a unique educational opportunity for families, the programs also highlight how the library is a viable resource for the community.
“The Library is more than the material on its shelves. It is also THE place to go for informative programs and collaborations of all sorts,” said Library Director Lori Belongia. “The Marshfield community benefits when two separate organizations, in this case the Library and Wood County UW- Extension, put their assets together. We appreciate the expertise of Family Living Educator Sara Seigel and are pleased to bring her talents into our space for the well-being of the community.”
Visit the Everett Roehl Marshfield Public Library, or check the Wood County UW-Extension website and Wood County Family Living Facebook page for more information on future events.
The next “Nutrition Grab & Go” will be held on August 22 from 2:00-3:30pm in the JP Adler Program Room.
