NIU Virtual STEM Café explores eating for health and sustainability in the 21st Century

We know that diets rich in plant-based foods, such as the Planetary Health diet and the Plant Forward diet, are good for us and the planet. But how can we make healthy eating choices, especially now that we’re staying home more and shopping less?

Find out at the next online STEM Café on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, at 6 p.m. with nutrition experts:

• Julie Ann Patterson, NIU Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics
• Nancy Prange, Registered Dietitian and Dietetic Internship Director at NIU
• Lisa Brandt, Registered Dietitian

“With a growing world population and increases in nutrition related diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, it is important to consider ways to make shifts in our eating patterns that will benefit our health and the environment,” says Patterson.

“The ‘planetary health diet,’ the ‘plant forward diet,’ and dietary practices followed by vegetarians and vegans may be optimal for our health and the environment,” Prange adds. “However, these dietary patterns may not seem feasible or be realistic for many Americans.” 

This presentation will provide you with the latest information about the relationship between the foods we eat, our health and the environment. You’ll get sensible solutions for healthy, nutritious meals that will fit your lifestyle.

“By identifying simple solutions to weave into our everyday lives, we can collectively make a difference for our bodies and the planet,” says Brandt.

To register, go to go.niu.edu/HealthyEating. A link to the event will be provided in your confirmation email. Click the link to join the meeting by 5:50 p.m. on May 13. The online room will open at 5:30 p.m., and the presentation will begin promptly at 6 p.m. and will last approximately two hours. On a computer, the Chrome browser works best, and you’ll be asked to download the Adobe Connect app. For tablets and mobile phones, go to your app store and download the Adobe Connect mobile app before attending. You’ll be able to listen to the speakers and will have a chance to type in your questions.

For more information, contact Judith Dymond, Ed.D., at 815-753-4751 or email jdymond@niu.edu.