Students obtained nutritional information and competed in a
push-up competition at the National Nutrition Month display
hosted by the SDA Thurs.
Johnathan Wilbanks / The Collegian

March is National Nutrition Month. Members of the Student Dietetic Association set up an informational display in the Free Speech Area Thurs. in an effort to promote student and faculty nutrition.

“There are so many myths and misnomers about nutrition.­ People get confused because the media says one thing, research says another, and then the muscle magazines or whatever else tell you something else,” said Student Dietetic Association (SDA) advisor Dr. Lisa Herzig.

Herzig commented on her status as the SDA advisor saying, “I am here to provide my expertise in the field of nutrition and also to be able to help [the association] to be able to have a strong presence here on campus.”

The association is taking the message of nutrition and all of its complexities and simplifying it so people can have user-friendly tools to utilize in their everyday lives.­ The goal of the booth was to not only promote healthy snacking habits, but also to provide education.

One of Herzig’s goals is to educate the public and community about nutrition.­ She is aiming to dispel common myths about nutrition.

The display included a push-up challenge for the entire month of March.­ The winner with the highest number of push-ups at the end of the month will receive $10 and a free SDA T-shirt. Handouts and information are available from the dietetic students.

The student dietetic association wants to help local college students to be aware of how they eat, and how their nutritional intake affects their bodies. The students presenting the display are studying to become registered dieticians.

National Nutrition Month is common knowledge to dietetic students, but less well known within the student body.

“I just want every major to know it and just be aware of their health, of their eating habits and stuff like that,” said dietetic student and event coordinator Kalvin Lazcano.

“We are trying to promote good health by selling healthy snacks to the student body. Everything is grown here in Fresno, on the Fresno State campus,” said dietetic student Anette Washington.­ The dietetic students are reducing their carbon footprint by selling their produce locally, thus eliminating the need for transportation.

For additional information on how to build a properly balanced meal and make healthy snack choices, students can visit the website eatright.org.