Food Day Extravaganza

Katherine Tallmadge speaking with children from Bancroft Elementary School at Food Day.

The District of Columbia Metropolitan Area Dietetic Association

and

Capital Harvest on the Plaza Farm Market

Celebrated “Food Day” with Fresh, Locally-Grown Food and Fun

Contact: Nancy Brenowitz Katz, MS, RD, LD, 301-922-6362, nancybkatz@gmail.com

October 24 Event Highlighted Nutrition, Affordability, and Sustainability

The District of Columbia Metro Area Dietetic Association (DCMADA) and Central Harvest on the Plaza (CHOP) hosted a special farm market in honor of Food Day in the District of Columbia, as declared by Mayor Vincent Gray. The event took place on Monday, October 24, 2011 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at the beautiful outdoor Woodrow Wilson Plaza, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.

“Our Food Day event was a unique opportunity for area children and families to learn about easy-to-prepare healthy foods in a festive environment,” says Katherine Tallmadge, MA, RD,LD,  President of  DCMADA. “By making the experience fun and providing many options, we simplified healthy eating for all who attended.”

Members of DCMADA from a wide array of organizations throughout the city were on hand to provide nutrition education activities, food demonstrations, and breastfeeding education (provided by WIC). Most importantly, 200 Washington, DC public school students attended the event and learned how delicious locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables are.

DCMADA’s Food Day Event was sponsored by the American Dietetic Association.  DCMADA, ADA, and CHOP Market share the common missions of:

1) reducing diet‐related disease by promoting safe, healthy food choices; and
2) expanding access to food and alleviating hunger.

Organizations providing fun, educational, and interactive nutrition education and giveaways included:

• The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), under Health and HumanServices (HHS), will be at market with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, PhysicalActivity Guidelines for Americans, and Healthfinder.gov

• The D.C. Public Schools’ Wellness and Nutrition Services, Office of the State Superintendent of Education,Government of the District of Columbia

• The National Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Association doing Nutrition and Breast Feeding Education for Moms and Children

• The Center for Nutrition Diet and Health at the University of the District of Columbia is bringing toys, DVDs, fact sheets, and providing healthy snack demos for kids like yogurt parfaits

• The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for FoodSafety and Applied Nutrition will be demonstrating the Nutrition Facts panel and their ‘spot the block’ campaign geared towards kids, teens, adult, and older persons, as well as information on bottled water and food safety

• The District of Columbia Metropolitan Area Dietetic Association is providing volunteer dietitians to assist throughout the market.

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About DCMADA

The District of Columbia Metropolitan Area’s chapter of the American Dietetic Association, DCMADA is a professional organization made up of Registered Dietitians, food, and nutrition experts who work and live in the DC Metro Area.