Wellbeing Celebrated at Nutrition Fair

On September 17, Wake Forest Dining hosted the fall 2012 Nutrition Fair. The fair has been a semi-annual event, some of them coinciding with campus Earth Day celebrations in the past two years. Learning more about the issues surrounding personal health and wellbeing can often provide individuals with a window of understanding into the wellbeing of the larger campus ecosystem. This concept, sometimes referred to as environmental wellbeing, is one of the pillars of the new campus-wide wellbeing initiative.

This semester’s event was held in front of the Fresh Food Co. and was very well-attended despite a light drizzle. The fair included several tented booths representing an array of local vendors and a diverse collection of groups on campus. There was plenty to sample.

Here’s a brief look at some of the interests represented:

• Campus Nutritionist, Beth Audie, offered a “Wheel of Nutrition.” Participants could spin the wheel for a chance to win a variety of free and, of course, nutritious foods available for purchase on campus.
• Reynolda Farm Market, a small, locally owned store-front market offered local produce, locally finished products, and preserved goods for sale.  They also offered samples of muscadines, giving several students their first introduction to these southeastern native grapes.
• The Wake Forest Campus Garden brought samples of heirloom tomatoes and fresh salsa made on site.
• Eco Reps, the campus peer-to-peer educators for sustainability, engaged faculty, staff, and students with a quiz about the impacts of our choices on regional food systems and the health and wellbeing of our community.
• The campus representative for Fresh Point, ARAMARK’s primary produce distributor, educated attendees about the supply chain for campus dining. He offered samples of several popular recipes, including a delicious and nutritious quinoa dish.