“Kale about your Heart” Lunch and Learn!
As a dietetic intern, I wanted to get employees excited about nutrition and the role it plays in a person’s overall wellness. I decided to set up a lunch and learn titled “Kale about your Heart” for the employees, visitors, and community members of the Southcoast Hospital groups. The lunch and learn was held at four different Southcoast Hospital locations and had many different activities in which the employees and visitors could participate. I chose kale for the topic of the lunch and learn due to its health benefits and easy availability in the Southcoast region. At each site, we had samples of the Sodexo Mindful recipe Tuscan Kale and Bean Soup to show people that the traditional kale soup that many employees make at home could be made even more nutritious. The soup was also offered in the café so people could then make a healthful choice for their lunch. Handouts were provided on the health benefits of kale; the many different types, and various recipes for kale. Educational materials were presented describing what a heart healthy diet looks like to raise awareness of heart month. A basket-full of different types of kale was also at each site to provide a hands-on education on the many types of kale from which to choose. Southcoast employees were also able to earn points for the Southcoast wellness program by completing an activity that asked them to answer how they helped a loved one today. This part of the lunch and learn allowed employees to focus on the important spiritual side of wellness by thinking about how kindness to others. Overall, the lunch and learn was a great success as it allowed people to get engaged and learn about ways they can improve their overall wellness in many different ways.
As a dietetic intern, I wanted to get employees excited about nutrition and the role it plays in a person’s overall wellness. I decided to set up a lunch and learn titled “Kale about your Heart” for the employees, visitors, and community members of the Southcoast Hospital groups. The lunch and learn was held at four different Southcoast Hospital locations and had many different activities in which the employees and visitors could participate. I chose kale for the topic of the lunch and learn due to its health benefits and easy availability in the Southcoast region. At each site, we had samples of the Sodexo Mindful recipe Tuscan Kale and Bean Soup to show people that the traditional kale soup that many employees make at home could be made even more nutritious. The soup was also offered in the café so people could then make a healthful choice for their lunch. Handouts were provided on the health benefits of kale; the many different types, and various recipes for kale. Educational materials were presented describing what a heart healthy diet looks like to raise awareness of heart month. A basket-full of different types of kale was also at each site to provide a hands-on education on the many types of kale from which to choose. Southcoast employees were also able to earn points for the Southcoast wellness program by completing an activity that asked them to answer how they helped a loved one today. This part of the lunch and learn allowed employees to focus on the important spiritual side of wellness by thinking about how kindness to others. Overall, the lunch and learn was a great success as it allowed people to get engaged and learn about ways they can improve their overall wellness in many different ways.
