Healthy Eating Week across UCD campus this week
By Alexander Glover | Feb 13 2017
On Monday, the #UCDFOOD Team are launching their Healthy Eating Week across campus.Per their Facebook page, the campaign “aims to develop a sustainable annual initiative to enhance healthy eating in University College Dublin”. The campaign is one of this year’s SPARC projects.The initiative is led by Dr Aifric O’Sullivan of UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science in connection with Odhran Lawlor, UCD Hospitality Services Manager. Additionally, there is a team of staff and students behind the event with PhD student Yvonne Lenighan coordinating all activities.Events will take place on campus throughout the week which Dr O’Sullivan says “will kick off with a launch event on Monday where we will have 5 people challenging the Guinness World Record for the fastest time to peel and eat 3 oranges, and the chance to win a Fitbit”. The team will also be “setting up information stations in the Science Hub and the Main Restaurant” and “students will have the opportunity to talk to nutritionists and learn more about healthy eating with the interactive Nutrition Board”. There will be a series of lunchtime talks daily at 13:00 including a Q&A with former IRFU player Alan Quinlan on Thursday.The campus-wide healthy eating initiative will provide students and staff with information about healthy diet and lifestyle. The main ambition of the initiative, Dr O’Sullivan says, is “to create a healthy eating culture across campus which will tie in with the University strategic plan ‘Healthy UCD’”.However, one of the main undertakings of the week will be the introduction of ‘healthy options’ at UCD restaurants. Dr O’Sullivan says “With the support of Odhran [Lawlor] and the catering companies we are introducing healthy options on the menus in Pi and the Main Restaurant and providing nutrition information so that staff and students can make informed choices”.The success of the will be measured with the hope of extending the healthy options beyond the Healthy Eating Week.In advance of the campaign, Dr O’Sullivan offers students her advice for healthy eating on a budget. She says: “Be prepared! Healthy eating involves planning and preparation. Start the week with a big shop with specific meals in mind. Batch cook if possible, what you don’t eat at dinner can be taken to college the next day for lunch or put in the freezer for another day. Healthy stir fry recipes, curries and stews are all things that work well on a budget”“As part of Healthy Eating week we will be posting a week long healthy eating plan, the shopping list, and recipes using the Nutrition Board in the Science Hub and our #UCDFOOD Facebook page”.Also as part of Healthy Eating Week, Dr O’Sullivan promises there will be “loads of opprotunites to win prizes.” To stay up to date with the events you can follow @ucd_food on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.