A Healthier Hokie: A Blog for Smarter Eating

Virginia Tech Dining Services is doing its part to keep you and the planet healthy. One component of the program gives students an opportunity to talk about their nutritional needs directly with the Student Programs administrative dietitian, Jenny Lindsey . One-on-one appointments may be scheduled with Jenny or for individual questions at other times, you can e-mail Jenny at yes@vt.edu.

If you want more guidance or education about living a healthy lifestyle, you may want to consider joining Dining Services’ online class called Step Up to Health and Nutrition. This is a zero-credit, self-paced class that provides you with a wealth of nutritional information. To be added to this class, simply email yes@vt.edu and let us know that you would like to participate in it. This is a great way to take charge of your health!

Many additional resources are also available online to help you learn more about having a healthier lifestyle. The websites below are educational sites you may want to use if you would like to research any aspect of nutrition further.

1. The USDA’s updated food pyramid, called MyPyramid, offers a variety of great tools for analyzing your own dietary needs. In addition, there is a wealth of information right at your fingertips. One of the best parts of this website is that it allows you to determine your own, specific daily needs for each food group. Go ahead and check it out: http://www.mypyramid.gov/.
2. Every five years dietary guidelines are updated to assist Americans in achieving a healthier lifestyle. To find out about the current 2005 Dietary Guidelines click here.
3. For a variety of health and nutrition topics, the USDA has developed a website to answer all of your questions. It allows you to search a health topic that you would like to find out more about. If this interests you, visit nutrition.gov.
4. The American Dietetic Association has a wealth of information on nutrition, physical activity, and health in general. You can also find information about the latest resear ch in health and nutrition, as well as articles from scientific journals. Visit the American Dietetic Association for health information straight from dietitians.