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U of M nutritionist promotes healthy eating for students

<p>Ryan Kerr was preparing the creamy avocado and added all the ingredients adding milk as the last ingredient. Showing people who were around how simple it is to prepare these smoothies.</p>
Ryan Kerr was preparing the creamy avocado and added all the ingredients adding milk as the last ingredient. Showing people who were around how simple it is to prepare these smoothies.

The University of Memphis began a new initiative to improve the health and diets of students with the help of both a new health expert and a new wellness center.

Diedra Nelson, the University of Memphis’ new nutrition coordinator, wants to ensure that students at the U of M make adjustments to their lives that not only benefit them now but will also prepare them to live and eat healthy in their futures.

“They (students) can all schedule an appointment with me,” Nelson said. “Anything they have interest in, from weight management, sports nutrition, general healthy eating, medical conditions and learning about how to eat healthy food that (they) don’t really have going on in their life.”

In an effort to introduce U of M students to easy ways they can incorporate fruits and vegetables into their diets, Nelson hosted a “Fruit and Veggies Demo Day” event in the Community Health Building’s Health Sciences Library, where she set up a table that offered free samples of two healthy smoothies, blueberry and avocado, to students who passed by.

“It’s Fruits and Veggies—More Matters Month,” Nelson said. “As a dietitian, of course, that’s what I always promote: people eating more fruits and vegetables. I’m showing people easy ways that they can incorporate fruits and vegetables.”

The smoothies featured ingredients such as cucumbers, spinach, bananas, pineapples and Greek yogurt. Nelson offered copies of the smoothie recipes to any student who wanted to make some at home.

In addition, a new wellness building called the Center for Wellness and Fitness will be built on campus by fall of 2020, according to School of Health Studies professor Richard Bloomer, who worked with designers on the building’s layout. Nelson will be in charge of the Demonstration Kitchen, an area within the building that will allow students to have hands-on experiences making healthful foods. Nelson looks forward to upgrading from her cart to a full kitchen.

“As of now, we only have space to do demonstrations,” Nelson said. “I believe that will be better to help people learn to eat and cook balanced meals.”

Ryan Kerr, Nelson’s graduate assistant, said college students typically don’t maintain healthy eating habits. He also said eating healthy has been proven to help students do better with their studies.

“Not a lot of people, especially college students, take into consideration nutrition themselves because they’re so busy with work and studying,” Kerr said.

A 2005 survey of college students published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that eating habits become less healthy when students enter college.

The top reasons for unhealthy eating cited in the study included financial problems, meal skipping, inadequate variety of foods, snacking and frequent consumption of fast foods. Convenience was the most common factor students considered when choosing what to eat.

Ryan Kerr was preparing the creamy avocado and added all the ingredients adding milk as the last ingredient. Showing people who were around how simple it is to prepare these smoothies.


Deidra Nelson, University of Memphis nutritionist, patiently waits for students to walk by and sample the smoothies. You can best reach Nelson by her email and she is always ready to answer any questions one might have.


University of Memphis Nutritionist Deidra Nelson tries one of the smoothies that her GA prepared. Nelson tried the creamy avocado smoothie which had avocado, banana, spinach, cucumber, and milk.


University of Memphis Nutrition Coordinator Deidra Nelson set up a fruits and veggies demonstration table in the Community Health Building on the Park Avenue campus for student to come and see how to make fresh smoothies. Nelson and her graduate assistant Ryan Kerr prepared sample-size healthy smoothies for students walking by in the library.


University of Memphis GA student Ryan Kerr adds the last ingredient to the creamy avocado smoothie in the blender. A banana is a healthy substitute to put in a smoothie instead of a unhealthy option. 


University of Memphis Ga student Ryan Kerr starts to prepare the blueberry and pineapple smoothie for the students in the library. He first adds blueberry to the blender, which of course is a main ingredient to the smoothie.


Deidra Nelson's GA, Ryan Kerr, pours out the finished product of the blueberry and pineapple smoothie. This particular smoothie was the most popular out of the two smoothies.



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