WALLINGFORD Since Maryann Meade started working as a registered dietitian in the late 1970s she has noticed that many people dont know how to put a meal together.
A lot of people say that they dont know what to eat, said Meade, a Wallingford resident. They dont know how to create a meal. I remind them that if theyre having a plate of pasta its the same thing as having a slice of bread. There has to be a vegetable or a fruit that goes with it.
To help raise awareness of nutrition and encourage people to eat balanced diets, Meade is planning a free question-and-answer session at the Wallingford Public Library. She and another dietitian, Colleen Thompson, who is a professor of nutritional science at the University of Connecticut, will host the informational event on Saturday, March 24, from 10 a.m. to noon.
This raises the issue to a conscious level, said Beth Devlin, community services librarian. If you have questions regarding your diet this is your opportunity to ask. I hope people take advantage of it.
Preparing for the session, Devlin has collected books on nutrition and healthy living to put together a display. In just a few days, Devlin noticed that more than half of the books had been checked out.
That tells me theres a huge interest in nutrition, so I expect a big turnout, she said.
The informational drop-in session is taking place during what the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has designated National Nutrition Month. The national nutrition campaign, started in 1973, was originally a week, but the academy extended the effort to raise further interest in nutrition.
It gives more time to bring awareness to people, Meade said. There are different things that are going on. The hospitals always have some type of program and there are programs that people will do in school systems. This is a must of making people aware. Sometimes these are the things that get people ready to make a change.
After years of working as a dietitian Meade noticed that much of the lack of knowledge about healthy meals is a result of families not cooking and eating meals together.
That happened as the demands on the family became greater as both parents had to work, Meade said. Nobody gets a formal education on nutrition. You usually learn what you can do from someone else.
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Dietitians spread the word on healthy diets
