Students snack, learn at nutrition event

Learning about nutrition has its perks: free food. 

More than 600 people attended the Pitt Student Dietetic Association’s annual Spring into Nutrition event on Tuesday, March 24, from noon to 4 p.m., to learn about the different slices of nutrition and health. The association featured 24 tables showcasing various subjects pertaining to health and diet, including “Healthy Snacking” and “Natural Beauty Products.” 

Spring into Nutrition featured free food from Chipotle and Subway as well as raffle baskets that included free yoga passes and Pitt apparel. There was also a makeshift photo booth in which event organizers took photos of students for the Pitt Student Dietetic Association’s Facebook page and blog. 

Danielle Zolotnitsky, a senior nutrition and dietetics major and president of the Dietetic Association, planned the event. 

The number of attendees at the event — which 60 active members helped to plan — more than doubled this year, Zolotnitsky said.

“Everyone helped out in their own way, even if they couldn’t be there to do it in person,” Zolotnitsky said. 

She added that association members helped by making nutrition posters, assisting with the food samples and collecting food donations from local Pittsburgh businesses prior to the event. 

Other fundraising events contributed to the event’s turnout this year, according to the association’s Fundraising Chair Charley Somsanguansit, a senior nutrition and dietetics major.

The association hosted a Valentine’s Day sale of decorated mason jars containing recipe kits such as cookie and brownie mixes. 

“We marketed a lot more than usual this year, especially through social media on our Twitter page,” Somsanguansit said. 

Other student groups, like CHAARG and PantherWELL, spoke at the event about their organizations and how students could join.

Mikaila Foster, a senior rehabilitation science major and CHAARG Event Coordinator, staffedone of the tables.

“This event is a good way to get people motivated after the cold winter, and to get them focused on an interest in health,” Foster said. 

Sara Geary, a junior ecology and evolution major who attended the event, agrees with Foster. 

“I’ve been on a health kick, so I figured this would be a good way to keep the kick going,” Geary said. 

Julia Nagle, a junior psychology major, attended the event as a PantherWELL peer health educator. The Pitt Student Dietetic Association contacted PantherWELL to ask members to be present at its event, which Nagle said goes hand-in-hand with the information they provide. 

“This looks to be a great turnout for an event that is informative, especially for people in the spring that want to get in shape,” Nagle said. “It’s also a good way for dietetics to get themselves out there.” 

Besides free food and learning how to be healthy for the spring, some students learned more about their own dietary restrictions. 

Lucy Gormley, a sophomore studying psychology and accelerated nursing, learned more about how to maintain a gluten-free diet.

“I was able to talk to someone about helpful tips that I didn’t know about beforehand,” Gormley said. “It made me feel a little more at ease with my dietary restrictions, since it is hard for me to do this around campus.” 

For Zolotnitsky, the event was about healthy eating habits and delicious food, and how students can be conscientious of both. 

“I really want this event to make everyone more aware of nutritionists and that it’s easy to eat nutritious-yet-yummy food,” Zolotnitsky said.