Team member appreciation luncheon a success
To close out the month of March, the Nutrition & Health Education department hosted the 2nd annual Team Member Appreciation Luncheon. The luncheon, held at the Wesley Health & Wellness Center and the Bishop Ernest T. Dixon Jr. Clinic, was organized as a way to show thanks to the MHM team for their individual contributions to our mission of, "Serving Humanity to Honor God."
National Nutrition Month was also observed as part of the celebration. "Get Your Plate in Shape," the 2012 National Nutrition Month theme, was integrated into all facets of the luncheon as way to promote awareness of the My Plate principles. My Plate promotes calorie balance through portion control and physical activity, increased intake of vegetables, fruit, whole grains and low-fat dairy, and a decreased intake of fat, sugar and sodium. These principles were echoed throughout the luncheon with the use of My Plate table placemats and t-shirts provided by the Nutrition & Health Education department. As an added treat, luncheon attendees were served by members of the MHM Executive Staff - sporting chef hats and all!
Attendees reveled at the life-sized shrimp tree display prepared by Chef Joe, along with the assortment of Latin-inspired menu items. Chef Joe's mango salsa, Mahi Mahi Vera Cruz and bread pudding received top accolades. "Since the luncheon was held on a Friday during lent, the biggest challenge for the Nutrition & Health Education team was deciding on menu items that would satisfy the masses," explains Kalli Lindsey, RD, Health Educator. Ultimately, the team decided on a Latin-inspired theme to build interest and selected many of the recipes from Cocinando para Latinos con Diabetes, written by Olga V. Fuste, MS, RD, and published by the American Diabetes Association.
The luncheon concluded with the distribution of door to prizes to four lucky winners. The winners walked away with an edible fresh fruit bouquet served in an Easter basket. National Nutrition Month tote bags, notebooks, and fruit and vegetable-shaped pens were awarded as prizes to six children enrolled in the Wesley Health & Wellness Center afterschool program for their My Plate-themed art contest entries.
A big thank you goes out to the Nutrition & Health Education department for putting so much thought into the planning and organization of the luncheon, and a special thank you to members of the MHM Executive Staff for volunteering as servers. All in attendance enjoyed the time and efforts put into the event, and look forward to next year's celebration!