NSRL Sponsors Nutrition Fair at Honduras Elementary School
Hundreds of excited elementary students at the Republic de Honduras School in San Pedro Sula enjoyed a day of dancing, singing and learning at a health fair centered on nutrition in early November. Cargill, Alcon, and Pollo Norteno sponsored the event in collaboration with the National Soybean Research Laboratory (NSRL), CARE, Cepudo, and the World Soy Foundation.
The fair introduced soy protein as a way to meet daily protein needs and also provided a unique opportunity for students to learn about the importance of protein in a balanced diet. Parents also attended and participated in educational cooking classes.
Children stayed busy at the fair, gobbling up soy milk and cookies, watching cartoons about nutrition, and creating poems about soy. Smiling students also took turns in a bouncy house and face painting booth after a delicious meal of Pollo Norteno chicken.
According to the World Food Program, one-third of the population of Honduras lives on less than $1/day and 1.5 million Hondurans face hunger. To combat these trends, soybeans can be an important contributor to daily diets by providing the necessary nutrients for growth and health. The nutrition fair offered a comfortable atmosphere for children to learn about this and other personal wellness trends.
“The combination of balanced nutrition, public-private partnerships, and community involvement in Central America is what this nutrition fair is all about,” said Bridget Owen, associate executive director for NSRL. “We want to create awareness about the connection between balanced nutrition and wellness.”
Also participating in the fair were the Pollo Norteno mascot and Xiomara, the friendly soybean. Both sang songs, lead dancing and shared laughs with the young participants.
NSRL, located on the University of Illinois Urbana – Champaign campus, working in concert with the sponsors of the conference, are involved in a broad range of projects and programs that promote soybean research, education, and outreach in the areas of production, nutrition, and international economic development in Central America and around the world. More information about NSRL can be found at www.nsrl.illinois.edu.
By Melinda Anderson, NSRL