January 23, 2017 — The following was released by Seafood Nutrition Partnership:
ARLINGTON, Va. — The nonprofit Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP) has launched online education programs and resources at seafoodnutrition.org/programs and seafoodnutrition.org/resources to assist in teaching communities and individuals about the health and nutritional benefits of a seafood-rich diet. These resources have been developed for use by nutrition educators and influencers within the public health sector, healthcare organizations, schools, workplace wellness programs, and the general public.
“Through our work with health and nutrition influencers, we’ve seen an ongoing need for seafood education resources that supplement current nutrition education initiatives,” says Traci Causey, Director of Programs and Education for SNP. “The online resources we’ve created for them are both accessible and practical.”
While the latest USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend eating seafood twice per week and taking in at least 250mg of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA per day to support heart and brain health, only 1 in 10 Americans eat seafood twice per week, and on average Americans are taking in just 80mg of EPA and DHA per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). SNP’s online educational resources—based on Eating Heart Healthy, the organization’s community-level nutrition intervention program developed to help individuals and families incorporate seafood into their diets—are part of an effort to reverse this trend.
The online programs are designed to build awareness and increase knowledge about the health and nutritional benefits of eating seafood; offer skill-building tools to help individuals confidently purchase and prepare seafood for their family; and provide tips and advice to assist Americans in meeting the seafood recommendation outlined in the USDA Dietary Guidelines. For nutrition educators, the resources are structured to be easily incorporated into an existing program or implemented as a new, stand-alone initiative.
“Nutrition educators are frequently asked about the role of seafood in a healthy diet,” says Dr. Judith Rodriguez, Chairperson and Professor at the University of North Florida’s Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, and an SNP Board Member. “This new online resource from Seafood Nutrition Partnership is a major step towards meeting this informational and educational need.”