ANN ARBOR, Mich. (February 2, 2021) – St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor is now enrolling 12-14 year olds in its 2021 Nutrition Buddies Research Program, a four-week virtual course hosted from April to May that will offer youth the opportunity to explore science, nutrition, agriculture and community leadership.  Children will be given hands-on cooking and nutrition instruction from the comfort of their own home and will create plant-based meals from scratch alongside St. Joe’s physicians.

"We know that poor nutrition is a major contributing factor of chronic disease in America, and people who experience food insecurity are at higher risk," said Alexandra Babcock, MPH, RDN, DipACLM, Lifestyle and Culinary Medicine coordinator at Saint Joseph Mercy Health System.  By helping children establish healthy eating patterns at an early age, we empower them to live longer, healthier lives."

According to Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap, 2016, 13.6% of residents in Washtenaw County are food insecure.  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Feeding America estimates that one in four American children now suffer from hunger.

Students participating in the Nutrition Buddies Research Program will receive a free membership to the St. Joe's Farm Share for two seasons.  The Farm Share, like a produce subscription service, connects local farmers to customers in the local community.  The Farm collaborates with 18 local farms to offer a wide variety of fresh produce each week, resulting in healthier eating and increased revenue for farmers.

Internal Medicine and Transition Year physician residents have already begun nutrition and culinary medicine education through monthly conferences and virtual cooking classes featuring recipes from the Health Meets Food™ curriculum.  The Nutrition Buddies Research Program at St. Joe's expands on the Health Meets Food™ instruction, which includes lessons on food as medicine and hands-on training in cooking delicious and nutritious foods.  The program provides an opportunity to gain first-hand experience sharing their knowledge and caring for food insecure families.

Funded by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, the Nutrition Buddies Research Program welcomed its first cohort in the summer of 2020.  The first program had 30 children participate in 13.5 hours of nutrition and culinary instruction, and three hours of ecology and farm-based learning.  In total, 8,832 pounds of local food was given to families and residents this past year.

Get Involved:

Registration for the Nutrition Buddies Research Program is currently open.  For more information or to sign-up, call 734-712-7993 or e-mail NutritionBuddies@stjoeshealth.org.

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About Saint Joseph Mercy Health System

Saint Joseph Mercy Health System (SJMHS) is a health care organization serving seven counties in southeast Michigan including Livingston, Washtenaw, Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Jackson, and Lenawee. It includes 548-bed St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor, 497-bed St. Joseph Mercy Oakland in Pontiac, 304-bed St. Mary Mercy Livonia, 66-bed St. Joseph Mercy Livingston in Howell, and 133-bed St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea.  Combined, the five hospitals are licensed for 1,548 beds, have five outpatient health centers, six urgent care facilities, more than 25 specialty centers; employ more than 15,300 individuals and have a medical staff of nearly 2,700 physicians.   SJMHS has annual operating revenues of about $2 billion and returns about $115 million to its communities annually through charity care and community benefit programs.