Browse Nutrition Stories

School lunches have come a long way from square pizza and fish sticks, and students across the board are benefiting from improved nutritional standards in the cafeteria. A new study from the University of Georgia found that children from all walks of life improved their diet quality when they ate school-prepared lunches following the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act nutritional guidelines instead of home-prepared lunches.

Do Nutrition Facts labels provide a complete picture of what "healthy" really means? And does the way information is provided on food labels change consumers' perceptions and purchasing behavior? Chen Zhen, a University of Georgia professor in food choice, obesity and health was awarded $794,000 to lead a four-year international study to better understand how the use of supplementary nutrition information on packaged food labels have unintended consequences across the socioeconomic spectrum.

For Jennifer Jo Thompson, finding solutions to meet the increasing global demands for healthy, affordable and accessible food requires an un-siloed approach in higher education and leadership. Through a collaborative project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Higher Education Challenge Grant, Thompson is leading UGA’s Sustainable Food Systems Initiative in a collaborative project with the Food Studies Program at Spelman College.

University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agents throughout the state have been hard at work improving health in their communities through the Well Connected Communities program. A nationwide initiative developed by the Cooperative Extension System and the National 4-H Council, Well Connected Communities is designed to identify and address systemic health inequities at the local level.

Anisa M. Zvonkovic, an academic leader with a distinguished record of promoting student success and impactful research and outreach, has been named dean of the University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Georgia Extension Diabetes Prevention Program was challenged with shifting to a completely virtual format. Trained agents are delivering the program to community members across the state and collaborating with the University System of Georgia (USG) to offer the National Diabetes Prevention Program entirely online to faculty and staff.

Our nutrition and physical activity behaviors are not just the result of our personal choices. The environment or setting in which we live and family cultures and customs can also influence our choices and behaviors.

Overeating is a normal reaction to being bored or anxious, but in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the phenomenon has taken on a new dimension. With many Americans now rapidly adjusting to working or studying from home – often within arm’s reach of the refrigerator or pantry – the temptation to overeat is a real one, and it can have real consequences.

Many people start their day with a cup of coffee, and that’s not necessarily a bad habit. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers moderate caffeine intake to be 300 milligrams of coffee each day. That’s two to four cups. And studies show that coffee, in moderation, can promote a variety of health benefits.

University of Georgia Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed), which offers Georgians free, online nutrition education classes known as “Food eTalk,” has launched a newly revamped website at https://www.foodtalk.org/.