Dietitians find out about beef vitamin, sustainability | Information

OKLAHOMA CITY – Beef Councils from Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska have invited a select group of 17 registered dietitians from 12 states to a 2021 virtual nutrition adventure.

The event highlighted the nutritional profile and culinary versatility of beef through hands-on applications and interactive presentations and activities. The dietitians invited to the meeting were selected because of their high level of involvement in social media, blog platforms and university diet programs.

“Events hosted by the State Beef Council such as Nutrition Adventure allow key nutrition influencers to access the precise firsthand knowledge they can convey to a wider consumer audience that these nutritionists reach daily through their nutritional advice and recommendations,” said Sheri Glazier, Oklahoma Beef Council Nutritionist.

Attendees learned about the beef diet, lean cuts of beef, and emerging human nutrition research. Registered nutritionist Amy Goodson dealt with misinformation about the beef diet and beef production. During the presentation, Goodson challenged five common misconceptions about beef with practical advice in a myth-breaking format.

While attendees learned new information about the beef diet, interactive culinary experiences provided these health professionals with the tools to share their newfound knowledge with customers and patients. Chef Alex Reitz showed how to use sirloin steak in three ways. Registered nutritionist Carolyn Williams presented research showing the positive influence of eating lean beef on reducing inflammation through Mediterranean eating habits.

Nutrition Adventure’s professional education sessions focused on key areas such as sustainability, animal handling, and animal health and welfare through virtual ranch tours and a panel discussion with experts from the beef community. These online interactive sessions give attendees an insight into beef production and the opportunity to ask questions from members of many sectors of the beef community. The event, financed by a virtual checkoff, ended with a presentation by Dr. Donald Layman, a leading expert in protein research. Programs like Nutrition Adventure show improvements in beef perception with pre- and post-survey results. For example, this program saw a 42.3 percent increase in participants who felt comfortable recommending beef to patients, customers, and friends.