Easter Bunny Says "Eat All Your Food Groups!" My Experience at the White House Easter Egg Roll 2016

On Monday, March 28th 2016, the First Family hosted the 138th annual White House Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn.  Thanks to the UMD internship and my preceptors at the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP), I got to attend! That's right, I got to go to the White House...as part of my Dietetic Internship!!  Let me tell you, it was as cool as it sounds.


I first arrived at the White House around 11 AM and was immediately escorted behind a gate to make way for...the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES! I really did see him in person! He waved and smiled and I was headed off to the CNPP table.

 

 

Fountain on White House Lawn

So Close to the White House!

CNPP is a government agency that creates, updates, and oversees things such as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, MyPlate, SuperTracker, the Healthy Eating Index, and more.  It is an amazing opportunity to have a rotation at an agency that is so central and involved in nutrition policy in the United States, so getting to help at their table was an amazing experience.

The CNPP table was set up with three activities for children and their families in attendance: a food group "trivia wheel" a photo booth, and an activity where kids could build a healthy meal with food models.  I had a blast teaching kids about the food groups and the importance of physical activity and the kids absolutely loved spinning the trivia wheel. We gave out prizes to children such as temporary MyPlate tattoos, stickers, pencils, and posters.

Me having some Photo Booth Fun!

CNPP education materials table

The CNPP table was also equipped with all kinds of educational materials to give out to any parents and teachers who were interested.  We had some MyPlate readers for young children learning to read, parent and teacher curriculums, and materials on how to help your child eat healthfully.  It was a great platform to spread the word about MyPlate and all of the resources that go along with it.


USDA's Team Nutrition shared a table with us and passed out many educational materials as well.  They also brought their mascot, the Power Panther, which was a hit with children, and with me too! I got a picture with him after my time at the table was over and I also got to walk around freely to explore the Easter Egg Roll as long as I wanted.  I got to see live music performances, a few famous athletes, and a few actors too!

The Power Panther, the White House, and me!

UMD's Dietetic Internship has so many diverse opportunities and you never know what you will get to do.  I am very thankful to both the internship as well as those at CNPP who were able to bring me to the White House this year; it was surely an experience I will never forget!