It has been a long fourteen months.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, there is a sense of normalcy returning to many of our lives as more and more people become vaccinated. Families and friends who have only been connected since March 2020 via Zoom and FaceTime are finally being reunited in person. Businesses are rebounding, live events are being scheduled, and here in New Jersey, the traffic’s back on my commute to campus.

Yet, as the world returns to normal, it’s becoming increasingly clear that there are many things that people will no longer accept as normal: state-sanctioned violence against Black people and other people of color, the offering of terrible work conditions and unlivable wages by the service industry, and the inadequacy of the U.S. healthcare system, to name a few. And there are plenty of other pressing issues that will challenge our planet this century, particularly climate change’s impact on biodiversity, natural resources, and food systems. As we all become reacquainted with how nice in-person interaction feels, it may be difficult for you to justify going to yet another virtual conference. Perhaps you have other plans for your “shot girl summer” than more long days on the computer. I encourage you to put that hesitation aside. From what I’ve seen so far from my colleagues, the virtual 2021 SNEB Conference, Raising Reliance and Resilience, will be one you won’t want to miss.

This year’s conference theme recognizes the unique position that nutrition educators have to both teach and learn from the people most disproportionately impacted by society’s largest systemic issues.

We all eat; thus, food should and has the potential to be a great equalizer. Starting with ourselves and the Society, this conference will allow us to explore what systems of abuse we may unknowingly perpetuate, and how to even the playing field to achieve better and more equal food and health outcomes. As a student, seeing keynote sessions on food justice, sustainable and healthy diets, equity-oriented research, and Native American food traditions is inspiring, and reassures that I am part of a professional organization that wants to practice what it preaches, and do right by people and the planet.

I’d be remiss to not commend the great concurrent sessions being organized too. There are five tracks that attendees can choose to tailor their experience:

• Future Nutrition Education
• Building Equity
• Planetary Health
• Healthy Children & Youth
• Research & Evaluation

Or, you can go to whichever sessions sound interesting to you! One session I am very proud of is the Student Division’s first-ever sponsored session, “Let’s Talk About Diversity and Inclusion: Uplifting Student Voices.” This session has been completely planned by student members from conception to execution. I have been working with our panelists and planning team in preparing this talk, and to echo the compliments of Jasia Steinmetz, they are truly a “dream team.” I encourage you all to attend and hear some firsthand accounts, and perhaps some hard truths, of being a student of color in our field.

Our Student Division members are also fiercely represente

d in both oral and poster abstracts this year. 2020 and 2021 have been tough for student researchers—speaking from experience here!—so I applaud everyone who has been working hard to still bring cutting-edge nutrition education research, programs, and scholarship of teaching and learning to the conference this year. Your contributions to the scientific literature will help other investigators, practitioners, and educators implement more robust and meaningful nutrition education programming.

If you’ve never been to an SNEB conference or are still on the fence about attending this year, the biggest perk you get from the conference is access to a brilliant, forward-thinking, friendly community of colleagues. Is the virtual conference the exact same as attending in-person? Well, of course not. But with the Remo platform, which the entire conference will be hosted on, I’d say it’s the next best thing. For those who didn’t get to try it out last year, Remo has many of the same experiences of a conference hall, with the added bonus of getting to wear pajama bottoms and slippers, if you so choose. And with Student Member registration starting at $75, with free access to recordings for up to three years, it’s a hard bargain to beat, even on a student salary.

As a Division leader, the SNEB Conference also signifies the transition of leadership. It’s bittersweet to step down as Student Division Chair, but I am excited because I know the future is bright: not only the immediate future of the Division, which has an excellent rising Chair and Chair-Elect to help lead it forward, but the future of the nutrition education profession. I’ve met so many incredible colleagues over the past couple years who I know will continue to motivate, inspire, and challenge us all as we navigate this new food future, together. For those newer Student members who want to meet tomorrow’s leaders—well, don’t miss our Division meeting this July. More info to come!

“See” you at the conference,

Geb Bastian, RDN, Student Division Chair

Visualz (formerly Learning ZoneXpress) has successfully written and published several cookbooks over the years. The Farmers Market Cookbook, published in 2017, features simple recipes using fresh fruits and vegetables – perfect for food tastings and cooking demonstrations at the farmer’s market.

Despite its popularity, many wanted a cookbook focused specifically on MyPlate. Linnea Redinger, Visualz nutritionist and cookbook author, took full advantage of working from home during the onset of the pandemic to develop, photograph, and complete the nutritional analysis for 30 recipes, all in her home kitchen.

The result is the MyPlate: Super Simple Cookbook. All recipes meet the USDA’s MyPlate food guidelines, move beyond fresh to canned, frozen, or dried fruits and vegetables, and take into consideration foods found in typical USDA food packages. All recipes are:

• Budget-friendly and healthy.
• Inclusive of all food groups. Each recipe highlights the food groups included.
• Low in added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat.
• Easily prepared with basic kitchen equipment, limited ingredients, and minimal steps. Several are “no cook” and perfect for cooking demos!
• Suitable for cooks with a basic reading level.
• Also available in Spanish.

A selection of breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner recipes include:

• Cinnamon Raisin Baked Oatmeal
• Pear Berry Smoothie
• Southwest Sheet Pan Veggie Hash
• Citrus Crunch Salad
• Spicy Tuna Lettuce Wraps
• Rainbow Rice Salad
• Slow Cooker Lentil Minestrone
• Blender Salsa
• Chocolate Banana Pudding
• Cuban-Style Black Beans with Pineapple
• Salmon Cakes with Mango Cucumber Salsa
• Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
• BBQ Chicken Sandwiches with Brussels Sprout Apple Slaw
• Tomato and Lentil Curry

Use this cookbook to create snacks and meals that are fresh, tasty, and budget-friendly, while keeping good nutrition in mind. For more information, go to www.getvisualz.com or email marybeth.anderson@getvisualz.com.

Please visit the FNIC website often for updates and feel free to suggest new nutrition learning activities that you enjoy by contacting us at FNIC@ars.usda.gov.

1. Education: The SNEB Annual Conference is consistently a great opportunity to earn continuing education credits but the new virtual format allows for even more credit opportunities.
   1. CDR – 46 total CEUs which can be viewed for credit over the next 3 years
   2. AAFCS – 45 PDUs toward CFCS or CNWE
   3. CHES – 38 entry-level CECH approved for one year from conference

2. Convenience: This new virtual format offers the chance to engage with renowned nutrition practitioners and researchers all from the comfort of wherever you are! With all the sessions recorded, you are also able to access the full on-demand selection anywhere, anytime.
3. Cost: Our virtual conference is the most cost-effective way to access this quality content. No expensive travel but all the educational benefits of a traditional conference. Student members pay only $75 for the live event plus ALL the recorded sessions. All other member categories pay $175 for the live event with an additional $100 for all recorded content. Not a member? Students who join now for just $40 save $100 on non-member registration.
4. Content: Specialized session tracks make navigating the concurrent sessions and finding the areas:
   1. Building Equity
   2. Future Nutrition Education
   3. Healthy Children and Youth
   4. Planetary Health
   5. Research and Evaluation

The schedule is filled with timely content ranging from the impact of COVID-19 on New York food systems to the future of scratch-cooked meals. Learn about cutting edge research through poster abstracts with author videos and eight sessions of oral abstract.

5. Experience: This is SNEB’s 53^rd annual conference but the first time it has ever been held virtually. Be a part of this historic online experience! It just proves that nutrition educators adapt!

The deadline to register for the 2020 SNEB Annual Conference is July 16, 2020.

Times of crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic make it all the more clear how important a sustainable food system is to ensure healthy affordable food at the local, national and global levels.

“Charting the future of nutrition education is more important than ever because food is at the core of major problems related to ecological sustainability, racial and social equity and personal health,” SNEB President-Elect Pamela Koch said.

Dozens of speakers will present cutting-edge research and innovative programming being done across the nation and around the world from sustainability efforts in the food sector to school & university food service.

The five-day conference will be held entirely online through SNEB.org July 20-24. Themed “What Food Future?”, the conference will imagine and plan for how nutrition education, rooted in food, can move us to a new food future.

“How we produce our food is part of the problem but could be part of the solution,” Koch said. “Switching to soil building, water saving, carbon sequestering regenerative agriculture and to diets with more whole and plant-based foods, but fewer processed foods, improves food systems and public health.”

Attendees of SNEB’s 2019 conference said they plan to return this year, citing the “cutting edge information provided at the education sessions,” and “impressive styles and research” presented.

“This was my first time attending and I enjoyed it more than any conference I’ve attended in the past 25 years,” one attendee said. “There was a variety of topics with lots of examples of how to immediately implement ideas.”

This year’s programming will focus on planetary health, healthy children and youth, the future of nutrition education, and more.

Further information about the conference can be found at SNEB.org/2020.

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ABOUT THE SOCIETY FOR NUTRITION EDUCATION AND BEHAVIOR

The Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior is an international organization of nutrition education professionals who are dedicated to advancing food and nutrition education research, practice, and policy that promote equity, and support public and planetary health. To learn more, visit sneb.dev.mod9multimedia.com/.

Those of you who attended the open business meeting at the 2019 Annual Conference may recall that I gave a presidential address in which I shared my vision for the Society. I suggested critical roles for nutrition educators, researchers, academics and advocates to simultaneously address public and planetary health. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and its health and food system impacts, these issues become even more critical.

I am happy to share with you that a reflective essay based on that presidential address is now available in the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development.

Additionally, for those who missed the Annual Conference or business meeting, a recording of the address, accompanying slides are all available directly from SNEB.

Best wishes to you, your families and friends at this unprecedented time.

Jennifer Wilkins, PhD, RD
SNEB President, 2019-20

SNEB leadership and staff hope this message finds you and your loved ones healthy and safe. We continue to be amazed and inspired by the work you are doing around the world to help those most vulnerable to this pandemic’s impacts.

Your continued health and well-being have always, and continue to be at the forefront of our minds as we monitor this pandemic. With that in mind, and based on current health guidance in California and San Diego, the Board of Directors has decided to transition our Annual Conference to a virtual event.

The same cutting-edge research and innovative programming will still be featured. In fact, the digital format will make it easier for us to bring you more programming. The new schedule includes:

• 15 CEUs for live-viewing attendance;
• ~200 oral and poster abstracts;
• JNEB rapid reviews; and
• a virtual Fun Run benefiting the SNEB Foundation.

Every event will be recorded and made available on demand. If you take advantage of all of these opportunities, up to 46 CEUs are available. We have a tentative schedule online at SNEB.org.

We know the pandemic has had many economic impacts on top of the health costs suffered by so many of our relatives, friends, and neighbors. SNEB leadership continues to discuss the best pricing structure to make the conference available to as many people as possible. We hope to announce that decision and open registration very soon.

Times of crisis make it all the more clear how important a sustainable food system is to ensure healthy, affordable food at the local, national, and global levels. We look forward to another strong conference as we advance food and nutrition education research, practice, and policy that promote equity and support public and planetary health.

Best regards,

Jennifer Wilkins, PhD, RD, President
Pam Koch, EdD, RD, President-Elect & Conference Chair
Jasia Steinmetz, PhD, RD, Vice President
Rachel Daeger, CAE, IOM, Executive Director

As you know, concern over the COVID-19 outbreak is increasing globally. SNEB leadership and staff are staying on top of this developing situation at both global and local levels by monitoring the recommendations for events and practices issued by:

• California Department of Public Health
• Centers for Disease Control
• World Health Organization

Based on current recommendations, there are no plans to cancel or postpone the Annual Conference, which begins in San Diego, CA in less than five months – July 18-21, 2020.

SNEB’s Annual Conference is the Society’s largest and single in-person event, providing an opportunity to advance nutrition education, research, practice and policy.

The conference also plays a critical role in connecting more than 600 nutrition educators from around the world. We take the safety and health of our attendees, members and staff very seriously. In our ongoing planning and organizing, SNEB will facilitate measures to ensure optimal health and sanitary conditions while we are together in San Diego.

In short, we are keeping your well-being front and center in our minds. We want to assure you we are doing everything within our control to convene a successful, safe, healthy (and inspiring!) Annual Conference.

As you plan your attendance, review our conference cancellation policy and the Sheraton’s hotel cancellation policy.

Thank you for your ongoing support of the Society, and we look forward to seeing you in San Diego!

Best regards,

Jennifer Wilkins, PhD, RD, President
Pam Koch, EdD, RD, President-Elect & Conference Chair
Rachel Daeger, CAE, IOM, Executive Director