Hi there, I’m Tegan - a Dietetic student studying for my master’s degree at Birmingham City University. For the past few weeks, I have been on placement at Best Food Forward, a food education project based at the School of Artisan Food.
I have created a new audio-visual tool to show our stakeholders how The Best Food Forward Food Cards, an evidence-based resource can be used in conjunction with other resources to improve food education. The Food Cards are clear and show how the ingredients in the recipe correspond to the Eatwell Guide.
The main aim of the tool was to provide nutrition information for our stakeholders and show how valuable the Food Cards are in the students' learning. It will also give an overview of what the students will learn in the four-week programme and how the food cards can be incorporated into teaching sessions outside the workshops to further their education. Each partnered school receives ten packs of Food Cards before attending the workshops. If students can try the resource before the sessions, the link when they arrive at The School of Artisan Food will be stronger and easier to understand.
I began by assessing the need and researching public health data to justify my aims. Using online public health information, I created a needs assessment for adolescents locally and identify possible barriers which could impact nutrition choices in this age group. From this, I developed a dietetic diagnosis at a public health level and used this to create a clear plan for the project's direction.
In this environment, it was interesting to compare how my clinical judgement and justification are still relevant in a public health setting. Adding in the stage of evaluation and reflecting on my future practice kept this placement in line with my future goals and the type of dietitian I hope to be.
I participated and observed in one of the teaching groups for health professionals. GPs and other health professionals receive minimal education regarding diet and nutrition when they qualify, so this extra learning can really aid them in their future practice. I also observed a workshop with students from the local catering college, which gave me an insight into working with this age group, as this is not something I have had experience with so far.
This placement has fascinated me as I have seen another side of dietetics. Dietetics is not just about delivering care in an acute setting or working clinically; there are many opportunities in education and prevention rather than treatment alone. Working in a small team has allowed me to share ideas and ask for help when needed. I am so glad that our university sees the value in these alternative placements, as this is something I would be interested in pursuing later in my career.
Thank you again to the team at Best Food Forward at the School of Artisan Food for this fabulous experience.
Tegan
Dietetic student
at the Birmingham City University
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