Veggiecation, a children’s nutrition education program

LisaSurianoBioPic

Lisa Suriano, founder and CEO of Veggiecation, a children’s nutrition education program joins Entrepreneurial Fit Radio. Veggiecation is dedicated to promoting and educating communities on the health benefits of vegetables and how to prepare them in simple, unique, affordable, and more importantly, delicious ways!

Listen to host Eric Dye & guest Lisa Suriano discuss the following:

  • What does your program offer that’s different than other children’s nutrition education programs out there?
  • Has it been hard separating Veggiecation from these other, similar programs and making your program unique?  What are some of the ways you’ve gained support?
  • I understand Veggiecation started in 2009.  How has it changed or evolved over the years?
  • Tell us about some of the current projects Veggiecation is taking part in.
  • What is it that gets you so excited about Veggiecation and the work you’re doing with them?

Duration: 9:09

Lisa Suriano, owner and founder of Veggiecation, is the creator of an innovative curriculum based nutrition education program that introduces young children to the nutritious world of vegetables. Utilizing existing school resources to minimize costs and seamlessly integrate Veggiecation into the classroom and school lunch programs, Veggiecation incorporates kid-friendly vegetable preparations into standard-based classroom lessons and empowers students to expand their horizons while simultaneously improving their nutritional status. Lisa founded Veggiecation in 2009, while simultaneously studying for her Master of Science, Nutrition and Food Science at Montclair State University, which she received in May 2010.

As a nutrition expert, Lisa is on the board of directors as Chair of the Board to the New York Coalition for Healthy School Food, a non-profit that works in partnership with New York City’s Department of SchoolFood to improve the health of New York state students. Additionally, Lisa has been featured in a selection of national and regional media, including traditional print and broadcast as well as online news and social media outlets. Featured broadcast segments include local New York City news programs, such as NBC Weekend Today in New York, WPIX Morning News, and NY1 where Lisa shared with viewers healthy, vegetarian recipes from Veggiecation and discussed how viewers can incorporate healthy food choices into their diets. Lisa has also made broadcast appearances on The Wendy Williams Show and News 12 Brooklyn and New Jersey. Lisa and Veggiecation have been featured in print outlets, such as The New York Times and syndicated news outlet McClatchy-Tribune Information Services, which resulted in pick up in online outlets, such as LilSugar.com and Examiner.com, and top tier regional dailies, including the likes of The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, CA) and The Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, TX). Lisa is a frequent guest blogger on health and nutrition topics in our schools. She has been invited to blog amongst influencers of the school food reform movement in blogs like The Lunch Tray, Better DC School Food Blog and Fed Up With Lunch: The School Lunch Project, which awarded Lisa the prestigious Titanium Spork Award.

Prior to founding Veggiecation, in 2005, Lisa joined and continues to be actively involved in the family business J.C. Food where she is Director of Operations and Team Nutritionist. J.C. Food is a premier school food service consulting company for independent schools in New York, Connecticut and Boston metro areas. In addition to supervising the daily operations in many of the schools, she coordinates J.C. Food’s annual food show where they discover and make available the latest, healthiest products for students. Always mindful of nutritionally based foods, Lisa researches organic and natural food offerings for use in the schools. Additionally, she consults for college level foods service programs, providing sports nutrition guidance for university
athletics teams.

Lisa’s extensive study in food and nutrition includes a series of complimentary credentials, such as Certified Personal Trainer and Serv-Safe Certification for proper food handling and protection against food borne illness. Prior, in 2005, Lisa received her Bachelor of Science, Business Administration from The College of New Jersey, and most recently, in 2010, her Master of Science, Nutrition and Food Science, from Montclair State University.

Lisa, a native of Queens, New York, was raised in Ridgewood, New Jersey and currently resides in Fair Lawn, New Jersey where she is married to her childhood sweetheart. Together, they are raising Atticus, their Beagle.

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Links: www.veggiecation.com

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