SHERMAN OAKS, CA - Sunkist Growers recently brought together a group of influential registered dietitians for an immersing Sunkist educational experience in Southern California. The event, hosted July 17th, included a grove tour, nutritional information seminar, as well as chef and mixologist demonstrations. The day helped educate the guests about how both organic and conventional citrus is grown, the fruits’ nutritional benefits, and how lemons can be integrated into food and beverages.
To illustrate how to enhance everyday drinks using citrus, award-winning cocktail chef, Matthew Biancaniello, showed the group how to liven up water with fresh Sunkist citrus and other seasonal ingredients to make hydration healthier and delicious.
“Nutrition programming is so important for Sunkist and the produce industry as a whole,” said Sunkist Advertising and Public Relations Manager Joan Wickham. “We were pleased to invite this influential group of dietitians to a Sunkist family farm to share the care and dedication that goes into each piece of Sunkist citrus, and educate the attendees about the many nutritional benefits of citrus as part of a healthy diet. As we head into citrus season this fall, we hope to continue engaging with these dietitians to help us spread the word about citrus and healthy eating.”
The registered dietitians represented many different aspects of the food industry, with award-winning registered dietitian, nutritionist, Cordon Bleu-certified chef and author, Michelle Dudash, demonstrating how it is possible to cook like a chef while eating like a nutritionist. Over the past year, Michele has become a spokesperson for Sunkist S’alternative®—an initiative that promotes choosing an all-natural way to flavor food, boost potassium intake, and cut down on sodium using Sunkist® lemons as an alternative to salt.
Dudash introduced recipes on how to enhance meals with the versatile lemon, and also joined the group for the grove tour with the Sunkist growers, the Donlon Family. The Donlons have farmed in Ventura County, California, for six generations and produce both certified organic and conventionally-grown lemons.
