North Dakota youth displayed their creativity and health and nutrition knowledge this spring in the fourth annual North Dakota “Eat Smart. Play Hard.” poster contest.

“Eat Smart. Play Hard.” is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. It aims to make America’s children healthier by providing practical suggestions to motivate kids and their caregivers to eat a healthful diet and be physically active. The North Dakota State University Extension Service and Bison Athletics launched a statewide campaign of the same name in 2005.

The North Dakota Dietetic Association, NDSU Center for 4-H Youth Development and NDSU Extension Service co-sponsored the poster contest, which was open to youth age 8 to 19. Entrants competed in two categories: preteen and teen.

The winners in the preteen category were:

• First place – Jordan Young, Parshall
• Second place – Casondra Rutschke, Zeeland
• Third place – Catherine Manstrom, Wyndmere

The winners of the teen category were:

• First place – Abby Zikmund, Pisek
• Second place – Adriane Two Hearts, Roseglen
• Third place – Sheyenne Fox, Roseglen

“Eat Smart. Play Hard. is a dynamic program which encourages youth to eat healthier foods to fuel their bodies and to be more active in all areas of their lives,” says Julie Zikmund, president of the North Dakota Dietetic Association. “The Eat Smart. Play Hard. poster contest sparks creative ideas to incorporate both concepts to move toward healthier lifestyles for North Dakota youth.”

Winners received a $50 gift card for first place, a $35 gift card for second place and a $15 gift card for third place. In addition, all contestants received a certificate of recognition and an “Eat Smart. Play Hard.” memo board.

The winning posters were selected from among 145 entries created by youth in 16 counties.

“We were pleased that so many students from across North Dakota entered posters in the contest,” says NDSU Extension Service food and nutrition specialist Julie Garden-Robinson, who helped organize the contest. “The judges were challenged to choose six winning posters from all the creative ideas that were entered.”

Visit http://www.ndsu.edu/eatsmart for more information about “Eat Smart. Play Hard.” The site has resources for families, singles, teens and children.

NDSU Agriculture Communication