Healthy Beverage Initiative— Project Details

Promoting the availability of a free, healthy alternative to sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), namely tap water, is a critical component of reducing consumption of unhealthy alternatives like drinks with added sugar.

Introduction: 

The UC Healthy Beverage Initiative (UC HBI) aims to support any UC campus interested in creating Healthy Beverage Zones across the UC system by improving access to and promotion of tap water as a healthy beverage and to educate about the health risks of SSBs. The first year will focus on education establishing beverage environment baselines, assessing campus readiness, building unity and securing tap water access as a free and healthy alternative to SSBs.

This year, the Healthy Beverage Initiative is directing its efforts towards educational outreach and improved access to water. Visit our HBI page to see more about how we turned our plans into actions

Healthy Beverage Initiative Page

Recent Milestones:

The project leads have established beverage environment baselines, assessed campus readiness, and are beginning to build unity to secure tap water access as a free and healthy alternative to SSBs. The leads have established 10 locations to install new hydration stations and identified 12 areas that could use marketing materials to encourage water consumption. A student design team has designed marketing materials and signage and estimates for installation are being established with hopes that we can begin installation in spring pending COVID-19 setbacks.

Project Leads: 

Dr. Jennifer Falbe, ScD
Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Human Development
Human Ecology
jfalbe@ucdavis.edu

Sarah Solar
Falbe Lab Manager
Human Ecology
sesolar@ucdavis.edu

Stacey Brezing, MS, RCEP, NBC-HWC
Director of Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being
Occupational Health Services
sbrezing@ucdavis.edu