From Ice Cream to Insight

“This is a bad food, right? But what makes it so bad?” asks Tasha Cahill, ’24, as she shovels spoonfuls of chocolate ice cream into her mouth.

“Did it rob a bank? Maybe it bullied someone? Did it run a red light and cause an accident?”

This fun and thought-provoking reel is featured on Tasha’s Instagram (@tangostarnutrition), where she’s educating kids about nutrition. “The idea of labeling foods as good or bad is damaging. What truly matters is what the food does for our bodies and our food habits,” she said.

Tasha is reaching children where they spend their time — on social media. While pursuing her master’s degree in nutrition science at UND, she delved into the most effective methods for nutrition education. Her research inspired her videos and accompanying curricula designed to make nutrition concepts accessible and engaging for kids.

She’s aware of the rising incidence of eating disorders among children. “Younger kids are exposed to toxic diet culture more and more through social media, where they’re bombarded with harmful messages about food,” she explained. “I don’t think my videos are taking it head on, but I think I’m adding pebbles to the pile of the defense.”

Tasha’s two sons serve as a built-in focus group. Her 6-year-old is her biggest fan, frequently watching her videos on YouTube Kids. Her 10-year-old, on the other hand, provides constructive criticism and is helping her develop a series on caffeine.

Tangostar’s Journey

Tasha’s journey into nutrition education is personal. Motivated by her children and her background in sports — she was an aerial artist for many years and grew up a gymnast — she often wondered how different foods impacted the body.

Living in the California desert, she searched for an online program. Tasha was impressed by UND’s faculty and the wellness coaching program, accredited by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching, along with comprehensive nutrition education — all at an affordable price.

She combined the skills she’s gleaned from the jobs she’s had over the years — teacher, writer, marketer, and graphic designer — to develop nutrition education for kids.

Tasha and her husband run a business designing and building tiny houses on wheels, so she creates social media content whenever she can find the time. While she hopes her messages gain traction, her primary goal is to keep the content free and accessible. “If it doesn’t go anywhere, the worst I’ve done is spend my time making something that could help someone else,” she said.