My career choice to become a registered dietitian was initially inspired by the Sodexo dietitian at Binghamton University. Once I became a dietetic intern, I knew I wanted to pursue the wellness concentration and gain additional experience working on a college campus to promote nutrition. I am currently half way through my wellness rotation and have been able to work with Sodexo’s National Wellness Director for Campus Services, Beth Winthrop MS RD CNSC and Fordham University’s Sodexo dietitian, Melanie Ordway RD CDN. By working with Mrs. Winthrop I learned the ins and outs of food allergy safety and how Sodexo works to accommodate students with food allergies. While working on campus at Fordham University, I have seen how Ms. Ordway collaborates with the food service team to implement food allergy safety in the Simple Servings station and on an individual basis with Fordham students. One event I worked on at Fordham University was a Mindful cooking demo. Ms. Ordway and I worked with the executive chef, marketing team, and student culinary council to choose Mindful recipes and promote the cooking demo on campus. Our menu included a Sweet Potato Butternut Squash Soup, Kale and Veggie Grilled Cheese, and Pumpkin Spice Energy Bites. These recipes highlighted seasonal vegetables and provided a healthy twist on a traditional soup and sandwich meal. During the cooking demo, Chef Gerardo taught the students how to make each recipe and included helpful culinary tips, while I provided nutritional information on the ingredients and information on Mindful offerings. So far I have had a great experience and look forward to the next portion of my rotation at Stony Brook University!
