Hey all! My name is Kelly Payne and I’m a Sodexo intern through the Allentown, PA campus. I just moved home after completing my Clinical Rotations and MNT concentration at Holy Spirit Hospital in Harrisburg, PA and am now doing my Food Service Rotation at a long-term care location in New Jersey. Throughout the internship, while slowly whittling away at my community hours, I have had amazing opportunities with dietitians reaching out in ways I did not expect.
One of the more surprising RDN roles I observed was that of a ShopRite dietitian early in the internship. I had previously written off any corporate-run service as just another money-making scheme; little did I know these dietitians are actually an incredible asset to their local communities. ShopRite dietitians offer countless free nutrition events to store customers and others within their county by partnering with local schools, libraries, boy scouts, girl scouts, senior activity groups, and youth sports teams. From cooking demos to interactive lesson plans, these RDs are constantly imagining up new ways to encourage participants to become healthy, well-informed consumers. Some of the events I was able to jump in on included “Snack Attack Saturdays,” during which we would make healthy snacks with children in the store kitchen, “A Taste of Hispanic Cuisine” which involved making lighter versions of traditional Hispanic foods with seniors at a local library, and guided store tours for boy scouts and girl scouts.
ShopRite dietitians also provide free counseling services to their store customers – no doctor referral, insurance, or formal diagnosis required. These sessions cover all topics from weight loss to diabetes management and are in no way inferior to the traditional outpatient experiences I have observed. A great perk of the session being held within a store office is that the dietitian can walk her clients straight to the food options discussed during the meeting that align with their new health goals. After one initial session, I took a client recently diagnosed with heart failure grocery shopping to help her select foods lower in sodium and introduce her to different produce options. Store customers are also able to poke their nose into the dietitian’s office at anytime to ask nutrition or product-related questions.
Dietitians out in the community are among the unsung heroes of our field. They meet those in need right where they are – in the library down the street, their children’s classrooms, and their go-to food stores. Providing nutrition services right smack in the middle of a grocery store can help fill the gap between a client knowing they need to buy healthier foods and actually buying them. ShopRite dietitians are a wonderful, cost-free asset in many communities. While I do not see myself pursing this exact position, I fully intend to partner with these RDNs to help the patients I serve receive guidance once they are able to return to their normal routines. If you haven’t checked out your local grocery store dietitian – I would highly recommend getting some time in.
One of the more surprising RDN roles I observed was that of a ShopRite dietitian early in the internship. I had previously written off any corporate-run service as just another money-making scheme; little did I know these dietitians are actually an incredible asset to their local communities. ShopRite dietitians offer countless free nutrition events to store customers and others within their county by partnering with local schools, libraries, boy scouts, girl scouts, senior activity groups, and youth sports teams. From cooking demos to interactive lesson plans, these RDs are constantly imagining up new ways to encourage participants to become healthy, well-informed consumers. Some of the events I was able to jump in on included “Snack Attack Saturdays,” during which we would make healthy snacks with children in the store kitchen, “A Taste of Hispanic Cuisine” which involved making lighter versions of traditional Hispanic foods with seniors at a local library, and guided store tours for boy scouts and girl scouts.
ShopRite dietitians also provide free counseling services to their store customers – no doctor referral, insurance, or formal diagnosis required. These sessions cover all topics from weight loss to diabetes management and are in no way inferior to the traditional outpatient experiences I have observed. A great perk of the session being held within a store office is that the dietitian can walk her clients straight to the food options discussed during the meeting that align with their new health goals. After one initial session, I took a client recently diagnosed with heart failure grocery shopping to help her select foods lower in sodium and introduce her to different produce options. Store customers are also able to poke their nose into the dietitian’s office at anytime to ask nutrition or product-related questions.
Dietitians out in the community are among the unsung heroes of our field. They meet those in need right where they are – in the library down the street, their children’s classrooms, and their go-to food stores. Providing nutrition services right smack in the middle of a grocery store can help fill the gap between a client knowing they need to buy healthier foods and actually buying them. ShopRite dietitians are a wonderful, cost-free asset in many communities. While I do not see myself pursing this exact position, I fully intend to partner with these RDNs to help the patients I serve receive guidance once they are able to return to their normal routines. If you haven’t checked out your local grocery store dietitian – I would highly recommend getting some time in.
