As a Registered Dietitian at Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center, nutrition is my business and my passion. Registered Dietitian does not mean “diet police”; instead, I see my calling as helping people (patients, residents and everyone else) find that healthy eating habits can be not only good for them, but tasty and enjoyable as well.
My career in the “food” business started out in my childhood on a grain and livestock farm in southwestern Minnesota. A big garden, 4-H projects, and a mom who liked to bake, cook and put up fruits and vegetables all contributed to my eventual career choice in the field of dietetics. In addition to a good work ethic, this farm background instilled in me the desire to buy local and eat fresh as much as possible. I still freeze vegetables for the long winter and believe that some of the best-tasting food and food that is best for us is available right here in our region of the state.
My early experiences led me to pursue my undergraduate dietetics degree at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. Upon graduation from college, I completed my dietetic internship at St. Paul-Ramsey Medical Center (now called Regions Hospital) in St. Paul, MN. My career path took me back to southwest MN and I have been at Avera Marshall for 28 years. I am a Registered Dietitian with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a Licensed Dietitian with the Minnesota Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. I am an active member in our state and local dietetic association and have been involved in various activities in the community where I work (Marshall, MN) and the community where I live (Granite Falls, MN). I have enjoyed being able to write about my passion for food and nutrition in a column on the food page of the Marshall Independent since 1985- and I look forward to expanding my writing about tasty and healthy food choices in this blog.
Whether you’re young or old, work in an office or a tractor or go to school, life is full of choices about what to eat. Who says that the healthy choice can’t also be the tasty choice?
