Student Nutrition Educator
While working as Student Nutrition Educator at UT it has given me the opportunity to develop my nutrition counseling experience. During the weekday I usually see four to nine students and staff and counsel them on varying topics such as: weight loss, weight gain, general healthy eating advice, food allergies, vegetarian eating, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and IBS. So far I have over thirty patients that I see weekly, every other week and monthly. This experience has allowed me to further develop my nutrition educator skills and apply my nutrition education that I have learned in lectures.
Another fun aspect of my job is keeping up with the website and ensuring that the latest dining hall menus and nutrition facts are accessible to faculty and students. I really want students and staff to be knowledgeable about their meal choices and have the information available to do so. Since taking over the position I have implemented signs next to the food items that are classified as vegetarian, vegan, low-fat, low-carb, and peanut containing to help inform students and staff. I am currently in the process of designing a survey to see how the signs are working.
My goal is that the signs are helping students and staff make healthy choices and learn how to recognize them. Another way that I am informing the campus body is through the use of brochures and posters that are set up during health fairs and other community events throughout the year.
