Every day, we at the IFIC Foundation are working hard to bring you great content by qualified experts. But who are these experts toiling away? In our series “Better Know a Dietitian” (or an expert in nutrition, food safety, or agriculture), we introduce you to the smart folks who make sure that you’ve got the very best information in food safety, agriculture, and nutrition.
We invite you to meet Alyssa Ardolino, RD, our Coordinator, Nutrition Communications. Alyssa is a graduate of Penn State University and completed a 1200-hour dietetic internship through the University of Maryland College Park with an emphasis in Nutrition Informatics before becoming a Registered Dietitian. Her goal is to educate and encourage all people to adopt an “all foods fit” philosophy and to debunk the misinformation surrounding our food.
How I sum up what I do as an registered dietitian in just one sentence: Encourage people to have a better relationship with food, while also helping them work through common food myths.
When I received my RD: 2017 (Yes, I’m a baby RD)
My favorite movie: I feel compelled to say something cerebral and age appropriate like Shutter Island or Murder on the Orient Express (both great movies), but really my favorite is Beauty and the Beast (both the 2017 and original) and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that.
What most surprises people about being an RD: We aren’t the food police, and we enjoy all different kinds of foods, including ice cream!
For breakfast this morning, I ate: I like to mix things up most days. So today was a cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese and a strawberry Greek yogurt. I like to make sure I start my day with a good mix of macros so I don’t get hungry by 10AM.
My best memory of being an RD so far: Seeing an article I wrote on the FoodInsight with my name and “RD” after it was really exciting and validated all of the hard work I put in to get here.
If I had to eat one meal the rest of my life it would be: Perfectly seasoned, crispy sweet potato wedges, New York strip steak and roasted broccoli and asparagus. Sriracha with the veggies as well. Apple crisp and chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream for dessert.
A future goal of mine: I would love to create a well-known food and travel blog where I post about delicious food and amazing adventures. One of my hobbies is photography, so it would be a great way to keep track of all the memories.
One thing I cook well: For most meals, I try to have a good mix of protein, carbs and veggies. My current favorite combo is pan-fried salmon, rice and assorted roasted veggies. I have that pretty frequently, but it’s never complete without sriracha.
The best thing about working at FoodInsight is: I appreciate all the friendly staff I’m able to work with. Plus, no day is the same at FoodInsight — I get to work on so many topics and develop different types of content depending on the issue or audience. I enjoy mixing science with creativity to communicate nutrition and health information to a variety of audiences.