School Food: What’s Changing, What’s Challenging & What YOU Can Do | Elizabeth Edwards

The Health Investment Podcast with Brooke Simonson

EPISODE 116 - Elizabeth Edwards is a graduate of Purdue University and a Registered Dietitian. She has worked in the food service industry for 17 years holding many different positions including grocery store stocker, restaurant line cook, server, hospital food prep & cook, and has been a K-12 Director of Food Service for the past 7 years. Elizabeth believes establishing healthy eating habits at a young age is vitally important to lay the foundation of health kids will take with them into adulthood. Her areas of focus are transforming school menus to include more locally grown foods, working in more scratch-made dishes, and moving toward a more sustainable cafeteria by reducing single use plastics & foam. In the episode, Elizabeth shares the current landscape of school nutrition, challenges she faces as a district menu planner, projects she’s currently working on that excite her...and more! EPISODE WEBPAGE: thehealthinvestment.com/116 P.S. – If you’re liking The Health Investment Podcast, be sure to hit “subscribe/follow” so that you never miss an episode 🙂 QUESTIONS I ASK ELIZABETH IN THE EPISODE: Can you tell us a bit about your background? (Specifically, what led you to become a dietician and work to improve school food?) What are your thoughts on the current nutrition landscape in schools? What types of foods are typically served for breakfast, lunch, and snack? In terms of government oversight of school lunches, who's in charge? National? State? City? What’s the most encouraging thing going on in school nutrition these days? Is there any legislation that's particularly promising, re: "healthifying" school lunches? Where should other efforts be focused? What current work of yours are you excited about? Are there any success stories you’d like to share? In an ideal world, what are the reforms you’d like to see take place right now in schools across the country? What obstacles are standing in the way of change? How can RDs, other nutrition professionals, and parents make a difference in their local schools' nutrition? LINKS [SOME MAY BE AFFILIATE LINKS; PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO]: Visit Elizabeth's website and follow her on Instagram “My Unbiased Thrive Market Review (AND A Shopping List!)” – save money on your first Thrive Market order by clicking here Click here to lose 5-50 pounds for the LAST time so you can start showing up as the trimmest, healthiest, most confident, most energized version of yourself! Follow The Health Investment Podcast on Instagram Follow host Brooke Simonson on Instagram Email Brooke: [e-mail] Shout out to Christian Juarez for the theme music! (Click here to visit his Soundcloud!!)