- With Mayo Clinic nutritionists
Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
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Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Katherine Zeratsky and Jennifer Nelson
Jennifer K. Nelson, M.S., R.D., L.D., C.N.S.D.
Jennifer Nelson is your link to a better diet. As specialty editor of the nutrition and healthy eating guide, she plays a vital role in bringing you healthy recipes and meal planning."Nutrition is one way people have direct control over the quality of their lives," she says. "I hope to translate the science of nutrition into ways that people can select and prepare great-tasting foods that help maintain health and treat disease."
A St. Paul, Minn., native, she has been with Mayo Clinic since 1978, and is director of clinical dietetics and an associate professor of nutrition at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
She leads clinical nutrition efforts for a staff of more than 60 clinical dietitians and nine dietetic technicians and oversees nutrition services, staffing, strategic and financial planning, and quality improvement. Nelson was co-editor of the "Mayo Clinic Diet" and the James Beard Foundation Award-winning "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook." She has been a contributing author to and reviewer of many other Mayo Clinic books, including "Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for EveryBody," "The Mayo Clinic Family Health Book" and "The Mayo Clinic/Williams Sonoma Cookbook." She contributes to the strategic direction of the Food & Nutrition Center, which includes creating recipes and menus, reviewing nutrition content of various articles, and providing expert answers to nutrition questions.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor of the nutrition and healthy eating guide, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She's active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in wellness nutrition at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and nutrition related to weight management and practical applications of nutrition-related lifestyle changes.
Other areas of interest include food and nutrition for all life stages, active lifestyles and the culinary arts.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Nutrition-wise blog
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Aug. 29, 2012
Cooking inspiration from Julia Child
By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
With all due respect to my grandmother from whom I inherited a love of food, the other woman who held my attention in the kitchen was Julia Child. When I was probably not even 5 years of age, Julia Child's cooking show followed children's programming on PBS, and I was glued. The first family dinner I cooked as young teen was one of her chicken dishes. I was so proud.
PBS has released a remix of clips of her shows in honor of what would have been her 100th birthday. As I watch her, I can't help but think she was sharing more than just tips for being a great chef. She was talking about a way of life.
Julia Child's stated, "Freshness is essential, it makes all the difference." So very little of our food or meals today consists of fresh foods. Overly processed foods are obviously not "health foods" but it goes beyond that.
It's been theorized that processed foods — quick and high in fat, salt and sugar — are contributing to the obesity epidemic. Some say we eat more and more because we are seeking satisfaction from the food that just isn't there. Unwrapping and eating is an entirely different experience than anticipating a meal that you smell cooking.
Julia Child also said: "I like the smell of something cooking; it makes me feel at home." I remember that's how I felt walking into my grandmother's house every Sunday night for dinner. It warms me to think of it now.
Today's reality is quite different. On any given day, 30-40 percent of adolescents eat fast food. A generation is growing up watching cooking channels but not learning cooking skills in their home or school kitchens.
So it seems quite fitting to close with one last message: "Keep on cooking; this is the way to eat. Keep on cooking; this is the way to live."
It need not be French or gourmet, just get in your kitchen and cook. Try using fresh, whole foods. Invite a friend or include your children. You'll be building a lifetime of skills and memories.
To your health,
Katherine
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