- 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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March 23, 2011
Calling all gardeners
By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Gentle breezes. Sunlight. Bird songs. I can actually see the ground peaking out under the snow. And did I mention — the return of daylight saving time? Spring is almost here.
All winter I've been thinking about gardening. I want to grow edible things, and I'm not the only one. A survey of over 100 million U.S. households revealed that spending for vegetables and fruits now surpasses spending for lawns, trees, shrubs — and even flowers. The same survey unearthed the following trends among gardeners:
- 53 percent grow vegetables in their gardens
- 90 percent plan to eat the produce fresh
- 66 percent will share with friends
- 36 percent will can or preserve produce
- 24 percent will donate food to others
Another survey, this one by the National Gardening Association, looked at the main reasons people grow gardens:
- 58 percent desire better tasting food
- 54 percent want to save money on food bills
- 51 percent want better quality food
- 48 percent want to grow food they know is safe
I'm ready to get my hands dirty. I'm going to plant a garden because I want to better understand the labor that goes into producing food, and be more thankful for how plants nourish my body and soul.
I'll start small — some herbs in pots (cilantro, basil, dill and rosemary), leaf lettuce and spinach, a few spring onions, and some beets. I fondly remember my father's garden — he grew the best tomatoes. Maybe I'll plant a couple of those too. What about you? What will you be growing and why?
- Jennifer
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- Garden Writers Association Foundation. 2010 Summer Gardening Trends Research Report. http://www.gardenwriters.org/gwa.php?p=gwafoundation/surveys_gardentrends.html. Accessed March 21, 2011.
- National Gardening Association. The Impact of Home and Community Gardening in America. http://www.gardenresearch.com/files/2009-Impact-of-Gardening-in-America-White-Paper.pdf. Accessed March 21, 2011.
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