Registered Dietitian Day, celebrated on the second Wednesday in March, was created in 2008 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to recognize RDs for their commitment to helping people enjoy healthy lives while educating on proper nutrition. They’re experts in food and nutrition while providing patient care that may include meal planning, nutritional counseling, and ways to reach their health goals.
River View Health & Rehab Center wants to thank all of the Food Service professionals for everything they provide our facility, patients, and families. To celebrate Registered Dietitian Day, we want to introduce you to one of our R.D.’s, Megan Wine.
Q: How long have you been at your facility?
A: I’ve been at River View for about four months!
Q: How long have you worked in Food Service/Nutrition?
A: I have been studying nutrition since my freshman year of college and been a Dietitian since August! I have known that I wanted to be a dietitian since I was about 15, though.
Q: Why did you choose Food Service as a career?
A: I have always loved to cook, loved nutrition, and have a passion for helping others. Being a registered dietitian combines all of these into one career!
Q: What is your favorite thing to cook?
A: I make a lot of pasta! I enjoy making my own pasta dishes out of ingredients I already have on hand, like different vegetables, sauces, etc. I enjoy being creative in the kitchen and seeing how things turn out. I am also an artist, so I like to think of cooking as an art as well.
Q: What is the hardest thing you’ve cooked?
A: I made homemade butternut squash ravioli with a browned butter and sage sauce one time. The dish itself wasn’t too challenging, but I made it in college with basically no kitchen tools, which lead to me to get very creative in the preparation process
(I used an old bottle as a rolling pin J).
Q: What was one of the best days of your career?
A: Since I have only been an RD for about six months, I would say the best day of my career was the day I passed my RD exam and officially became registered. The process to become an RD is actually very long: a 4-year degree plus a post-graduate internship for 11 months, then passing a rigorous exam that combines all information learned for the last 5+ years. Passing this test was validation of my education and the start of my professional career.
Q: What do you like about working at a long-term care facility?
A: I love making connections with the residents here. I came from acute care, where you only see a patient once or twice before they are discharged. In this environment, I am able to get to know my residents, which is one of the most joyous parts of this career, in my opinion.
