Stevens Dining dedicates its Nutrition Services to “[broadening] the college community’s knowledge of health and nutrition, while expanding palates and improving food choices.” To do this, the Nutrition Services Division is led by a nationally accredited dietitian. This year, Stevens welcomed Jahaira Perez to the Stevens Dining family. Perez graduated from Rutgers University-New Brunswick in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences.
Perez’s areas of expertise include “medical nutrition therapy, holistic nutrition, motivational interviewing, nutrition education for all age groups, food demonstrations, sports nutrition, and general fitness and wellness.” She is also dedicated to community service and dietetics due to her four years of experience working with families through the federal Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. Her personal, academic, and professional experiences have fostered a passion for nutrition and “has led her to appreciate the power of food as medicine. She enjoys activities like grocery shopping, meal prepping, and food demonstrations, which she shares on social media to inspire and educate others.”
As a Registered Dietitian (RD), Perez’s role is to assist students in meeting their dietary needs through programming and to ensure an environment with tools essential to a healthy diet. Students can contact Perez via email at dietitian@stevens.edu. Examples of what students can discuss with the dietitian include healthier options at Stevens dining locations, dietary restrictions or concerns, requests for healthier items, and any menu-related questions.
As Stevens Dining notes, “Individual product identifiers (PIDs) listing the item name, along with calories, total fat, carbohydrates, fiber, protein, and sodium are paired with each menu item. These PIDs also make use of the menu icons to make students aware of how each option fits into their diet.” Still, all students are encouraged to contact Perez in order to review any needed accommodations and address any individual needs or concerns.
Students can work one-on-one or in groups with the dietitian to “discuss food options in the dining hall, answer food and nutrition related-questions, and reach specific diet, wellness, and physical goals.” Additionally, counseling is available to discuss specific topics such as sports nutrition or weight management. Other tasks such as “goal setting, diet analysis, meal planning, body composition testing, dining hall tours, and product evaluation” are also performed by the RD to help students meet individual goals.
A more well-known role of a Campus Dietitian is hosting nutrition events throughout the school year. These events are typically held in Pierce dining hall and allow students to learn and engage with new nutrition topics every week. In the past, events have included cooking demonstrations, Q&A sessions, informational displays, and of course, free samples for students to try. At each event, recipe cards are also available for students to recreate the featured food sample.
On September 6, Perez was at Pierce to give samples to students as they entered the dining hall. Perez introduced herself and showed off the melon skewers, which were the sample of the week. These skewers included watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew melon which were covered in lime juice and tajin, a seasoning made of chili peppers, lime, and sea salt. Dining hall frequenters were given the opportunity to meet Perez and learn more about healthy options at Stevens.
So next time you are at Pierce, be on a lookout for Perez’s events and be sure to stop by. Whether you just want to try the sample at a food demonstration or gain a better understanding of healthy options at Stevens, do not hesitate to contact Perez and ask any questions!
