Hi, I’m Donna, a Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist. I am a wife, mother of three, and grandmother of two. I grew up in New Jersey, but have called the DC area home since 1980.
My dietetic career of 30 years, has encompassed several areas. I have worked in acute care, done client counseling, worked in long-term care, and now I’m writing and blogging!
As I move into retirement, I am focusing on staying fit, and specializing in nutrition and wellness after 50.
My mission is to provide science-based nutrition for those who want to live a healthier, happier life.
Yesterday…
I grew up in a very Italian family where tradition was everything. For example, there was always pasta dinner on Sunday, and you could smell my mom’s “gravy” cooking for hours. Giordano’s Italian bread was a regular staple.
Many of our Italian dinners were high in calories made with full-fat ricotta cheese and lots of eggs. Meatballs were made from a mixture of regular ground beef, pork, and lamb. None were low fat. Ground turkey wasn’t even an option then.
Holidays always included cannoli and cheesecake! So delicious but not at all healthy. Sure, it is ok to splurge on the holidays, but if you can make a few changes to make it healthier, why not? And why save it only for the holidays?
Today…
My own children are grown and starting families of their own. But I instilled in them healthy eating habits from the start.
They remember how I wouldn’t allow any sugary cereals or drinks. How I limited store-bought cookies and candy. And that when I packed their lunch for school each day, it always included fruit.
I have continued some of the Italian traditions with my family, such as the 7 Fishes Dinner on Christmas Eve, Sweet Pie at Easter, my Aunt Net’s Oyster Crackers, and Marie’s Gravy.
My mom and many of my aunts and great aunts have passed, but I have all their recipes. My goal is to assemble them one by one and make them a bit healthier!
Tomorrow…
Now as I try to keep the legacy alive, and pass on my Italian family traditions to the next generation, my goal is to make them healthier, while remaining authentic!
Aiming to stay healthy and fit, I want to spend time with my grandchildren, remain active, and keep busy with hobbies I enjoy doing.
As I move into this writing phase of my career, I hope to draw from my many years of experience as a registered dietitian and present helpful, useful, and factual nutrition information to my readers.
There is so much “noise” circulating in the media. How can one sort through it all and make sense of it? What works? What doesn’t work? Should I eat high protein or low carbs? What are the benefits of green tea? etc. etc.
My goal is to keep up with the latest news and sift through it to find the facts and science-based evidence behind the claims. And to help clarify it for you in simple terms that are realistic and actionable.
If this is what you need to make sound decisions about your diet and lifestyle, follow and share my posts, and subscribe to my monthly newsletter.
