Just step into Robin Allen’s Clark Hall office and it is evident that she loves what she does or that she gets really hungry on the job – or both.
A small table is set up in the corner with a myriad of alternative food products, from gluten-free Rice Chex to bread crumbs and cookies. A handful of fiberissexy.com pins sit next to Allen’s “Ask the Dietitian” signs that started appearing in dining halls around campus last October.
Allen, a dietitian for 30 years who has a master’s degree in public health education from Illinois, became the dietitian for Dining Services last July.
“The university has had dietitians in the past, but this particular position is new,” Allen said.
Allen may be new to Dining Services but she is not new to the UI. She recently worked as a research dietitian for the department of food science and human nutrition and has worked at both McKinley Health Center and the SportWell Center in the Illini Union for the past eight years.
“It is part of my job to make sure that students have a well-balanced meal so that they can study and exercise well,” Allen said.
As the university’s dietitian, Allen has a position that encompasses a variety of jobs. Chief among them is working with students. Allen said that she deals more one-on-one with students to help them have more nutritious alternatives in the residence halls.
“If a student has a food allergy, I will meet with them where they usually eat, and we’ll both sit down with the dining-hall manager to see how we can meet the student’s needs better,” Allen said.
Sophomore Christine Milne, of St. Johnsbury, Vt., has celiac disease, an autoimmune disease that prevents her from consuming products that contain gluten or wheat. She first met with Allen in September.
“We met to organize the services that are available to me in the dorm, and she gave me specific foods to eat in order to stay energized enough as an athlete,” Milne said. “She also provided me with a lot of information about foods and meal plans that work for people like me who have celiac disease.”
“I think I learn more from students than they learn from me,” Allen said. “They are quite the experts when it comes to what foods they can and can’t eat or what medicines work the best.” Allen regularly works with 10 students, and some of them are now helping each other, she said.
For students such as Milne or those who have food allergies, Allen spends time researching and ordering products so that the students can have a nutritious diet that doesn’t interfere with their sensitivity to foods that are found in the residence dining halls.
“Gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley, pasta and even beer,” Allen said. “Most of my students with gluten allergies know which things will cause a reaction, so I will try to find a similar product without gluten.”
Milne appreciates Allen’s efforts because she is able to eat normally in the residence halls despite the limitations of celiac disease.
“She helps me have food in the dorms that I can eat, and she is always looking for new food that is gluten-free,” Milne said.”
From the University Housing and Dining Services Web site, students can e-mail Allen if they have questions concerning food allergies, special diets or general nutrition.
“Students will e-mail me and let me know if they think there isn’t anything nutritious to eat. When that happens, I do my best to work with them to make or identify nutritious choices,” Allen said. She receives about 10 e-mails per week with questions from students regarding weight loss, dining-hall menus and vegetarian alternatives.
Allen also spends a good amount of her time updating the EatSmart menu-management system that can also be accessed through the University Housing Web site.
“I’m trying to get our recipes accurate and up to date so the proper nutrition can be displayed,” Allen said. EatSmart, introduced last year, provides students with a nutritional analysis of foods served in the dining halls.
With obesity and food allergies on the rise, Allen said that educating students about gluten-free products and nutritious food options is important. Since the “Ask the Dietician” and “Ask for Gluten-Free” signs were distributed in the residence dining halls last October, Allen has received more inquiries through e-mail from students with health concerns.
“We’re really trying to strive for healthier choices in the residence halls along with better education through residential life programs,” Allen said. “Sometimes you’ll even see me in the dining halls behind a table giving out samples and information.”
“I’ll do education in any way that I can – online, point of service, one-on-one, you name it,” she said. “We’re always looking for new ways to get the word out about nutrition. Food is about fun and culture and I want to promote that in any way I can.”
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