Lettuce be nourished

"Food for the body is not enough. There must be food for the soul."

-Dorothy Day

Greetings, foodies & friends! ­­ Thank you for navigating to my blog, Nourished.

Worthington Farmer's Market-Columbus, OH (2015)

About Me

I have a B.A. in Nutrition and Dietetics from Miami University and I am currently digging my way through my M.A. in Food Studies as a student and part-time farm hand at the Chatham University Eden Hall campus farm. Although I feel my most enjoyable labor has been harvesting leafy greens and popping beet seeds into the soil, I have worked with food in many ways. From restaurant server to culinary instructor to grocery store “specialist” (let’s be honest, I just stocked cereal boxes) ...I love working with food in all forms! This may or may not be because of the special perks. What perks, you may ask?? Shhh...the secret is if you work with food, you usually get to eat or should I say “taste test” it.

Why food?

In my short life, I grew up on the mantra of ‘food as medicine.’ My ancestors were farmers and the summers of my early life began in my mother’s garden plucking unripe tomatoes. I guess you can say it’s in my blood. This sparked the beginning of my journey to discover food as wellness. By this, I mean that food is a driver of health (and what a valuable bit of knowledge this is, truly). But health and nutrition alone is not what brings me back to those tomato garden days. It is the emotional connection I (and you) have with food and it is what I mean by ‘eating well.’ Nana’s pizzelles with a cup of stale coffee after you kiss the family goodbye and gooey honey-covered fingers in a berry-stained t-shirt; that is eating well. 

The more I have experienced food from start to finish, alpha to omega, I realize all the wonderful ways food provides. Food is balance and food is fuel. Yes, it literally gives energy, but it is more than macro and micronutrients. It feeds our souls and we often fail to recognize its significance beyond a means to survive.

So, I challenge you to view food beyond nutritional value, but an emotional even spiritual piece of our lives and relationships with each other and the earth. I hope through these stories you will dare to relive your most treasured food memories and to dream your future food fantasies. And if I can’t do this, well, I hope I at least make you hungry. 

So without further ado, lettuce be nourished.