Major: Nutritional Sciences, emphasis in Community Nutrition and Food Security

Minor: Environmental Inquiry
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA

Extracurricular Activities: Teaching Assistant, UNICEF, Student Nutrition Association, Student Sustainability Advisory Council, FastStart Leadership Board, AASIA Coordinator

Hi there! My name is Jenny Dang and I am a rising Senior studying Nutrition in hopes of becoming a Registered Dietitian. This summer I will be interning at the Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh and Farm Truck Foods to fulfill a course in the Dietetics Program that requires students to complete a 300 hour field experience with a professional in a nutrition-related field. Students are expected to find a preceptor and I was lucky enough to find 2 RDs to take me on!

The Children’s Institute is the only free-standing pediatric rehabilitation specialty hospital in Pennsylvania and one of only twenty in the country. The organization is dedicated to children with special needs and offers programs for autism therapies, spinal cord injury, brain injury, functional feeding, reflex neurovascular dystrophy, and Prader-Willi Syndrome. While interning with the Nutrition & Food Service Department, I was exposed to different diets like gluten-free casein-free, ground, pureed, fat restricted, and calorie restricted. I consulted with patients for the diet orders, developed a Prader-Willi meal policy to improve patient satisfaction, and met with vendors and learned about current food trends at a US Food Fanatics Show.

The most exciting area I observed was the Center for Prader-Willi Syndrome, the world’s only hospital-based inpatient program. I noticed that an overall theme in Patient Services and The Day School is portion control, but it is especially important for Prader-Willi. Those with PW think about food constantly so if the smallest thing about their meal looks different, this can result in a behavioral problem. I learned how crucial it is to measure everything for correct portion sizes and to make sure everyone’s tray looks the same, not to just minimize any problems, but because they are on restricted diets of 600, 800, or 1000 calories for the whole day.

This past week, I was a counselor for Cook Like A Chef, a camp that promotes good cooking and healthy lifestyles for 10-13 year olds. Each day consisted of a lesson on MyPlate, food demonstration and tasting, and cooking solely done by the kids. Each unit of 3 kids prepared a recipe together and then shared what they made for a family style lunch. It was a fun week and I was impressed by their cooking skills (and love of kale chips)!

For the rest of the summer, I will be interning at Farm Truck Foods, Pittsburgh’s first mobile farmers market! It is essentially a grocery store on a truck that will improve food security for children, families, and the elderly residing in food deserts. Their mission is to bridge the gap between farmers and community members by providing access to nutritious, affordable, and local foods. Some of my projects include presenting nutrition lessons, creating recipe cards, and doing cooking demonstrations.

I am learning so much and cannot believe how fast this summer is flying by – stay tuned to see what’s in store for me at FTF!