 By Marissa Gregurek, Dietetic Intern, University of Oklahoma
Marissa Gregurek was the 2020 recipient of the University of Oklahoma Mary Green Lovelace Endowed Scholarship. I established this fund with the OU's College of Allied Health Nutritional Sciences Department in 2018 for a student working toward becoming a registered dietitian nutritionist. One of the application requirements is a 500-word essay addressing how registered dietitian nutritionists can effectively communicate the role of modern agriculture and the food industry in providing a safe and adequate supply of nutrient-rich food for people in the U.S. and around the world. This blog is Marissa’s essay that so eloquently articulated my philosophy on this topic. Marissa also completed a 1-week nutrition communications rotation with me in March 2021. Farm to table. Although this simple phrase has exploded as a popular marketing term, it also innately involves nutrition and those who study it. Dietitians form an essential link in our food supply, ideally connecting consumers to knowledge about where food comes from and how it affects their health. Growing up in rural Texas, agriculture was a part of my life from an early age. Although in college I majored in biomedical science, I took much more interest in the animal science classes I was pursuing for my minor. I eagerly learned about animal husbandry, meat science, and food production, topics which seemed much more practical and important than the abstract concepts I struggled with in physics and organic chemistry. As I begin a career in dietetics, my background in agriculture provides a sturdy ground on which to stand, as an advocate for farmers and consumers, and for nutrition strategies that benefit both. In particular, I seek to dispel some of the nutrition myths surrounding the livestock industry. While plant-based foods offer an amazing array of phytochemicals and antioxidants, meat also helps comprise a balanced diet and doesn’t deserve the sense of “evil” often associated with it. I hope to communicate that ranchers who administer vaccines and antibiotics to their herds are actually protecting our food supply from viruses and disease. If unchecked, these pathogens could cause significant animal suffering and lead to shortages that increase food insecurity. I would explain that livestock help us utilize the parts of crops that humans can’t eat, like soybean hulls, corn stalks, and brewers’ grains, to make our food system more efficient. Additionally, grazing livestock in many areas where crops won’t grow helps convert non arable land into an energy dense, high protein food source. I would advise that meat, dairy, and poultry offer powerful benefits in terms of iron, Vitamin B12, calcium, zinc, and protein, and that these nutrients are more bioavailable from foods than from supplement sources. I hope to counter fears about eggs being a dangerous cholesterol source, instead encouraging that they can serve as a healthy, versatile protein packed with nutrients. I plan to use my knowledge of meat science to help those in need of low-fat diets identify leaner grades and cuts of meat. Finally, I can use my food production expertise to offer meaningful nutrition recommendations to those clients following Kosher, Halal, or other dietary practices. While science doesn’t support eating meat for every meal, complete abstinence from these foods isn’t mandated either. I hope to empower clients to make informed decisions about animal products based on the facts and not on fears. Behind me are the hard-working farmers and ranchers that I grew up with in Central Texas, who strive to create a safe and bountiful food supply. Before me are the clients and patients that, as a future dietitian, I plan to counsel on the path to healthier eating. I hope to do justice to both.
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