Hi guys, my name is Ashley. I am the new dietetic intern at OU Housing and Foods. I am so excited to be here working with everyone in the department. I have heard a lot of good things about how the department has been working to provide allergy free options to students on campus. Providing safe options for people with allergies and other nutritional needs is very important to me. My passion to become a dietitian came from my own diagnosis of celiac disease. Finding out I had celiac disease turned my life upside down but also gave me a new perspective on food and a passion to help others with food allergies, food intolerance, or other autoimmune diseases navigate their new world.
It's my first week here and I have already gotten the opportunity to help with food allergy projects including updating the list of gluten-free options on campus, compiling lists of ingredients used in recipes to provide to students Dot is assisting, and assessing recipes for modification to make them safer for students with one of the top 8 allergens, gluten-free, or vegan. I have learned a lot about Dot's job and I am very impressed. She helps all the OU students with allergies or medical food intolerance's find safe food to eat on campus, even those non-common allergies. In addition to making sure food is free of allergens, it is important to make sure all food on campus is being made safely (there are a lot of people to feed on campus). Wednesday I had the opportunity to meet Kevin Barker (Director of Business Operations) and go with him to learn about the safety measures put in place to make sure all the food served on campus is the highest quality.
My time here with OU Housing and Foods is off to a great start! I can't wait to see what next week will bring!
