Informed Choices

Roberta Duyff and a screen shot of her book title

Roberta Larson Duyff M.S. ’73 an authority on food and nutrition facts

Food and nutrition consultant, author, and speaker, Roberta Larson Duyff M.S. ’73, RDN, FAND, is a leading expert in the field of nutrition education and communication, authoring nationally-recognized nutrition books for the public. This includes all five editions of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Complete Food and Nutrition Guide. The 800-page fifth edition won the 2018 National Health Information Awards Best of Show Gold Award for Duyff’s evidence-based coverage of a broad range of  health and nutrition issues and reader accessibility.

“I weave in the nutrient information and give enough science to explain the reasons why to make certain choices, and I’m especially focused on how to make healthy food taste great, how to make eating healthy easy, and how to make healthy choices in different situations,” Duyff said. “It’s a very positive approach. There are very few no’s in the book, unless it’s for a medical condition or a food safety issue.”

The latest edition also includes more information on agriculture and sustainability as consumers have become increasingly interested in where their food comes from.

In addition to her busy schedule working to develop nutrition and culinary curriculum, writing textbooks for high school students, as well as books for children, Duyff volunteers her time in support of cultural exchange programs. Along with husband, Phil, she is a host parent to exchange students from China, Czech Republic, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia, among others, and she is part of a team providing scholarship support for inner city teenagers to study abroad.

Recently, Duyff joined the food committee of Welcome Neighbor STL, working with Syrian refugee women in St. Louis to develop professional culinary and food service skills and businesses.

Duyff said her appreciation of cultural exchange took root during her time at Cornell and recalled a Thanksgiving meal she hosted for around thirty international students at the old MVR apartment.

“I made a turkey with dressing and mashed potatoes and asked everyone to bring a harvest dish from their country. It was a wonderful meal. There was a piano and we shared harvest songs we’d learned growing up. It was fabulous,” Duyff said.

“So many of the people that I knew and spent my time with while in Human Ecology were from Latin America, Asia, and Africa. I think it had a huge impact on the way I see the world.”

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