If you’ve ever wondered who’s helping to run the amazing wellness series with the women center this month, or where to go if you feel like making your diet match your new semester new me mentality, Janna Neitzel is who you want to meet! As of August, she has been apart of the Siena community as our very own dietitian and is definitely someone you will want to get to know.
HC Siena: To start off, where are you from?
JN: Guilderland, right around here.
HC Siena: Where did you attend school and what did you study?
JN: I attendant Rochester Institute of Technology in my undergraduate for Nutrition and then went on to get my Masters in Nutrition from Sage. There I learned the difference between what exactly a nutritionist is compared to a dietitian. Anyone can be a nutritionist but as a dietitian I had a residency along with my undergrad and sat for a board exam to become qualified.
HC Siena: Why did you choose to study this particular major / why did you go into this field?
JN: I always was fascinated by nutrition. I used be a cross-country runner and I found it so interesting how the role of nutrition impacted my performance.
HC Siena: What does your everyday routine on campus look like?
JN: The one thing I really love about this job is how every day is different and no day is really ever typical. Some days I’m working on sports nutrition since we’re a D1 school. Other days I’m seeing students and faculty members one-on-one for special dietary needs. My role here on campus also includes working with our chefs so we offer a wide variety of foods to meet all students’ wants and needs, accommodating everything from healthy options, food allergies and special dietary needs to comfort food cravings. Additionally I work with the chefs to make sure our food is accurately labeled so that students/faculty/visitors can navigate all dining facilities and know how to select items according to their preferences or needs.
HC Siena: What’s the craziest or weirdest fad diet you’ve heard on campus?
JN: A lot of people still buy into the idea that a no carbs diet is the best one, which is silly since a lot of foods like an apple or milk still has carbs in them even if its not as obvious as pasta or bread. Really, it’s not too complicated. A balanced diet with whole food is the best diet
HC Siena: Your favorite food?
JN: Definitely blueberries, although I really love fresh fruits and veggies in general but I suppose I’m lucky in that regard for really enjoying healthier food. I also really like dark chocolate, which is healthy considering it contains antioxidants!
HC Siena: If you were a cereal, what cereal would you be?
JN: That’s an easy one! Grape nut, delicious but tough little nuggets which I would like to think I am. I even chipped my tooth once while eating them.
HC Siena: What’s your favorite part of campus?
JN: How beautiful the campus is for sure. Like there are trees in the middle of campus and the beautiful bridges leading over to Massry. When I went to RIT, we referred to campus as the “brick city” so Siena is definitely a nice change.
HC Siena: Anything else you would like the student body to know about you or what you do?
JN: Well my door is always open. I love being able to meet students and really get to know them. Even if they only want to meet for five minutes or half an hour, I’m here!