Editor’s Note: The new, monthly Chef Profile: Career Path Insights will focus on professional chefs from various facets of the foodservice industry. Culinarians answer questions delving into their views of current foodservice developments and how culinary students can obtain positions within their industries. A goal of this series is to introduce students and instructors to a plethora of foodservice career options. Click here to view the previous profiles.

In what foodservice area do you work?
I work at Barilla America in the role of nutrition and science communications. For our foodservice team, I translate nutrition information to terms that make sense for foodservice and culinary professionals and help develop delicious healthy recipes.

Where do you see your foodservice area industry in five years?
Continuously growing, as consumers around the world are expecting healthier and more sustainable options on the menu. Healthy and delicious can be complementary and more professionals who can help showcase all the possibilities will be needed. Especially when a dietitian can speak “chef,” the combined power of nutrition science and culinary arts is amazing.

Describe two current trends you are seeing today.
I am definitely seeing more emphasis on plant-based foods at all levels, from foodservice to retail. It’s also been interesting to see how sustainability and health – a “Good for me, good for the planet” approach - is coming together in so many places. As culinarians, there’s so much we can do with those themes, and explore them with creativity and flavor!

What steps would you advise culinary graduates to take in securing a position in today's foodservice market?
Intern, volunteer and get experience. Gain experiences wherever possible to build your skills and network. Be open-minded, there are many ways to take a culinary career beyond the traditional including nutrition, food science, communications and more.

Please describe one surprising event in your professional life that made a valuable impact on your career today.
Not exactly my professional life but in college, I took a course on the Mediterranean Diet in Italy over a summer. While there, I visited Academia Barilla, Barilla’s culinary academy in Parma, Italy. I immediately fell in love with the company and its commitment to excellence. I continued on in my education and career but came full circle when I joined Barilla 10 years ago and still to this day have a strong admiration for their culinary commitments.