May 20

Building resilient communities through food systems work - Part 2

In this episode, we hear from dietitians who are mobilizing communities to contribute to sustainable food systems. They are facilitators of change. Key points we will explore include: How to mobilize communities to become active agents in their food environments and food systems Collaborating across sectors and systems, not “staying in our lane.” The power of redundancy for rich learning and resilience. Stacia Nordin is a Registered Dietitian in the United States who has spent over three decades working overseas, the majority of that time in Malawi. Stacia has recently been mobilizing communities to contribute to policy through facilitating deliberative democratic dialogues that bring diverse voices to food policy councils. Check out Stacia’s lifelong work on permaculture nutrition, alongside Kristof Nordin at Neverending Food: https://neverendingfood.org/. The work with FOSTA on One Health outcomes can be found at: https://fosta-health.eu/. The work with the International Confederation of Dietetics Associations can be found at: https://internationaldietetics.org/sustainability/.

36 min

May 21

Building resilient communities through food systems work - Part 1

In this episode, we hear from dietitians who are mobilizing communities to contribute to sustainable food systems. They are facilitators of change. Key points we will explore include: How to mobilize communities to become active agents in their food environments and food systems Collaborating across sectors and systems, not “staying in our lane.” The power of redundancy for rich learning and resilience. Guest: Paula Martin is a Registered Dietitian in the United States who has been building resilient communities through various programs that support local agriculture, such as community supported agriculture, or CSA, and engaging in policy development. Check out Paula’s work published in Nutrients on defining culinary medicine: Polak, R., Frates, B., Mirsky, J., Trilk, J., Wood, N., Moore, M., Thomas, O., & Phillips, E. M. (2025). Defining Culinary Medicine: A Call for Consensus on Competencies to Improve Nutrition. Nutrients, 17(9), 1403.

31 min

May 3

Satiating public hunger for accessible information on sustainable diets - Part 2

In this episode, we speak with dietitians who use innovative communication strategies to convey sustainability messages to increase the adoption of sustainable practices. Key points we will explore include: How to simplify complex information about the sustainability and health. How to anchor the topic in the lived experience of the client. Relying on a mix of interdisciplinary evidence, but not waiting for evidence to act. How to get started with the world of communications. Cindy Zheng is an early-career dietitian in the United States. She is studying food systems and immigrant foodways, with a focus on sub-Saharan African farmers and consumers living in New Hampshire. Drawing on her own experience as an international student navigating a new food environment, she investigates access to culturally appropriate food in local food systems. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she launched a podcast in Mandarin (Eat o’clock, 八九不离食 https://eatoclock.fireside.fm/) discussing sustainability issues.

15 min

May 23

Satiating public hunger for accessible information on sustainable diets - Part 1

In this episode, we speak with dietitians who use innovative communication strategies to convey sustainability messages to increase the adoption of sustainable practices. Key points we will explore include: How to simplify complex information about the sustainability and health. How to anchor the topic in the lived experience of the client. Relying on a mix of interdisciplinary evidence, but not waiting for evidence to act. How to get started with the world of communications. Guest: Part 1: Dr Amelia Harray is an Advanced Accredited Practicing Dietitian, Accredited Nutritionist and Clinical Dietetic Researcher at the University of Western Australia, in Perth. Among many other things, Amelia utilizes communications and marketing activities, including promoting her research on plastics and human health and expertise in sustainable nutrition in TV, online, print and radio interviews, as well as in her online sustainable nutrition business (https://eatsustainably.com.au/about), to translate evidence into practical messages for the public.

17 min

May 24

Influencing the food system in clinical settings - Part 2

In this episode, we hear from dietitians who are influencing clinical nutrition ecosystems through collaborative innovation, research and a “give it a go” approach to trying out good ideas. Key points we will explore include: Why food gets wasted in hospitals and who needs to be involved. Whether we should be avoiding plastics in health care, and why. When the evidence is partial and imperfect, how to look for the overall pattern in what you see, and give your ideas a go. How to combine values-based and evidence-based decision making. Dr Amelia Harray is an Advanced Accredited Practicing Dietitian and a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia Medical School. She is a Senior Investigator and the Clinical Lead of the Plastic Exposure Reduction Transforms Health (PERTH) Trial, which is measuring changes in health outcomes as a result of reducing plastic chemical exposure through a dietary intervention. Amelia is also the founder and Director of the business Eat Sustainably, which, as the name implies, supports individuals and households to sift through the maze of nutrition misinformation and make practical dietary choices to improve their health and support the planet. Check out Amelia’s research describing a tool that captures complete dietary exposure to plastics and establish a diet quality score to measure adherence to a low plastic dietary pattern: Harray A, Herrmann S, Papendorf H, Miller C, Vermeersch A, Smith T and Lucas M (2024) Plastics in human diets: development and evaluation of the 24-h Dietary Recall — Plastic Exposure and the Dietary Plastics Score. Front. Nutr. 11:1443792. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1443792. Available Open Access: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1443792/full

21 min

May 25

Influencing the food system in clinical settings - Part 1

In this episode, we hear from dietitians who are influencing clinical nutrition ecosystems through collaborative innovation, research and a “give it a go” approach to trying out good ideas. Key points we will explore include: Why food gets wasted in hospitals and who needs to be involved. Whether we should be avoiding plastics in health care, and why. When the evidence is partial and imperfect, how to look for the overall pattern in what you see, and give your ideas a go. How to combine values-based and evidence-based decision making. Guest: Part 1: Nathan Cook is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian and researcher at the University of Queensland whose work on models and evidence for food waste reduction in healthcare settings has been recognized internationally. Nathan is an active member of Dietitians Australia Food and Environment Interest Group. Nathan also hosts a great podcast, The Cook’s Community. Check out Nathan’s podcast, The Cook’s Community (https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-cooks-community-853543) and recent research on Food waste: Cook N, Porter J, Goodwin D, Collins J. Diverting Food Waste From Landfill in Exemplar Hospital Foodservices: A Qualitative Study. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2024 Jun;124(6):725-739. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2023.12.010. Epub 2023 Dec 22. PMID: 38142741.

20 min

May 26

Designing, supporting and using public policy for sustainable food systems - Part 2

In this episode, we talk to dietitians who are using policy as a tool to facilitate increased uptake for healthy dietary patterns that support more sustainable food systems. We will explore shaping policy, utilizing policy, power, and empowerment, and examining evidence of impact. Key points we will explore include: The ways in which policy is integrated across scales, and how we can leverage that. A process, or framework, that you can use to analyze and address problems using systems thinking—the I+PSE framework How collaboration and structural empowerment can disrupt current ways of thinking. How to get started on policy work. Danielle Proud is an accredited practicing dietitian from Australia whose diverse career includes nutrition care in private practice and institutional settings, policy development in public health nutrition, and health promotion in community settings. Danielle’s work is nimble, switching hats to leverage policy as a support or to step around barriers, integrating work across scales and sectors. Danielle has been reflecting on the power of policy to support, or not, healthy dietary patterns from sustainable food systems, and creatively using existing policy to affect change. Check out Danielle’s work: Curriculum Connection: Food and Wellbeing. https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/curriculum-information/understand-this-curriculum-connection/food-and-wellbeing#accordion-2ee045d3c9-item-e26f8bd983

34 min

May 27

Designing, supporting and using public policy for sustainable food systems - Part 1

In this episode, we talk to dietitians who are using policy as a tool to facilitate increased uptake for healthy dietary patterns that support more sustainable food systems. We will explore shaping policy, utilizing policy, power, and empowerment, and examining evidence of impact. Key points we will explore include: The ways in which policy is integrated across scales, and how we can leverage that. A process, or framework, that you can use to analyze and address problems using systems thinking—the I+PSE framework How collaboration and structural empowerment can disrupt current ways of thinking. How to get started on policy work. Guests: Part 1: Angie Tagtow is a registered dietitian and nutritionist from the United States, whose career in public health spans decades and various scales. Angie has worked to increase the interconnectivity between agricultural, nutrition, and public health policies and to explicitly include sustainability-relevant evidence in food policy. Along the way, Angie has been a champion of educating dietitians and nutritionists on public policy and creating the advocacy structures and platforms to shape policy. Check out Angie’s work: The Individual plus Policy, System, and Environmental (I+PSE) Conceptual Framework for Action is a roadmap for RDNs across all areas of practice (eg, research, education, clinical, community, and management) to better address adaptive challenges and to formulate multidimensional strategies for optimal impact. Reference: Angela Tagtow, Dena Herman, Leslie Cunningham-Sabo. Next-Generation Solutions to Address Adaptive Challenges in Dietetics Practice: The I+PSE Conceptual Framework for Action. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Volume 122, Issue 1. 2022. Pages 15-24. ISSN 2212-2672. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2021.01.018. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212267221000654). If you do not have access to the journal, please check out the ICDA SFS Toolkit (https://internationaldietetics.org/sustainability/) resources section for a copy.

38 min

May 28

Systems thinking as sustainable food systems pedagogy - Part 2

In this episode, we talk to innovative practitioners who are using systems thinking as a pedagogical tool in nutrition and dietetics education to help students understand the complexity of food, nutrition, health and the broader systems in which these interact. We will also explore their ideas about evidence of impact, specifically regarding how their activities help foster student learning and skill development related to the adoption, or uptake, of healthy dietary patterns that support more sustainable food systems. Key points we will explore include: Using systems thinking as a framework to help students become better problem solvers, to get at the root causes of challenges they will face in their future work. Ideas for experiential ways to put systems thinking into practice so that students develop skills that can be scaled up to the broader community when they enter the workforce. Sandy Murray, is a dietitian and a lecturer in food science and public health nutrition within the University of Tasmania(U-TAS), teaching in the Bachelor of Nutrition Science, a pathway degree to a Masters of Dietetics. With over 35 years of experience across public health and community nutrition, food industry, and higher education, Sandy brings expertise in participatory food governance research. She also serves on the leadership team of Dietitians Australia’s Food and Environment Interest Group. Like our first guest, she has been using a systems approach within her university setting, not only in her teaching but also through campus research projects such as the UTAS Healthy Sustainable and Equitable Food Strategic Plan. Often working “by stealth”, Sandy embeds sustainable food systems into her teaching and practice, finding strategic entry points even when not formally part of the curriculum. Sandy’s story provides insight into how educators can drive change within university campuses. Check out Sandy’s work: Healthy, Sustainable, and Equitable Food Strategic Plan at University of Tasmania, which can be found at the following link. https://www.utas.edu.au/about/sustainability/facilities-and-operations/food-and-gardens

24 min

May 29

Systems thinking as sustainable food systems pedagogy - Part 1

In this episode, we talk to innovative practitioners who are using systems thinking as a pedagogical tool in nutrition and dietetics education to help students understand the complexity of food, nutrition, health and the broader systems in which these interact. We will also explore their ideas about evidence of impact, specifically regarding how their activities help foster student learning and skill development related to the adoption, or uptake, of healthy dietary patterns that support more sustainable food systems. Key points we will explore include: Using systems thinking as a framework to help students become better problem solvers, to get at the root causes of challenges they will face in their future work. Ideas for experiential ways to put systems thinking into practice so that students develop skills that can be scaled up to the broader community when they enter the workforce. Guests: Part 1: Erin Bergquist is a dietitian and Clinical Professor with Iowa State University’s Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, teaching in the Master of Professional Practice program. Erin was a member of the workgroup that developed the Standards of Professional Performance for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists in Sustainable, Resilient, and Healthy Food and Water Systems, and she also served as a co-lead in developing the dietetic internship concentration in Sustainable, Resilient, and Healthy Food and Water Systems. Her current research and teaching focus is sustainable food systems in the context of dietetics education. It is fair to say that Erin has been, and continues to be, a solid champion in creating education and training opportunities in sustainable food systems, inspiring and fostering knowledge and skill development among nutrition students. Check out Erin’s recent work: Bergquist, E., and Tagtow, A. (2025). Strategies for Systems Thinking and Sustainable Food Systems Integration in Dietetics Education. Available open access from the following link. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2025.08.006

23 min

May 30

Introduction

This podcast shares the outcomes of our research examining the Social Impact Potential (SIP!) of dietitians on healthy and sustainable dietary patterns across several countries. “Sipping on Evidence” invites you to slowly take in the stories from your peers, nutrition and dietetics professionals who are leading innovative work that supports transitions to sustainable dietary patterns in the face of systemic barriers, rapid change and uncertainty. We also move beyond innovation to ask hard questions like: how do we know the actions generate impact? What constitutes impact, or evidence? What other impacts should we be counting? Grab a glass and join us as your colleagues share their ideas! The work was funded by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Insight Development Grant and St. Francis Xavier University. We also credit Acadia University and Toronto Metropolitan University for much support along the way.

5 min

Sipping on Evidence

Episodes

Building resilient communities through food systems work - Part 2

Building resilient communities through food systems work - Part 1

Satiating public hunger for accessible information on sustainable diets - Part 2

Satiating public hunger for accessible information on sustainable diets - Part 1

Influencing the food system in clinical settings - Part 2

Influencing the food system in clinical settings - Part 1

Designing, supporting and using public policy for sustainable food systems - Part 2

Designing, supporting and using public policy for sustainable food systems - Part 1

Systems thinking as sustainable food systems pedagogy - Part 2

Systems thinking as sustainable food systems pedagogy - Part 1

Introduction

About

Information