All Dietitians

Festive Fruit Salad by Margaret from Colorado

It’s natural to assume that all dietitians love to cook. After all, they’re in the business of food. But for Margaret, her reasons for becoming a dietitian went much deeper. “I enjoy the art of cooking, but I wanted to understand how food works in the body,” she explains. “And the most challenging aspect of my job is getting patients to understand the relationship between the foods they consume and how they feel.”

Margaret was raised in South Carolina where she completed her education at Winthrop University. Since becoming a dietitian, she moved out West and began working at her DaVita Center about six months ago. So far she’s very impressed with how her DaVita teammates go out of their way to help their patients – something she enjoys doing herself.

“I try to make a difference in patients’ lives by helping patients eat what they want within moderation,” Margaret shares. “And the most rewarding aspect of my job is when patients’ blood work has improved and they feel better.”

Margaret realizes the difficulties people have in changing the way they eat and appreciates when her patients have a good sense of humor about their diets. When Margaret recently asked her patients what would motivate them to do better on their blood work, one of them shouted, “Chocolate cake!”

There’s always room for a good laugh and a great new recipe. Margaret’s Festive Fruit Salad created by Nina, the wife of one of her patients, is easy to make and even easier to enjoy—so enjoy.

Recipe

• Festive Fruit Salad