All Dietitians

Mandarin Chicken Salad by Judy H. from Kansas

Judy is well acquainted with the challenges of changing a lifetime of eating habits. Born and raised in upstate New York, Judy completed her dietetic internship in Nashville, Tennessee. “I was thrown into culture shock for at least six months when I realized people actually ate beans and greens,” says Judy. “I remember one patient who ate bear meat and possum. I had a hard time figuring out the nutritional content of those foods!”

When working with patients, Judy takes a positive, educational approach to diet modification. “Pointing out the long term consequences of ‘bad numbers’ shows that it’s worth making reasonable changes to achieve a longer, healthier life,” she says. “The better informed my patients are, the better choices they can make.”

Judy works at three different DaVita centers and says that, “each one of them has its own unique characteristics that makes it a special place to be.” She adds that in the East Wichita Dialysis Center, “We have really focused on encouraging our patients to achieve and maintain their calcium, phosphorus and parathyroid hormone levels within acceptable limits, and are starting to see some positive results. Providing education, encouragement and support really helps.”

Judy’s recipe for Mandarin Chicken Salad was designed using a creative blend of ingredients she knows patients can eat safely and enjoy. Try a taste and you’ll see it’s yummy.

Recipe

• Mandarin Chicken Salad