// Nashville Farmers Market

I’ve been back from Nashville, TN for about a week now only to have to pack up again for my trip to New Zealand! I don’t travel much, but when I do, it seems like everything goes down all at once. Last week, I spent 5 days with 10,000+ fellow dietitians at the annual Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE). I attended the conference two years ago as a student, so this was my first time attending as a Registered Dietitian Woot Woot! Additionally, I received “media” credential (qualifications found here), so the conference registration fee was waived.

The days were jam-packed with education sessions, sampling and discovering innovative products at the expo, attending various networking events as a dietitian in the media world, and of course meeting and spending quality time with colleagues I had met through the virtual world.

Education Sessions

As you know, I have two jobs. I specialize in gut health and food sensitivities/allergies and see clients during the day. When I'm out of the office, any spare time I have is dedicated to nutrition communications, recipe development, and keeping up with this blog of mine. Therefore, I made sure I attended a good mix of sessions to enhance my knowledge in both of those areas. Some of the education sessions included:

•  Interrogating Host-Microbiota Dynamics in Diet, the Metabiome and Disease - an area of research I’m currently fascinated/obsessed with.
• Meant for Each Other: Health At Every Size and Motivational Interviewing - health is more than the number on your scale or the pant size you fit into.
• Branding: Creating Your Professional Image (led by one of my favs- Carlene) - made me think about how I can further develop my brand, MJ and Hungryman, to increase more opportunities to collaborate with various companies. Some questions I find myself asking are: do I have a clear and distinct brand? What sets me apart from others?
• Mastering Your Domain: Using Technology to Grow Your Business Online - When led by these power-house ladies, Regan Jones, Anne Mauney, and Danielle Omar, you know it’s going to be amazing! And they certainly didn’t disappoint. When it comes to SEO and other technological matters, I am hopeless. However, they presented the material in a way that was easy to follow and understand. I definitely need to do a better job of utilizing Google Analytics to grow my blog and reach a wider audience.

Expo

In between sessions, I navigated through the expo and came across some neat companies, such as...

• Siggi’s - Yes, it was my first time trying this Icelandic-style yogurt made with simple, high-quality ingredients, and it was amazing! The Hungryman, who doesn't really care much for yogurt (I know!), had no problem demolishing his container 😉

Not only did I love their products, but I also loved the faces behind the company. Although I didn’t get to meet Siggi himself, I may have bonded with these two ladies, Abigail and Lindsey 😉

• All my nut friends: Almond Board of California,  California Walnuts, National Peanut Board
• My sweet tooth satisfiers: California Dried Plum Board, California Strawberry Commission, California Table Grape Commission, Wild Blueberry Association, National Raspberry Council
• Tessemae’s All-Natural: I shy away from purchasing store-bought condiments because they tend to be laden with artificial ingredients and/or seed/grain oils. Not these products. Just check out their website and browse through the ingredients. Delicious and clean ;).
• Beans and lentils: Better Bean Company, Canadian Lentils, USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council - great products for my gluten-free clients. I’ve been on a lentil kick (here's my recipe for Mexican Lentil and Chard Breakfast Casserole) lately, so I’m totally inspired to continue incorporating them into my diet.

Events

Breakfasts

Sponsored by Kura - a protein smoothie powder with grass-fed New Zealand dairy protein, vitamins and minerals, and probiotics that your whole family can enjoy. No funky aftertaste here. We sampled 3 smoothies along with the most ginormous frittata I’ve yet to see. My favorite flavor was the “snickers smoothie” (made with Kura + almond milk + frozen banana + dates + peanut butter). It definitely required spoon action rather than slurping through a straw.

Sponsored by Spright at Frothy Monkey - a new wellness online community whose mission is to help you find what fuels your lifestyle.

Social Hour receptions

“Made in California” hosted by California Almonds and California Strawberries

Food and Magazine Rooftop Reception

Dinner

Hosted by the Mushroom Council - Guys…I totally geeked out when I saw Maneet! "Chopped" is one of THE favorite shows me and the Hungryman watch together, and I couldn’t help but wish that he was with me. I asked her if we could take a picture together, and she said, "Sure! Give me your phone. Let’s take a selfie.” I like her…A LOT!

The food was obviously A-MAZING, but I can’t get over how innovative the menu was! I mean mushrooms in a margarita, toffee sauce, and cake pops? We live in a fascinating world. I heart mushrooms, so I can’t wait to try my hand at showcasing their versatility in my kitchen.

So there you have it! A recap of my first official FNCE experience. As I sit here reflecting back on those days (that certainly felt like a whirlwind), what I remember the most are the faces and the conversations I shared with those who I now call friends. I can’t wait to do it all over again.