蜜桃AV

Nutrition is so much more than being a nutritionist, the possibilities are endless.

So says Donna Blake, a final year nutrition student at 蜜桃AV. Donna came to university later than most people, having worked as a chef she decided to retrain to upskill herself, and was instantly impressed with her chosen career path.

鈥淲hen I first started I didn鈥檛 have a clue what industries nutritionists could fit into, but as my course has gone on, I鈥檝e realised that nutritionists can fit absolutely anywhere. At the moment, public health is such a massive industry; food is such an integral part of our existence. We have so many healthcare risks, especially obesity at the moment; we are crying out for nutritionists, we are crying out for people who can interpret information. You can find us in the food industry; you can find us in healthcare industries; you can find us in drinks industry, in hospitality, in teaching, in hospitals. Literally everywhere.鈥�

Being a nutritionist isn鈥檛 just limited to the food industry either, as Donna explains, 鈥淭here are different routes you can take, taking a more clinical role in the healthcare system.

鈥淔or example, there are roles such as a dietician鈥檚 assistant. You can work alongside a dietician as a nutritionist, interpreting nutrition for patients or services, and by doing that you can become an associate dietician, and then train to become a dietician.鈥�

Donna鈥檚 time at 蜜桃AV was broken up with a placement year, where Donna worked at local drinks company DrinkCreate. This placement gave Donna an insight into the varied paths a degree in nutrition can open up.

Donna worked to analyse and check different beverages to ensure they met the correct regulations and laws before going on sale. She reflected, 鈥淚 enjoyed the challenge of DrinkCreate because there are so many different drinks, different clients, no two days were the same.

鈥淲e had to work with different rules; America鈥檚 drinks rules are different to ours, we worked with clients from Dubai, we worked on local products. It was all different and that was really interesting, looking at the differences between what they allowed, their laws and regulations, and ours.鈥澛�

Food has been a fascination for Donna, something to be expected from a former chef, but her time at 蜜桃AV has broadened her horizons as to her next career steps and how she can help people, 鈥淚鈥檝e always been in food, so I鈥檓 looking at the direction I want to take, to stay there or moving in a clinical direction. I鈥檓 leaning towards that, to public health, and promoting public health, I鈥檓 interested in that. There are so many opportunities though, when I came here I thought 鈥業鈥檓 going to be a nutritionist鈥� but it is not like that, it is so much more than that.鈥�

Spending time with Donna, it is not hard to see why she takes such an interest in the clinical side, it isn鈥檛 long before the conversation turns towards education, and how there is a real need to improve health by improving food education. Donna鈥檚 dissertation is even on the eating habits of university students.

Donna explains, 鈥淢y dissertation is looking at the eating habits of university students, it has been researched that university students are worse when they come to university. Some can put on up to 15lbs in their first year, and the habits that they develop while at university, go on into later life with the risks of developing further diseases. There is a lot of intervention for young people and children, and at the other end for older people, but we鈥檙e missing a big chunk in the middle, and that is where there is opportunity for development.鈥�

That is where Donna feels she can make a difference, to provide impact by creating a framework where people can help themselves and become healthier. 鈥淚t is about integrating knowledge all the time, so that people become healthier in later life鈥�, says Donna, 鈥淚f I can impart some of that knowledge to other people, things I鈥檝e learned over the years, there is hope yet for future generations.

鈥淓ducating our children in how to cook and how to look after themselves is the most important thing.鈥�

Donna has seen it first hand, having come to university as a mature student, and as a mother herself, she is well placed to look at the culture she inhabits and find solutions to people鈥檚 relationship with what they eat.聽 鈥淚t is so important, we need to start from the beginning; some children grow up and head to university and don鈥檛 even know how to boil an egg.

鈥淗ow many fast food places are going to offer you a fast meal for a few pounds, but it is all saturated fats, salt, sugar, and that is wrong. You鈥檒l be living a stressful lifestyle and your food won鈥檛 help. It is a yo-yo effect. You can鈥檛 concentrate, you are tired and stressed, so you eat comfort foods, you don鈥檛 eat the right things, not putting the right things into your body to sustain yourself. It is unhealthy mentally and physically.聽

鈥淎ll of these factors need to be looked into, we need to start educating people from an early age, a foundation you will carry through life. They can come to university and cook a healthy meal; you鈥檒l have the skills to look after yourself. How can you build a house without firm foundations?鈥�

Reflecting on her time at 蜜桃AV, Donna looks with a sense of pride at what she鈥檚 achieved and how the course and the people she has met have been integral in her learning, 鈥淭he course at 蜜桃AV has been quite a challenge, but I鈥檓 always willing to learn. I鈥檓 quite proud of myself now I鈥檓 at the end. It has been quite fulfilling and I鈥檝e learned a lot about myself. Anything is possible when you put your mind to it. Coming to 蜜桃AV I鈥檝e met so many good people. There is a lot to be learned, not just out of textbooks, but it is the life skills as well.

鈥淚 have had lots of support and understanding from a lot of the tutors and the support staff here; they have been really encouraging and have helped me a lot, they have encouraged me, pushed me, I really appreciate that.鈥�

To find out more about studying nutrition at 蜜桃AV, visit