60 seconds with… Jennie Crossan
Jennie Crossan, Early Years Community Dietitian, tells us about squashing myths, shaping the future generation and the importance of good nutrition in the early years.
Can you tell us about your role?
I am an Early Years Community Dietitian at Evelina London. I provide support and education about nutrition to families with children under 5 who are attending Southwark children’s centres (including at 1st Place). This includes delivering workshops/courses in the children’s centres, training staff on nutrition topics, and carrying out audits and focus groups to evaluate the impact of our interventions. As a registered dietitian, I provide the most current and evidence based advice around nutrition and ensure that this is tailored to an individual’s needs. Food and nutrition are such personal things, it is vital that they are advised in a sensitive, collaborative and non-judgemental way.
Tell us about your relationship with 1st Place.
I have been working as the Early Years Dietitian for 1st Place for almost 4 years now. During that time, we have achieved so much in supporting families with good nutrition. The staff at the centre are always so enthusiastic and committed, and I always feel very well supported. Staff are always open to conversations around how we can improve sessions and support families.
What services do you offer at 1st Place?
At 1st Place, I run ‘Starting Solid Foods’ workshops for babies around 6 months old, answer questions in Nutrition Advice sessions which run alongside Stay and Play groups, and run a ‘Positive Mealtimes’ course at 1st Place. This is a 4-week referral based workshop for 2-4 year olds and their parents where mealtimes have become challenging.
Ialso support centre staff in implementing their nutrition policy and runtraining sessions on nutrition in the early years. In addition to this, ourteam has been involved in supporting the Alexandra Rose Voucher scheme, afantastic initiative to help young families eat more fruit and vegetables whilesupporting the local economy.
Tell us about your career path.
I qualified as a Registered Dietitian in 2007 after completing a post graduate qualification. I initially worked as an adult community dietitian in Merseyside before transferring to the specialist weight management team. Since moving to London in 2011, I have worked as a mental health dietitian, set up a post-natal weight management service in East London with the British Heart Foundation, and carried out a role as a bariatric dietitan before coming to Evelina London in 2014. I am also a trained coach and work in the Guy’s & St Thomas’ coaching and mentoring service supporting other staff.
What do you like most about your job?
I really love the variety of work I do. No day is ever the same and I get to meet and work with such a wide range of people, both staff and families. I am also a Southwark resident so it gives me great satisfaction to support the community I live in and help to shape the future generation. I also really value the community aspect in that I am often in several different locations during the day which means I get to do lots of walking and see parts of the borough I have not explored before - this is particularly lovely in the summer! I am also very enthusiastic about food so enjoy being able to talk about it all day. In short, I am very proud to call myself a dietitian and have the opportunity to work with such a fantastic centre!
Why is healthy eating important for children and families?
Good nutrition in the early years can make a real difference to a child’s future health and well-being but there is so much bad and inaccurate advice out there. As dietitians, we squash the myths, make things less confusing and give families practical, realistic and tailored advice to support them to be able to give their children a good start in life when it comes to nutrition.
Beingaware of the basics of eating well and being supported to make choices aroundfood that suit a family’s circumstances and lifestyle can have so many benefitsin terms of physical and mental health, general well-being, and good growth anddevelopment. Doing this within the welcoming environment of a children’s centremakes for a relaxed and helpful interaction.
What is your favourite recipe?
I am very partial to a Pakistani recipe I was given a few years ago that is a delicious combination of spiced beef mince and rice. Really tasty!
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I adore travelling. My last trip was to Poland and Slovakia where I tried skiing for the first time (all limbs are still intact!). I also love exploring new restaurants and food markets and am currently learning to speak Italian. E un gran divertimento!
Tell us something surprising about yourself.
Before I was a dietitian I did a degree in Animal Nutrition. I spent a lot of time working on farms, at boarding kennels, in veterinary surgeries... even at the zoo!
Check out a healthy family friendly recipe in our Kids' Corner.