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Career Pro le
Registered Dietitian
Michelle Jaelin
Raised in the Greater Toronto Area, Registered Dietitian Michelle Jaelin said she grew up not knowing anything about agriculture or the potential of having a career in that industry. She’d never
met a farmer and there certainly weren’t any farms nearby.
She studied nutrition and food at Ryerson University. While there, she attended a food conference and met people working in the industry. Later, she was invited on a farm tour and said she was fascinated to learn how food was grown.
One of Jaelin’s biggest frustrations is that while there is a lot of information out there, it’s not all good or accurate. Sadly, it’s also easier to sell fear than to sell reassurance. She said she often gets questions like, “Is this safe to eat?” “Is this healthy?” “What’s the difference between organic and conventional?”
In her career, she uses a combination of social and traditional media and other communications tools to help people make more informed food choices. She said it’s extra rewarding to do a TV segment and then get a nice follow up comment from a viewer. She says, “It’s great to be able to give people information that helps them make their lives better and healthier through food”.
How do I know what the right choice is?
There is no right or wrong answer for consumers when it comes to deciding what to eat. What’s important is making an informed decision based on current, accurate facts. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation out there that can make it dif cult to know what’s true and what isn’t—so if you have questions about your diet, consult your doctor or a registered dietitian.
Dietitians work within hospitals, grocery stores, doctors’ of ces, and in private practices to provide personalized nutritional advice and practical solutions, without fads or gimmicks.
Eating yourself healthy
The link between food and health is well known. Foods rich in essential vitamins and minerals, bre, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and other compounds, can help keep us healthy—and science is nding new ways to make good-for-you foods even better:
• A purple wheat variety from Saskatchewan called “AnthoGrainTM wheat” is high in anthocyanins, an antioxidant that aids in eye cell repair78.
• Specialty canola varieties with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids are in development. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential to brain, eye, and heart health, and in ammation management79.
• To prevent stunted growth in children due to malnutrition, a rice variety high in zinc is now available in Indonesia80.
Nancy French Photography
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The Real Dirt on Farming
What is supply management?
To organize the production of eggs, chicken, turkey, and dairy products in Canada, farmers use a system called “supply management”. It lets farmers across Canada match their production to Canadian demand, so consumers have a reliable supply of fresh, high quality food at a reasonable price, and farmers receive fair and stable returns for their work. Supply management does not set retail or restaurant prices for poultry, eggs, or dairy products, but it does ensure that farmers are paid enough to cover their costs of production.