“Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
From a young age, Anjali was welcomed into the kitchen to observe, experiment and cook. She credits her upbringing, as well as her Indian culture, as the biggest influences of her career. To Anjali, food is much more than nourishment to the body — it’s connecting, belonging and it touches on the other social aspects of health.
As a Registered Dietitian for VEBA, Anjali wants to help empower Members to make lasting, positive behavioral changes for their overall health. She is an expert in Nutrition and Public Health Programs and develops and communicates nutrition content to Members. Together with her team, she is creating an evidence-based culinary medicine program to give Members the knowledge and skills they need to make small changes to their daily lives. She helps Members to understand the importance of community and engagement, and through simple messaging, she guides them to practice what they are learning while they move forward in their health journey.
After graduating from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario with a Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences, Anjali moved to Japan in 2003 where she taught English and spent her free time on grassroots internationalization projects centered on food and culture. It was during this work her passion for community nutrition was born. She returned to school in 2005 and on the side worked in nutrition research, nutrition communications and public health program evaluation. In 2011, Anjali moved to the United States and worked with the restaurant industry on environmental change and consumer behavior change strategies and research funded by the Center for Disease Control and the National Institute of Health.
In addition to her Life Sciences Degree, Anjali holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Food and Nutrition from Ryerson University and Master of Public Health, Community Nutrition from University of Toronto. She has registered dietitian and master of public health credentials and has belonged to the American Public Health Association and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She is certified in Human Subjects Training (for designing and conducting research) and currently working on a Culinary Health Education Fundamentals (CHEF) Coaching certification.
Anjali sees herself as an advocate who has a “deep sense of idealism and integrity” and takes the steps needed to “realize her goals and make a lasting impact.” She values imagination, creativity, humility and passion. She loves to ski, swim and travel to different countries not only to experience the culture but also to try their food. When she is not working, you can find her with her family somewhere around the world or in her kitchen playing with food.