Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Lean Cuisine, but as always, all opinions expressed are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make C it Nutritionally possible!
Hi friends! I’m thrilled to have been chosen as one of Lean Cuisine’s Phenomenal Ambassadors. Over the summer I’ll be working with the brand to share stories of accomplishments and great food. As part of the program, I was invited to share an accomplishment I’m particularly proud of. Today I want to tell you about getting accepted into my dietetic internship.
Ever since I decided to leave medical school and follow my true passion—nutrition—I knew a dietetic internship would be a critical step. This internship is different from any others I’d had: it felt like a make-or-break moment for my career. I spent countless hours finishing academic requirements, meeting with professors and mentors so they could write letters of recommendation, volunteering at a respected New York City hospital to gain experience, and writing and revising my personal statement until it felt right.
I fussed over the perfect interview outfit, debated how to rank my match list, and weighed whether I was willing to move out of New York for training (I was willing, even if I secretly hoped I wouldn’t have to). The process required persistence, planning, and a lot of patience.
A dietetic internship is the final training step before you are eligible to sit for the Registered Dietitian (RD) exam. It’s an intense year of rotations in hospital, community, and food service settings. During that year you gain practical experience working with patients at different stages of illness—from someone with advanced kidney disease, where electrolytes and protein must be carefully managed, to a premature infant in the NICU who needs precise caloric and nutrient support.
The internship teaches you how to calculate the nutrients for tube feedings, how to counsel patients with multiple chronic conditions, and how to order and organize food for large healthcare facilities. These skills are technical and deeply human at the same time: you learn both science and how to communicate compassionately with patients and care teams.
On a quiet Sunday evening in April, match results came out. I anxiously refreshed the page, knowing the national match rate is often low and that anything could happen. When I logged in, I discovered I had matched to my top choice—NYU. I was overjoyed. I had worked incredibly hard to reach this point: years of pre-med coursework, two years of medical school experience, and a focused pivot to nutrition all led here. Being accepted into an outstanding dietetic internship felt like validation and a fresh beginning.
My love of nutrition started long before I knew it could be a career. In high school I was already giving recipes healthy makeovers and experimenting with how to avoid the so-called “freshman 15.” Nutrition’s scope and variety excite me: one day I might help a patient change their eating pattern to improve health, the next I’m testing a new recipe in the kitchen, and the next I’m writing about a nutritional ingredient or trend.
My nutrition philosophy is simple: eat real food made from recognizable ingredients that is easy to prepare and nourishes your body from the inside out. When we eat to feel our best, we can pursue our best in life. That philosophy is one reason I’m excited to partner with Lean Cuisine. The brand has been evolving to reflect modern eating, introducing bolder flavors, contemporary packaging, and a repositioning that celebrates women’s accomplishments.
Lean Cuisine’s campaign Feed Your Phenomenal highlights the idea of feeding the greatness in every woman. As part of the campaign, they launched a video and conversation centered on what we choose to measure in ourselves. Instead of weighing only appearances, the campaign encourages weighing accomplishments and meaningful achievements.
To join the conversation, Lean Cuisine invited readers to watch their #WeighThis video and answer a simple question in the comments for a chance to win a $100 gift card: What do you wish people would weigh you on?
Entry Instructions:
- Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on the post.
- Tweet publicly about the promotion including the unique term “#SweepstakesEntry,” and paste the tweet URL in a comment on the post.
- Blog about the promotion, disclose that you are receiving an entry in exchange for the post, and leave the post URL in a comment.
- If you don’t have Twitter or a blog, read the official rules for an alternate method of entry.
This giveaway is open to U.S. residents age 18 or older (19 in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners are selected by random draw and will be notified by email. If you win, respond promptly to claim your prize. Check official sweepstakes rules for full details and deadlines.