Try This: Get consulted by our dietitian

Eating right and sticking to a balanced diet is essential to Building Your Best You. But consulting with a registered dietitian can help students start down a path to proper nutrition and help those already on that path stay focused on reaching their goals. Luckily, the SDFC has its own dietitian to help both sets of students. 

Jenna Heller received her bachelor’s degree from ASU, and after stints at UNLV (for an internship) and the University of Wyoming (for graduate school), she returned to Tempe in 2014. She’s been working with the Wellness team as a registered dietitian since March after two and a half years with ASU Health Services. 

Heller offers twice-weekly nutrition counseling sessions geared toward helping students in a variety of nutrition-related areas. As opposed to producing a “one size fits all” meal plan, Heller and her team encourage students to find the habits and the lifestyle to help them lock into a personalized daily routine. 

“Many ASU students have nutrition questions,” Heller said. “And sometimes, students need a little bit more one-on-one help. Sometimes it can be helpful to sit down with someone one-on-one and kind of talk about…how we can make some changes that will help that student meet their individual goals.” 

Heller stated that students set up consultations for many reasons, and she most frequently sees students who know what to do to meet their goals but just need that extra push. 

-“The most common thing that people say to me when they’re feeling frustrated about their nutrition routine or their progress is that they hesitated to come in,” Heller said. “They say ‘I know what to do, and I just don’t do it.’” 

But dietitian consultations can also help those struggling with weight, body image issues and diseases like diabetes or hypertension. Following along with the latest developments and nutrition research can help further personalize these sessions and develop a better set of goals for students of all stripes. 

“As dietitians, we’re really tasked with understanding and keeping up with nutrition-related research and the evidence that supports different dietary routines and patterns and then translating that into actionable steps for individuals or groups or populations,” Heller said. 

To sign up for a consultation, go to your Patient Portal at eoss.asu.edu/health, and log in with your ASURITE ID. Alternatively, interested students can call Health Services at (480) 965-3349 to set up an appointment. Insurance coverage for nutrition counseling can vary, so students may want to check with their insurance provider to make sure it’s covered. If so, students will be responsible for a co-pay at the time of their appointment. Students who carry the Aetna Student Health insurance plan for ASU are responsible for just a $15 co-pay.