Culinary Nutrition: A Degree with Major League Possibilities

Ever wondered what powers a home run or a game-winning touchdown? For major league teams, sports nutrition is an indispensable part of keeping players on their game — and off the disabled list.

To meet this demand, JWU has partnered with the Collegiate & Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA) to place culinary nutrition students with major league baseball and football teams.

A Strong Partnership with a Big Career Payoff
As CPSDA president Dave Ellis puts it, “JWU students are assets no matter where they’re placed. They’re capable of raising the bar in all settings.”

With their strong combination of culinary chops and nutritional training, JWU students are uniquely positioned to excel in the field, notes Ellis.

“Culinary chefs working in tandem with sports dietitians can help keep road-weary athletes fresher and healthier,” he says. “It’s opened an entirely new window of how sports dietitians work.”

Healthy Players=Great Baseball
In the field, JWU interns aren’t just creating menus and cooking healthy food. They’re educating players about positive choices that will improve their game — and long-term health.

The payoff for students, teams and players has been huge.

A Culinary Home Run
Just ask Chris Miles, president of Arizona-based sports catering company Cookin’ on Wood. He recently hired 6 JWU interns to overhaul menus for major league baseball teams during Spring Training.

“The JWU students were awesome,” he says. “They did anything the teams asked of them, from low-sugar to gluten-free diets — you name it.”

Next year Miles would like to increase the number of interns from 6 to 8.

“These students have impressed me with their knowledge, their flexibility and their sense of professionalism,” he said. “And the players really bonded with them. You have major league players making $12 million a year and giving them high-fives. It’s pretty cool.”