Eric Meredith

Tell us about yourself, education, your background, and your current interests.

Over the course of my career, I have done many exciting things which include being a Russian linguist in the US Navy, selling Internet software for IBM and managing multiple restaurants at McDonald’s Corporation. Although I am very proud of my past accomplishments, my true calling is to help people improve their lives through nutrition, fitness and lifestyle education. In preparation for my journey to become America’s healthiest chef, I attended culinary school at the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago. After culinary school, I gained valuable food service experience at McDonald’s Corporation as a Restaurant Operations Consultant and later as a Director of Business Development for ARAMARK. In 2007, I launched an innovative healthy meal delivery service for busy professionals leveraging my food service experience and passion for nutrition. For three great years, we serviced thousands of health conscious individuals, received positive media and won numerous awards. In 2010, I made the tough decision to close the business and focus on graduate studies full time. My current goals are to obtain a masters in human nutrition/exercise physiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago and enter the exciting field of sports nutrition. In addition to my graduate studies, I am working on my personal trainer certification through the National Strength and Condition Association.

How did you become interested in nutrition?

My passion for nutrition began at the tender age of 9, when I learned how to cook. Throughout my childhood, my parents stressed the importance of eating a well balance diet, cooking from scratch and consuming wholesome foods. Since I played the three sports in high school, it was very important that I maintained a great diet to ensure a high level of performance. As an adult, I still maintain many of the great dietary practices that I learned as a child.

You have trained and worked as a professional chef. Tell us about that experience and why you decided to change careers and become a registered dietitian.

I received my formal culinary training at the Illinois Institute of Art. After culinary school, I received invaluable restaurant industry experience by working as a Restaurant Operations Consultant for McDonald’s Corporation. As a Director of Business development at ARAMARK, I developed food service solutions for fortune 1000 companies. After gaining food service experience in the corporate world, I decided to leverage that knowledge and a passion for nutrition to launch Alter EatGo. For wonderful 3 years, I operated one of the hottest food service companies in Chicago. Alter EatGo offered convenient, affordable and ready-to-eat meals to local Chicago residents. Because of the nature of my company, many customers often asked me tough questions about nutrition. Realizing that I needed to enhance my knowledge about nutrition science, I decided to become a registered dietitian to complement my culinary skill set.

What are your professional goals? Once you become a registered dietitian, what kind of work do you want to do?

I plan to combine my culinary and business skills with a new found knowledge of dietetics and exercise physiology to offer holistic counseling services to professional athletes, collegiate sports programs and active individuals. In addition to providing counseling services, I want to influence the masses by using TV, print, radio and social media to evangelize the importance of proper nutrition and leading an active lifestyle.

How will you apply the business skills you already have in your future career?

Over the course of my career, I have been fortunate to acquire skills in the areas of technology, sales, marketing, public relations, restaurant operations, entrepreneurship, and broadcast media. Because I have obtained experience in various functional business roles, I know how to manage and spot great talent in each of these areas. By leveraging my 20 plus years of experience and building a dynamic team, I plan to create a sports nutrition practice that will provide world class service, achieve financial success and abide by Christian principles.

Is there anything else you would like to share with other students?

No matter how much success one achieves, it is all in vain if you don’t give back and support those in need regardless of potential financial gain. “A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.” – Henry Ford

July 27, 2011