KU Today: Got food allergies or religious dietary restrictions? New KU dietician is here to help

Christine Ebert, a registered dietician, is in charge of Kansas University’s allergy program.

Christine Ebert has a full plate as the new registered dietician in charge of Kansas University’s allergies and dietary accommodations program.

She will be a liaison between students and dining managers, she’ll be working on new projects, and she has her own goals for the dining program.

But Ebert is ready to dig in.

“I love working with people,” Ebert said. “There are so many races and religions and creeds out there and the one thing that unites us all is food, and I just think that’s something that’s so powerful.”

Christine Ebert, a registered dietician, is in charge of Kansas University’s allergy program.

Ebert has taken over the position from former KU dietician Mary Rondon, who was the face of the campaign to improve students’ awareness of the allergy program. This year, dining services hopes to improve on the program, which has been recognized nationally.

“We’ve set a reputation so we certainly need to maintain, if not grow, that reputation and keep the integrity of the program,” Sheryl Kidwell, assistant director of residential dining services, said.

Ebert, who got her degree from Kansas State University in nutrition and dietetics, worked in Wichita and at the University of Montana in similar positions prior to becoming the new dietician at KU.

Her main focus will be the allergy program, which helps students with special medical or religious diets. Last year 26 students self-reported through the program, which involves a consultation with the dietician and an accommodation plan with the student’s respective dining hall, but Ebert said many others simply use KU’s NetNutrition website and food labels to accommodate their dietary needs.

Because she would like more students to self-report and use her as a resource, Ebert will become the face of the awareness campaign.

“We know that there are more than 26 students out there and so we want to make sure that the minute they get on campus, they know about us,” Kidwell said.

In addition to helping students with allergies and special diets, Ebert has some other goals for improving dining services, specifically through sustainability and local foods.

Dining services already has plans to revamp its Better Bites program, which offers healthier entrees with fewer calories and less fat. Ebert hopes to include clean labels and local foods in the program.

“I want KU to be the best in the Midwest at sourcing local foods and in their focus on the sustainability,” she said. “I want other schools to look to KU.”