Peggy Policastro, PhD, RDN

Dr. Peggy Policastro, RDN is the Director of the Culinary Nutrition Program at Rutgers University. Dr. Policastro harnesses the mechanisms of Behavioral Economics to nudge individuals towards healthier food choices. Dr. Policastro believes making a healthy food choice the easiest/most salient option is the most effective way to encourage behavior change. Her research findings showed that just posting a simple calorie message about sugar sweetened beverages, increased water sales by approximately 6% over seven weeks. Dr. Policastro is a Registered Dietitian who was named the 2012 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Nutrition Educator of the Year (Area 7), recipient of 2016 Mary Abbott Hess Award for Recognition of an Innovative Food/Culinary Effort and was recently named 2020 Top Women in Metro New York Foodservice & Hospitality-Education Category. Peggy holds a PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies-Nutritional Science and Psychology from Rutgers University.

Session(s):

• Virtual Culinary Literacy Programs to Improve Vegetable Intakes in Children
  Tuesday, October 11
  8:30 AM – 9:30 AM