A DAY IN THE LIFE OF . . .
A 'COOK HEALTHY’ COOKERY AND NUTRITION DIETITIAN Rachel Margetts RD Self-employed Freelance Dietitian Rachel Margetts is the creator of the Cook Healthy brand. She designs and delivers cookery sessions and nutrition education programmes that show families how to make simple, healthy meals from scratch. She also runs the online blog (www. cookhealthy. co.uk) and is a BDA Media Spokesperson.
My dietetic role involves teaching healthy cookery sessions, where I combine hands-on practical cookery sessions shared with the evidence base in which to justify the need for healthy eating. I deliver sessions in schools, workplaces and communities. I love projecting my enthusiasm and helping people gain confidence in the kitchen, providing them with a way to learn the nutritional benefits behind the food. Through both my own experience and teaching family cookery sessions, I have found that many families really struggle to put together new, creative,
healthy meal ideas each night without opening packets and jars of processed foods. Therefore, combining my dietetic knowledge, my passion as a foodie and my own dinnertime experience as a mum, I created my business to help people get back to basics and create quick, healthy, no-nonsense family meals.
6am - 9am
Every day is different, but I do begin each day with a big cup of tea or coffee! I’m often woken up each morning between 5am and 6am (the joys of having a two toddlers!). It’s morning madness as I get the kids dressed, fed and packed for nursery school.
9:30am - 11am
I am unable to get settled at my desk until about 9:30am, which is when I start by replying to emails, blog and social media comments. I may have time to like or share content from fellow bloggers and post some content myself. I then work on my next post for my blog, writing it up, uploading and editing photos.
11am - 12pm
I now prepare for the week of cookery sessions that I have booked in, by planning out what recipes will be suitable for the groups. I print out recipes and order the online grocery shop for all session ingredients. If I am teaching a cookery session in the afternoon, I also need to pack up all ingredients and equipment and get it all loaded into the car. If I am delivering a bespoke type of session, this may involve putting together a lesson plan or designing a PowerPoint presentation. 48
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12pm - 2pm
I pick up my daughter from preschool, take her home, give the girls their lunch and spend some time with them.
2pm - 5pm
I am grateful for my fantastic husband who gets home and takes over with the kids so that I am able to work. If I am running an afternoon’s practical cookery session or event, I will be based in a variety of locations in the community. Classes include afterschool cookery sessions, family sessions, mother and toddler groups, weaning groups and mental health cookery groups. If I am not booked in to deliver a cookery session, then it’s my ‘kitchen time’ when I make and test out recipes for the blog and take stepby-step photos. If any food prep is needed for a cookery session the following day, I will also make this. So, for example, if I have a mother and toddler group the next day and I want them to try some new homemade healthier dips for their children to eat, I will prepare taste testers of the dip for them to try, e.g. homemade hummus. In addition to this, I will also do some meal prep and cook dinner, so I often have four pans of something cooking on the hob. It’s full on, but I love it!
5pm - 7.30pm
This is when our own nutrition counts as I feed the family and eat dinner. I then tidy up and the bath and bedtime routine is carried out.
7.30pm
By this time, I’m exhausted, but working freelance and having two small children, I will often have to make up for lost time in the evenings to catch up on work when it’s quiet, so I muster the strength to carry on! If I have carried out a cookery session for that day, I start by unpacking, cleaning all equipment and my least favourite job, doing all the dishes from my session. A lot of settings I visit, such as a classroom or a rented room, do not have washing-up facilities which means I bring my dirty dishes home with me. Once all cleaned, I repack all equipment and ingredients for the next day’s cookery session. Next on my list of ‘to dos’ is checking and replying to emails and trying to catch up on anything media/PR related, examples of which include contributing to magazines such as Women’s Health Magazine and PR shoots for local newspapers. I also recently appeared on the BBC Good Food Show providing a healthy cookery demonstration on stage with Chris Bavin on behalf of the BDA. If I have any time left at all, I finish off my latest blog post and work on developing my brand with elements such as web design and advertising. It’s a busy Day in the Life – but I love it! www.NHDmag.com July 2018 - Issue 136
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