RD Week: Amy Lucas

March 14, 2018

It’s Registered Dietitian Week on the AltogetherGreat blog! We’ll be featuring interviews with some of our RDs across Compass all week!

Amy Lucas, Webtrition Manager, shares with us her experiences and insights as an RD. Amy kicked off her career with Compass Group as a Manager in Training with Morrison Healthcare and is now helping managing the Webtrition platform for Eurest. Webtrition is used by our culinary teams across the country to find recipes and create menus that meet nutrition guidelines so our customers and guests can make informed nutrition decisions within the cafes.

1. What inspired you to choose a career path in nutrition?

I’ve always loved food because it was always the center of our day growing up. My mom, before having a family, worked at the Royal Bank of Canada for their upper management/executives and cooked high-end meals. My love for food meant that I went straight into culinary school, where I quickly realized then that the traditional restaurant scene wasn’t for me. I strategically took a job as a hospital cook and went up the chain in management as I continued my education to become a Registered Dietitian.

2. What is your favorite part of your day-to-day job?

Being able to make changes that ultimately have a positive impact on people and our guests with their food choices. I also enjoy that I am able to help influence and improve our database to make healthy eating simple and easy for units and managers to implement.

3. How has working at Compass Group impacted your career in nutrition?

It has allowed me to grow and develop over the years. I started with Morrison as an MIT out of my dietetic internship. I then was given the opportunity to take a role as a foodservice director in a 61 bed hospital. I transitioned into Eurest in 2014 as a wellness director where I was able to effectively put my culinary and wellness skills to the test and make an impact directly with consumers, through the chef’s in the accounts I supported. My current role as a Webtrition manager is using both sets of skills but I’m focusing on behind the scenes to ensure our recipes and ingredients in recipes are current and meet nutritional trends.

4. Do you have any words of advice/suggestions for someone considering entering your field?

Plan on making many shifts in your career with respect to job functions. Never settle and use each job as a stepping stone to grow into the career you want. Don’t wait around hoping someone will see your potential, make sure you speak up and let your manager know what role you want to develop into next.

5. What are the top 5 food staples your house is always stocked with?

Tortillas, black beans, pantry full of spices, dried lentils, topo chico (and baby carrots which I use as dog treats!).