Dr. VanBeber - a Horned Frog foodie

Fort Worth, TX

12/15/2009

By: Lara Keihner, Schieffer School of Journalism

Dr. Anne VanBeber shares her love for food and culture with her students by inculcating the importance of using food as a source of nourishment rather than enslaving our appetites from emotions.

“Due to our societal overload of activities, Americans are increasingly using food as more of a companion or a quick fix,” noted Dr. VanBeber. She believes that meals should be a time of reflection with friends and family by enjoying the different tastes food has to fuel our bodies, souls and minds.

Dr. VanBeber states that if students could be taught to slow down, enjoy a meal and not stand at the counter, or pick in the refrigerator, people would be able to significantly improve their lifestyles. She stressed that even one of the American Dietetic Association Standards of Education was to have students promote “pleasurable eating” as an outcome. Learning the enjoyment of a meal and the “right” way to eat is an important life-long lesson.

Dr. VanBeber commented on the concept of culture and food and the importance it has on our economy, global travel and the health of Americans. “Obesity statistics for our Western culture are different from the Eastern culture. People in Eastern cultures, such as Asia, Southeast Asia, India, and some parts of Europe, buy fresher and less processed food and choose walking as a popular mode of transportation.”

They also extend their meals over a much longer time period and consider eating a family tradition that occurs on a daily basis. If we are able to reflect Eastern ideals in our culture, we might be able to lower disease rates and create healthier and happier Americans, Dr. VanBeber said.

With Dr. VanBeber’s self-depreciating humor, she refers to herself as the “designated foody for the department.” Now in her 18th year as a TCU professor, “consider yourself a lucky Horned Frog if you have the opportunity to cross her path,” said one Junior TCU student. Many students comment on her classes as a “knowledgeable, fun and memorable experience.” She holds positions as the department chair of nutritional science, a director of the Registered Dietitian Program and a participant in TCU programs, such as Frog Camp.

Her academic credentials include her Ph.D, R.D. (registered dietitian) and L.D. (licensed dietitian). Although, now an avid Horned Frog fan, she received her undergraduate degree from Texas Tech with a double degree in home economics and food and nutrition, coupling them with a minor in food science.

Shortly after graduating from Texas Tech, she attended Texas Women’s University to earn her master’s and Ph.D in nutrition. She began her career teaching a medical nutritional therapy course, which incorporates how individuals’ diets should change depending on the disease they’re diagnosed with. She has now transitioned in her teaching career to courses including Food Prep, Meal Management, Food and Culture, and Gourmet Food.

Dr. VanBeber shares her love for culture and food because she believes college students must have a common knowledge about how to take care of themselves. Astonished at how many students in college still aren’t aware of how to properly set a table, she has made it her goal to teach important life skills. She hopes to build basic preparation skills and help students’ self-esteem and self-concepts.

Because of Dr. VanBeber’s interest in food and culture, she has been the recipient of several TCU grants which have enhanced her learning and love for nutrition and to further expand her knowledge. These grants are referred to as “instructional development grants,” and have sent her on trips around the world to soak up different cultures and bring back to her students.

She has had the opportunity to travel on a culinary tour to Anchorage, AK, a food and nutrition conference in Mexico City, a weeklong “Food of the Gods Festival” in Oaxaca, Mexico, a service-learning trip to Guanajuato, Mexico, along with a two-time visit to the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, CA.

Although Dr. VanBeber has had life-changing experiences from each destination, she discussed her trip to Guanajuato as an especially memorable one. The trip was a study abroad for TCU social work students where she lived in host homes and taught some Guanajuato women how to improve the nutrition of their meals with the foods accessible in their home markets.

Textured vegetable protein (TVP), a soy product and often used as a meat substitute, is more economically friendly in their markets. It’s an inexpensive meat substitute and most abundant in the markets of Guanajuato. Dr. VanBeber created a few recipes – including chili and taco filling -- with the TVP in order for the women to have a more enjoyable experience while eating healthy. These ladies then taught her how to grind corn for tortillas along with other cultural foods.

Apart from her global and cultural experiences, Dr. VanBeber acknowledges these successes because of the wonderful faculty with whom she has been blessed to work. All department decisions are made in collaboration with her faculty and are set in action with their consensus.

Not only is TCU’s nutrition program well-known on campus, but also is recognized nationally. TCU students make outstanding scores on the national dietetic exam with a 92 percent pass rate compared to a national average of 80 percent. Dr. VanBeber’s technique of teaching, enthusiastic personality, and passion for nutrition keep Horned Frog students signed up on waiting lists for her classes semesters in advance.