Great People Feature: Megan White

Food—it’s meant to be enjoyed.

Dietitian Megan White shares her passion for balance, not fads

With roots on the front line of food service operations, Megan White has paired an intimate knowledge of food science with experience as a cook and pastry chef in her one-of-a-kind recipe for impacting resident quality of life in long term care. We recently sat down with Megan to get the inside scoop on her journey at Shannex so far:  

1. What inspired you to become a dietitian? Before becoming a dietitian, I graduated from the Culinary Institute of Canada in 2013 and worked as a cook and pastry chef. I worked with one chef who really valued promoting health and cooking fresh, nutrient dense meals for clients and that is when my interest in how nutrition impacts overall wellbeing began. I graduated from MSVU’s Bachelor of Science in Applied Human Nutrition Program in 2024 and completed two of my required internships with Shannex before being hired as a Regional Dietitian with Cedarstone—and now as a Clinical Dietitian at Moody Hall.

2. As a dietitian, what is the best part of supporting residents in long term care? For me, the best part of supporting residents as a Clinical Dietitian is being able to assist in providing them the best nutrition quality of life as possible, which looks different for every resident. This can include creating individual menus to support their health or preferences, completing assessments to ensure they can enjoy their meals comfortably and safely, and even providing residents in their final chapter with their favorite foods and beverages in whatever form will enable them to enjoy it (puree chocolate cake tastes delicious, too!).

3. What would you say are the “day in the life” highlights for you, and broadly, dietitians in long term care? Getting to bond with and spend time with residents during their meals is definitely a highlight. This can occur while completing an assessment or sitting down for a quick check in. I also love getting involved in our resident centred activities such as our menu test day and monthly resident councils.

4. Any advice for people considering a career at Shannex? My advice for anyone who is considering working as a Clinical Dietitian with Shannex is to definitely go for it! Not only will you be working within a strong interprofessional team (including nurses, CCAs, OT’s, PTs, and recreation/music therapists) daily, but there is an extraordinary network of Shannex dietitians across Nova Scotia and New Brunswick who are always available to support you as needed.

5. What are you most excited about when you consider our planned growth? I am most excited to see Shannex continue to respond to the needs of our culturally diverse elderly population across Nova Scotia through community consultation. Even as a leader in the sector, we’re always striving to improve. Food is personal and tied to generations of recipes and home kitchens, so providing meaningful meals is something that’s as important to the residents as it is to our team.

6. What are the top THREE things you wish people knew about nutrition? The top three things I would want people to know about nutrition is that our food, meals and snacks are meant to be enjoyed – this is so much more important than stressing over ensuring you are eating the “healthiest” foods possible. Second, eating in a way that supports your individual health doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive (canned and frozen veggies are just as good as fresh!). And third, as tempting as it is to get the latest nutrition information from Instagram and TikTok, dietitians are truly the nutrition experts and are so valuable in all healthcare sectors!

7. What are your go-to easy meals? We eat a ton of pasta at home, and you can add different proteins like eggs or beans, loads of different vegetables and herbs to keep it interesting. I also love simple green salads, chicken wraps, and Japanese curries. My unbeatable go-to comfort meal, which is also a fan favourite of residents, is a grilled cheese and homemade soup!