Dirt Road Dietitian savors setting the record straight between public perception and nutrition

Sheri Glazier, the Dirt Road Dietitian, is an Oklahoma farmer and rancher, and also, a registered dietician. As a fifth-generation Oklahoma farmer, former 4-H’er, and mother, her interest in nutrition was sparked during her collegiate basketball career at Oklahoma State University. 

Although she wasn’t initially sure how she would connect her background in agriculture to her profession as a dietician, Glazier eventually discovered a nutritional contract with the Oklahoma Beef Council, kicking off her work with farmers, and ranchers, and sharing information to combat nutritional misconceptions as a nutrition consultant, speaker, and culinary creator.

During an interview with American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall, Glazier covered some of the reasons why so much conflicting information exists about what should go into a healthy diet.

“It’s not very shiny or sexy to eat a balanced diet with 75 percent fruits and vegetables and a quarter protein. That’s not really that fun, and so there’s just a lot of misinformation out there,” she said.

Duvall mentioned that not many people think about agriculture when they cook and eat their food.

“A lot of people go to the kitchen and start cooking their meals and have absolutely no thoughts of what a farmer does or how science and technology are involved in growing that food,” he said.

Glazier added that it is important for farmers to share their stories to bridge the gap between food, nutrition, and agriculture.

“It may seem second nature because this is what you wake up and do every day,” she said. “But if you don’t tell someone what you do, someone else could be writing a very different story for you.”