Spotlight on:

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Andrea Penney

Manager of Business Development, Clinical Nutrition, and Food Services at IWK Health​

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Andrea Penney, RD, is the manager of Business Development, Clinical Nutrition, and Food Services at IWK Health. She's worked at the IWK for the past 17 years in different roles, spending most of her time in food services. Andrea studied at Mount Saint Vincent University for both her undergraduate and graduate degree. During her graduate studies, Andrea focused on local food procurement in public institutions. Her interest in the local food sector continued at the IWK where she and her team partnered with the Department of Agriculture to increase local food for patients and customers.

 

Outside of work, Andrea can be found creating recipes and sharing food and nutrition knowledge online, in an effort to be a source of truth amidst false nutrition information. She has an interest in women's health and is also the newest member of the DNNS Core Committee!

 

What has been your favourite place to find new recipes? 

 

My favorite place has to be my fridge and pantry! I get the most creative when I have something that needs to be cooked before it goes bad … it's a fun challenge for me to create a recipe based on what I have on hand. I also like to look on Pinterest, cookbooks, and Instagram when I need inspiration.

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What has been the biggest challenge you've faced in your career?

There have been many challenges, from navigating the pandemic to learning how to manage a large team. But the biggest challenge to date has been letting my passion for work and doing well spill into over-commitment and burnout. Boundaries are so important!

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What one food is always in your fridge/pantry/freezer? 

Gosh, that's a tough question! I always have a bag of frozen mixed veg and frozen mixed berries, ground chicken or turkey, arugula and tomatoes. I actually have quite a few staples, but you'll have to read about my pantry staples in my newsletter!

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