Katharina Paul-Mercier, Dietitian and Nature Enthusiast

Nassim Drissi Smaili July 3, 2022 Dietitian, Our Team

There’s a new face in our Nutrition team: Katharina Paul-Mercier, a dietitian, who joined SOSCuisine this spring. She accompanies our VIP members who need personalized support. Passionate about health and the environment, Katharina chose to become a dietitian to combine her interests.

How did nutrition become your profession ?

The health field and its related topics have always intrigued me; I have always had the pleasure of learning more in this domain in order to be able to help people in this area or at least advise them… I also have a huge interest in the environment. I am a big fan of nature and the outdoors. In addition, I like to understand and learn where food comes from and how it arrives on our plate.

Being a dietitian was for me the ideal job to help me combine my interests without having to make a choice between the two. So, I enrolled in specialised studies in the field and graduated in December 2020 from McGill University. I officially started practicing this profession in February 2021 at a hospital center in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region (Quebec).

How did you end up on the SOSCuisine team ?

I knew of SOSCuisine long before joining their team; I followed them a little to get an idea of their services and news, I often consulted their blog to do research and sometimes get inspired, and I did not hesitate to recommend them to my patients in my practice by advising them consult their website and resources!

At the end of March 2022, I decided to go back to school to specialise even more and improve myself further in what I am passionate about. This coincided with a job ad published by SOSCuisine on the social network of a group of dietitians. It was therefore the best option for me to both continue to practice my profession as a dietitian and at the same time be able to pursue my studies and concentrate on them. So, I applied and here I am, a member of the team ever since!

What is your role at SOSCuisine ?

At SOSCuisine, I take care of VIP customers through private consultations by meeting the needs of each person. I can also say that I am mainly specialised in accompanying people who intend to lose weight or simply make lifestyle changes. I am also interested in gut health; moreover, I am currently training to be able to better advise people with digestive disorders such as IBS.

What are the challenges you face as a dietitian ?

I believe that one of the biggest challenges we face as dietitians is the motivational aspect; which requires us to manage things from a psychological point of view. That is to say, in most cases, we are not only there to advise and make suggestions to changes in diet or lifestyle, but also to encourage our clients and motivate them, while listening to their needs and realities. It’s certainly a challenge, but it’s also an aspect of my job that I really enjoy!

Katharina in the kitchen

If I were a food, I would be… a green or red cabbage. I love cabbage in all its forms (coleslaw, sauerkraut, braised cabbage, etc.), and it’s convenient because it keeps for a long time.

My culinary specialty is… salad dressings and dips. I like to add lots of ingredients and taste all the time to get the perfect taste. Sometimes I feel like I’m making a magic potion!

In my kitchen, I avoid … processed foods; even if I generally allow myself to eat everything (including sometimes “Kraft Dinner”).

My preferred SOSCuisine recipe …  Baked Tofu with Ginger

Baked Tofu with Ginger

Author

Nassim Drissi Smaili

Passionate and creative, Nassim is a graduate of the ENCG (National School of Commerce and Management) of Kenitra in Morocco, option Marketing and Commercial Action. She is responsible for the management of SOSCuisine's Social Networks. Her field of action ranges from the implementation of digital communication strategies to the creation of content and, of course, to the management of communities.