Debbie Petitpain, MS, RDN, LDN believes the healthiest foods are those that come from as close to the ground as possible – and require a fork to be eaten! Debbie has many areas of interest and specialty including plant-based diets, food security, health technology, culinary nutrition, intermittent fasting, workplace wellness, men’s nutrition, African American nutrition, the dietary guidelines and more.

With more than 15 years’ experience as a master’s trained registered dietitian nutritionist, she has served as a national spokesperson for the media, created an award-winning culinary nutrition graduate course, started food security programs in hospitals across the country and provided direct patient care to those undergoing dramatic diet and lifestyle changes to lose weight, improve their medical problems and get healthier!

Debbie is the Wellness Director in the Office of Health Promotion at the Medical University of South Carolina where she develops policies and programs to advance health on campus and in the community. She is also the Director for Research, Development and Innovation for Synergasia Health driving the design, implementation, testing, evaluation and validation of scalable strategies that improve social determinants and advance health equity.

Debbie graduated from the College of Charleston, received her Masters in Nutrition from Boston University and completed her dietetic training in Honolulu, Hawaii. At home, she and her husband model to their two young daughters how food nourishes the body, gives us energy, helps us grow and connects us to our community.