Meet Christine

Growing up in the idyllic Chicago suburb of Riverside, Christine didn’t set her sights on becoming a registered dietitian nutritionist. All she knew is that she liked food – cooking and baking – but primarily eating it. She was raised by a mother who was half Greek and a father who was first generation Italian. Food was a way of life!

The Palumbo family enjoyed spaghetti with tomato gravy, romaine lettuce salad dressed in olive oil and red wine vinegar, salmon and other fish, poultry, red meat and plenty of fresh produce. Pomegranates were commonplace when in season.

Becoming a dietitian

When she headed off to college, Christine fully expected to become a medical technologist but then had a change of heart in the middle of sophomore year. What to do instead? A chance meeting of someone in line for the dining hall suggested a possible major: dietetics. Since it checked off the boxes Christine loved – science-based, working with people and especially FOOD – a new major was declared and the rest is history!

After graduation, dietetic traineeship and marriage, Christine worked as a cardiology and diabetes dietitian both in Minneapolis and in Chicago. She then turned her focus to earning her MBA with a marketing concentration and raising her three children.

Nutrition communications

Since 1989, Christine has served as a food and nutrition consultant in a variety of ways. These include private practice, working in worksite wellness, giving presentations to consumers and health professionals, providing counsel to a variety of food companies, performing literally thousands of calculations to analyze recipes for their nutrient content, serving as a media spokesperson and much more.

Servant leader

In her spare time, she has served in a variety of appointed and elected positions with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics from the local to the national level.  Most recently, she was elected to the Dietitians in Business & Communications practice group Nominating Committee and Executive Committee for 2020-2022.

Awards? She’s got ‘em! In October 2018, Christine received the prestigious Medallion Award  from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and was invited to be a featured speaker for the “On the Shoulders of Giants” panel at the Food and Nutrition Conference & Expo in Washington, DC. Other awards are from the the Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, her grammar, high school and college and several other organizations for a total of ten. In its inaugural year, she was selected as a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

On the personal side

Christine has been described as personable, memorable and just plain fun! She is somewhat “famous” for being able to find a connection with just about anyone. In fact, a colleague coined the term “Six degrees of Christine Palumbo!”

When she’s not behind the keyboard writing a column or developing a presentation, Christine may be checking out the in-season produce at her grocery store, in the kitchen stirring a pot of soup, or jogging to energizing music. She may even be in the kitchen as the “Nonna” to her six grandchildren!

Christine is active in liturgical ministry at St. Raphael Catholic Church where she serves as a Eucharistic Minister, Lector and also trains children in the Child Lector Ministry.