By Terry Date
Staff writer
March 30, 2008 07:46 am Nutritionist Terri Schoppmeyer travels Rockingham County promoting healthy eating and physical activity, and teaching people how to stretch their food dollars. Many of those she works with are low-income people, and they include people of all ages. In fact, that's what the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension worker likes most about her job — the variety. She works with youngsters, young adults and older adults in a variety of settings, doing a variety of activities. One day she will be leading preschoolers in yoga animal positions and cooking with high school students, and the next day teaching people on fixed and very limited incomes how to spend wisely on food. And in this difficult economy, where consumers are beset with rising food prices, she enjoys teaching people about shopping for the best value. Schoppmeyer, 49, of Newmarket has been doing this for nearly a decade, working for the Cooperative Extension since 1998. She got into this line of employment after spending 13 years as a park ranger in Newburyport and Plum Island, Mass. Schoppmeyer, who is married with two college-age children, said there aren't many similarities between the two jobs — ranger and nutritionist — the exception being that in both positions she has promoted physical activity.
What sparked your interest in nutrition? "I became interested in nutrition when my then 21/2-year-old daughter was diagnosed with diabetes."
Did her diabetes influence the way your family ate and eats? "We changed. We ate fewer sweets and did more label reading."
You spend your days teaching people to eat healthy foods and exercise, and to economize. Do you walk the talk? "Pretty much. I love to eat, and I love to cook. I think when food is good (nutritional), you enjoy it."
What mistakes do you often see people on limited budgets making in their food choices? "A lot of people spend money at fast-food restaurants, at vending machines and convenience stores."
What is the best way to proceed? "If you have a plan. Like anything else, if you have a plan, say carrying peanut butter and crackers or your own water, then you won't be as likely to stop to grab a quick bite to eat. It will hold you over until you get home."
What are some good values at the supermarket? "Eggs are cheap and they are a great source of protein, though the price is up 30 percent. Milk. Oatmeal is four times cheaper than boxed cereals. One of the biggest things people can do is cook at home. You can eat healthy on a limited budget. You need to look at fruits and vegetables that are in season and look at buying more beans than meat. Look at alternatives to meat. "
What do you like least about your job? "The paperwork. There's a fair amount of paperwork."
What are some of your hobbies? "I like to hike. I like to cook. I like to read."
What book have you read lately? "Latitudes and Attitudes," (by Thomas Friedman).
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Photos
Terri Schoppmeyer, a nutritionist with the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension in Brentwood, displays a container of milk, a good source of protein. Schoppmeyer travels throughout Rockingham County, teaching people to eat nutritional food and to economize. Staff photo