Healthy for the Holidays
Getting to know our GFS neighbors
Amanda Goldman was a recent guest on Lexington’s Food News and Chews radio show, discussing health and nutrition. She is also a Hamburg Journal reader and neighbor, living near one of our favorite neighborhood treasures, Jacobson Park.
Her current title is Healthcare Industry Sales Strategist for the corporation, Gordon Food Service (she doesn’t actually work at the Hamburg store).
She’s a Registered Dietitian and a foodservice operator by background. “I attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio for my undergraduate degree, and then earned my Master’s Degree in Clinical Nutrition from the University of Kentucky. I also completed my dietetic internship at UK Hospital. Go Cats!”
She explains, “I started in my role as the Healthcare Industry Sales Strategist (and yes, that is a lot of words) with GFS in the fall of 2019. Even though I live right here in Lexington, I am officially based out of our home office located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In my position, I support our national healthcare team, and work with both our hospital and senior living customers. I help with developing strategies related to their food and nutrition services programs, as well as conduct evaluations of their departments to help improve their operations. I also have the opportunity to represent GFS in the foodservice industry, and attend and present at a number of national healthcare conferences. It truly is a lot of fun, and keeps me busy which I really enjoy.”
ABOUT GFS: Know Your Neighbor
GFS is North America’s largest privately held broadline foodservice distributor. For more than 120 years, we have been committed to delivering high quality and heartfelt service to our customers. We serve foodservice operators in the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast & Southwest regions of the United States, and we are coast-to-coast in Canada. Our extensive line includes products, services, and technology designed specifically for foodservice, environmental services, and laundry operations.
In addition to serving our commercial customers in the restaurant world, we are also very focused on healthcare and education. On the healthcare side, we have customers that are part of large hospital systems and senior living organizations. We have many customers that are smaller or independent hospitals and long-term care settings as well. It is our goal to provide excellent customer service, quality products, and a fantastic overall experience. In addition, we provide menu services, culinary support, and foodservice training opportunities, along with a number of other business solutions.
She describes the local store “as an awesome place to shop! It is not a membership store, and anyone is able to purchase products there. We feature fresh meat and produce, delicious prepared foods, and many items that are helpful for when you are planning your next (holiday) party. We offer easy ordering and store pick-up too.”
There is “no typical workday” for her, and she says, that’s “one reason why I love my job. I am never bored, and those that know me well, know that I like to stay active. I’m able to use many of the skill-sets I learned from when I worked at CHI Saint Joseph Health. Prior to my current job, I served in the role of the Director of Food and Nutrition Services, as well as the Director of Diabetes and Nutrition Care for many years.”
Of course her current role — which typically involves a lot of travel — shifted to accommodate the pandemic. She says, “Within the healthcare field, there were and are continuing to be many changes and shifts that have occurred secondary to the pandemic. Knowing that, it is extremely important for us to stay up-to-date with current regulatory guidelines and food safety procedures. We have developed several resources that are available to our customers, and we communicate with them frequently. We share information regarding the supply chain, ideas to help with labor challenges, and can even provide educational presentations to help our customers run successful foodservice operations. I truly believe that one of the best services we offer to our customers is the vast array of resources we provide.”
“I support our national healthcare team, and work with both our hospital and senior living customers. I help with developing strategies related to their food and nutrition services programs.”
—Amanda Goldman, GFS
Asked to name Hamburg’s biggest asset, she doesn’t hesitate, “Wonderful retail stores, delicious restaurants and great people. It really is a fabulous community!”
For fun, she says, “I love to spend time with our family & friends. We have two children – our son is in eighth grade and our daughter is in fifth grade. He plays ice hockey and she is in gymnastics. I also love shopping, dining out, and traveling.”
This is the most wonderful time of the year in the neighborhood. She says, “I really enjoy shopping in the Hamburg area during the holiday season. It is so festive, a little hectic, and fun all at the same time! Plus, so many local restaurants o er seasonal dishes, and I always like to sample those… with an occasional holiday cocktail of course. Cheers!” adding, “My favorite traditions are spending time with friends and family. It will be especially great this year as there are so many people we haven’t seen in a long time secondary to the pandemic. It will be wonderful to reconnect with them… in person.”
Amanda’s Advice for Staying Healthy Through the Holidays
Here are a few quick tips for staying healthy during the holiday eating season:
- Plan before you eat – Scope out your menu options in order to make a healthy decision
- Monitor your portion sizes
- Avoid mindless eating – Be intentional about what you eat
- Fill your plate with colorful foods including plenty of vegetables & fruits
- Let children be part of the process – Encourage them to make healthy choices too
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This also appears on pages 10 and 11 of the December 2021 print edition of Hamburg Journal.
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