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Purpose: Postsecondary students who move to a new country to continue their education experience a drastic shift in food landscape, often resulting in unhealthy dietary adaptations.Methods: This mixed-method study explored the eating experiences and dietary patterns of 30 international students attending a Canadian university. Data were collected through focus groups that were analyzed thematically and dietary records analyzed for compliance with Canada’s Food Guide for Healthy Living (2007).Results: Results showed that many participants want to maintain home country food traditions, yet their new independent living status and novel food environments led to changes in dietary habits. Limited food skills, busy schedules, reduced access to familiar foods, and fast-food environments contributed to unhealthy eating patterns. These perceptions were reflected in the high consumption of “other”, less nutritious foods and low servings of fruits and vegetables, milk products and alternatives, and grain products.Conclusions: These findings show that international university students face dual challenges of transitioning into independent living without sufficient food skills and family supports, and exposure to unfamiliar and unhealthy food environments. Resources need to be developed for newly enrolled international students that emphasize food awareness, food skills, and healthy eating habits.

Community gardens (CG) are areas of land where individuals or groups grow food in single or shared plots, typically in an urban setting, providing fresh produce, urban greening, and opportunities to socialize and improve the community. The purpose of this descriptive study was to introduce a CG laboratory (lab) as part of an introductory foods course within a nutrition program and explore how the lab influenced students’ learning and overall experiences. Forty-one students, 2 lab instructors, and 3 student volunteers who tended the CG participated in the survey. Survey analysis revealed 4 interrelated themes: (i) connection and exposure, (ii) food preparation, (iii) benefits of using local food, and (iv) explicit learning. Overall, the lab fostered multiple types of individual and relational learning involving the acquisition of course content and food literacy skills. The CG was valued by students as a curriculum component as well as opportunities for personal growth and development. With the growing importance of food systems knowledge to the profession, CG may act as a site for embodied forms of learning in nutrition programs.

Purpose: Enteral nutrition intolerance (ENI) is a common complication among tube-fed patients, associated with reduced volumes of nutrition delivered, and may contribute to malnutrition risk. This research aimed to obtain insights about dietitians’ needs and preferences related to tools and resources to help identify and manage ENI.Methods: An online survey was administered to registered dietitians (RD) engaged in enteral nutrition (EN) management, recruited from a list of attendees at a national webinar. The 16-question survey asked about participant’s experience with ENI and interest in resources to manage ENI.Results: Of the 219 surveys completed (25% response rate), 86% identified ENI as an issue/concern that interferes with adequate nutrition or hydration for their patients. Ninety-seven percent reported being interested in having tools/resources to manage ENI. The symptoms identified as most pressing to manage were diarrhea (73%), bloating/abdominal discomfort (42%), and nausea (32%). Preferred types of tools were hard-copy resources (70%), algorithms (67%), and web-based instruments (62%).Conclusions: ENI remains an issue for clinicians working with tube-fed patients and RDs are interested in management tools. These results have implications for the development of evidence-based resources to help improve EN delivery and ultimately may contribute to clinician’s efforts at reducing malnutrition.

How does an ordinary dietitian have an extraordinary career? What is the most important asset that a dietitian has? Why is it important to take risks, be resilient, and challenge the status quo? In this article I answer these questions by sharing the highlights of my career and describing how I was socialized into the dietetics profession and ended up as the first female President of a Canadian university in Egypt.

Given the pandemic challenges we experienced over the last year, the 2021 Dietitians of Canada (DC) National Conference from May–June brought our dietetic community together from all across Canada and the world. This year the Canadian Foundation for Dietetic Research (CFDR) showcased another successful event with novel, relevant, timely research projects via the OnAIR Virtual Event Portal. Twenty-four research abstracts were submitted and reviewed by the Early Bird Abstract Review Committee. It was exciting to have research from different nutrition and dietetic practice areas represented. Thanks for all of the abstract submissions!Eight Early Bird abstracts were presented as Lightning Rounds during the virtual DC National Conference and were very well-received. The remaining 16 abstracts were displayed as posters for the duration of the conference with a live 7-min presentation opportunity from the poster gallery on May 19, 2021. All of the Early Bird abstracts are published in this issue of the Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research and are also featured on the CFDR website. These abstracts represent a wide variety of practice-based nutrition research projects in Canada.The Early Bird abstract research event would not have been possible without the commitment and dedication of many supportive individuals. On behalf of DC and CFDR, we extend a special thank you to members of our abstract review committee: Susan Campisi (University of Toronto); Pauline Darling (University of Ottawa); Andrea Glenn (St. Francis Xavier University); Mahsa Jessri (University of British Columbia); Grace Lee (University Health Network), Jessica Lieffers (University of Saskatchewan); Shelley Vanderhout (University of Toronto).A sincere thank you to all of the moderators, the DC Conference team and Izabella Bachmanek for their support with the Lightning Round presentations over the course of the DC virtual conference.Please consider submitting an abstract next year for the CFDR Research Showcase at the 2022 DC National Conference in Saskatoon, SK.Wishing all of you a wonderful Fall!Warm regards,Christina Lengyel PhD RDChair, 2021 Early Bird CommitteeProfessorDirector of the Dietetics ProgramFood and Human Nutritional SciencesUniversity of ManitobaJanis Randall Simpson PhD RD FDC FCNSExecutive Director, CFDRProfessor EmeritaUniversity of GuelphThis article was corrected after publication.