Women in Food: 10 Questions with Edwina of Yummly

Today's women in food interview is with Edwina Clark. There are a few reasons Edwina really struck a chord with me: fellow dietitian, technology start up world bad ass (currently senior manager of nutrition and wellness at Yummly but previous work with Google among others), and Australian. She also lists a good knife as her kitchen must have, making me trust her most definitely. That's just an essential I can't see beyond! 

I hope you enjoy meeting Edwina and make sure to catch up on previous Women in Food interviews!

Edwina Clark MS, RD, APD :: Twitter  @edwinatheRD :: Instagram @edwinalclark

1. Tell us about yourself and your business.

I am the Senior Manager, Nutrition and Wellness at Yummly, a food discovery platform that provides personalized recipes recommendation to over 15 million users. I wear many hats at work. Some days I am developing digital tools to make healthy eating easier on the Yummly platform. Other days it’s nutrition research, writing, serving as a spokesperson and/or maintaining the ingredient database that occupies my time. Yummly is the third start-up that I’ve worked for. The pace is fast, and the work constantly pushes me into unchartered territory but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Outside of work, I’m a blogger, recipe developer, and runner. On weekends I can be found tinkering in the kitchen, running intervals and exploring SF neighborhoods (and cuisine)! I am native of Sydney, Australia, and a sun-lover (vitamin D). My American dream began with a track scholarship in 2004 and has evolved into two nutrition degrees, and jobs in corporate wellness, tech and media. I am dually credentialed as a dietitian in both Australia and the US, and a Certified Specialty Sports Dietitian.

2. If you could define your food philosophy in one sentence it would be….

Eat a wide variety of whole foods, and pack your plate with plants! Healthy eating is about being better, not perfect.

3. What are your 3 must have foods in your kitchen?

Oooh, that’s a tough one! I can’t live without dark chocolate, avocado and Greek yogurt. They feature in so many of my recipes, and can always been found in my fridge.

4. It’s your birthday. What are you eating?

Some sort of chocolate-caramel gelato concoction! I always have and always will love ice-cream, but gelato takes the cake (pun intended).

5. Signature cocktail?

I am partial to a good glass of bubbly, and gin/vodka cocktails with fresh herbs and lots of citrus. San Francisco is big on craft cocktails! If you ever visit SF, I recommend checking out Wilson and Wilson-- their cocktails are outrageously good!  

6. Food you can’t like no matter how hard you try?

Canned fish. I wish I liked canned tuna/salmon/sardines-- especially since they’re such a great source of omega-3s-- but I just can’t get passed the smell. 

7. What are your go-to resources for all things food (websites/magazines/groceries etc)?

I am a voracious consumer of food media. I love Bon Appetit for fun foodie articles, and The Kitchn for helpful hints on cooking and ingredients. I read Today’s Dietitian, Food and Nutrition Magazine and a variety of nutrition periodicals to stay up-to-date on the latest nutrition best-practices.

I really like Yummly for recipe discovery, and used it long before I was an employee. I love that Yummly puts recipes from all over the internet in one place, attaches nutrition information to them, and personalizes their recommendations to my specific tastes.

As far as groceries go, my loyalties are split between Wholefoods and Trader Joe’s. Trader Joe’s is my go-to for portable healthy snacks and fresh flowers. Whole Foods is my preferred stop for most other things. I am also a big fan of the Ferry Terminal Farmers Markets on Saturdays for local, super-fresh (and budget-friendly) produce.

8. Food fad you wish would die a horrible death?

Working in tech, I have witnessed many interesting approaches to eating including rawism, the ketogenic diet, very high protein diets and several cleanses (among other things)! I am not a fan of anything overly restrictive (unless it’s medically necessary) or hyper-doses of specific nutrients. These types of eating patterns are generally unsustainable, and not conducive to long-term health.

9. Must have kitchen tool:

A good chef’s knife. I got a Wusthof chef’s knife a couple of years ago as a gift, and I have used it almost everyday since. A couple of good knives make ingredient prep SO much easier-- I can’t recommend them enough!

10. What’s the one thing you learned this year that changed the way you think about food?

I am constantly learning and evolving my knowledge base, but one thing that sticks out to me this year is the conversation around sustainable food choices. This is an increasingly important consumer concern, and has nicely coincided with the growing body of research on plant-based eating. I am incorporating more beans and legumes into my meals these days, although I am still partial to the occasional grass-fed steak. I am still fairly active so incorporating iron-rich foods is an important part of my diet.