Meet our Nutrition Consultant

SANDRA PORTER LEON, MS, RDN

You’re going to love her as much as we do.

We realize that one of the best ways to support wellness is through balanced, healthy eating, and we've taken strides in 2021 to help support you on that journey. To start, we enlisted the help of a local educator and nutritionist (she’s also an expert foodie) to assess our menu and help identify areas where we could grow and improve.  

Over time, Sandra has become a vital, energizing member of our team. She loves how The Neighborhood Harvest philosophy embodies many of her own personal values: honoring local farmers, eating whole, nutrient-dense foods, donating fresh produce to underserved families, and focusing on cleaner ingredients for better health. With her passion and expertise, she has been instrumental in developing healthy eating options like vegetarian and vegan items and our new line of delicious smoothies. 

Having studied and worked in both the research and applied nutrition fields at prestigious institutions like Duke University, Virginia Tech University, and Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters, Sandra brings a unique perspective on how to support our bodies from the inside out. Her focus on disease prevention and the mind-body connection is particularly poignant as we venture further into the new year.

"Instead of eliminating all the bad habits, let’s focus on a few good ones that you can add and ultimately create a healthy routine for a lifetime. It’s all about moderation,” she says. Sandra has touched over a thousand students at Tidewater Community College, bringing her evidence-based but practical information in easy-to-digest resources. 

 In this blog, we will share articles from Sandra and discuss menus and tools on our website that you can use to foster healthy habits. She’s always working in lockstep with our staff and our talented chefs, Andrea Dicarlo and Alvin Williams, to make sure we’re helping you along the path to nutritional balance and wellness.

Have a question or idea for Sandra? She would love to hear from you! Click here to contact her.