During Amber Johnson’s first stint at Georgia Tech, she was not the healthiest eater — but few college students are. 

The Tech alumna, now a nutritionist for Dining Services and Health Promotion, finds herself meeting with students nearly every day, giving them tips on how to fuel their college experience differently than she once did. 

Johnson connects with students wherever they may need her: walking with them through the serving lines in dining halls, fielding emails from them and parents about allergies and dietary restrictions, meeting with them in her office for individual consultations, or manning a table to provide more information about her services.

“College is a great time because you’re catching students at a fork in the road,” she said. “For most of them, this is the first time they’re responsible for themselves and their food.” Students can make an appointment to meet with Johnson for just $5 per visit.

Kelly Doyle, a chemical and biomolecular engineering major, first visited Johnson because she felt she had an imbalance in sugar levels in her body. She hoped that seeing a nutritionist would help her evaluate her diet and see how it could be improved. 

“Amber helped me build an eating plan based on my school and extracurricular activities that was realistic, and it included things that I liked to eat without feeling deprived,” she said. 

Not only did Doyle get a new eating plan, but she also learned the reasoning of why she was feeling the way she was.

“Previously, I thought it was really only sweets that caused elevated levels of insulin, but I learned that eating a lot of carbohydrates by themselves can do the same,” she said. “Pairing a carbohydrate with a protein helps to decrease the insulin spike, so eating an apple with peanut butter is much better than just eating a granola bar.”

Return to Tech

Johnson started her career at Georgia Tech as a chemical engineering student, but was drawn to the logic of chemistry and biochemistry and switched majors after her first year. She earned her bachelor of science in chemistry in 1999. As her career progressed after graduation, she found herself spending more time in labs and less time working with people. She eventually made the decision to go back to school, earning her master’s in nutrition from Georgia State University. 

Johnson found her way back to Georgia Tech in 2013, where her science background goes a long way in relating to current students. Plus, as an alumna, she has firsthand experience with life as a Yellow Jacket and the stress levels that can entail.

“When I talk with students, I can explain the science behind the answers, and they appreciate the logical explanation,” she said.  

Now a mother of two, Johnson not only tries to help Tech students learn more about their diets, but also does the same for her young daughters. 

“I try not to be the food police,” she said. “We eat a lot of veggies, but we still do dessert. They know Yogli Mogli.”

When she’s not planning meals for students or her family, you may spot Johnson running around campus or working out in the mornings at the Campus Recreation Center. 

Johnson’s ultimate goal is to help students get their health and wellness on track so they can focus on other things. 

“Seeing students who felt crummy before and now feel great is really rewarding,” she said. “When you get your health figured out, everything else can happen more easily.” 

For Doyle, now that she’s figured out some of the science behind eating, she encourages others to do the same.

“It is so easy to forget with school how important it is to eat well,” she said. “Getting a perspective of the foods we are eating and how they affect our bodies is very important for everyone's well-being and keeping up with the demands of life at Tech and afterwards.”

Know Before You Go

Though Johnson’s individual consultations are only available to students, she can refer Tech employees to outside services or do presentations for faculty and staff groups. She says that everyone can benefit from meeting with a nutritionist or dietitian, even if just once. She offered a few tips on what to think about ahead of time for those who decide to go:

• What do you usually eat in a typical day?
• What are your health goals?
• What is keeping you from reaching those goals?
• Don’t be nervous!

“You have to be ready and willing to talk about what roadblocks or barriers you have in reaching those goals,” she said. “Our job is to help you get through the maze and around those blocks.” 

For those who want to learn more, Johnson is teaching a five-week class with the Student Center (open to students, faculty, and staff) called “Eating Healthy on a Budget.” Registration and more information is available at www.c.gatech.edu/eatonabudget.