Franciel Ikeji, M.S., RD

Title: Contributing Writer

Location: Silver Spring, Maryland

Education: B.S. in Food Science and Technology, Texas A&M University
- B.S. in Nutrition Sciences - Dietetics, Frances Stern Nutrition Center at Tufts Medical Center
- M.S. in Nutrition Sciences, Tufts University

Expertise: Nutrition education, African heritage foods, nutrition counseling, nutrition equity, advocacy, community nutrition, food safety
- Founding board member of Women Advancing Nutrition Dietetics and Agriculture (WANDA)
- Experience leading nutrition and food justice workshops

Experience

Franciel Ikeji is an experienced registered dietitian, nutrition educator and advocate. She is passionate about empowering her community with cultural food and nutrition knowledge and practical strategies, as well as advocating for policies to support healthful and prosperous lives.

Franciel is the owner of Better Nutrition, Better You, a private practice that provides culturally relevant nutrition counseling, courses and media services. Overcoming personal struggles to eventually embrace her Jamaican food heritage ignited a passion to encourage clients and guide them in sustainable strategies for nutrition and health while honoring their cultural food heritage. Immersion in Nigerian foodways and travels to the continent have further informed her knowledge of the African heritage diet.

As a founding board member of Women Advancing Nutrition Dietetics and Agriculture (WANDA), a Black women-led social justice nonprofit organization, Franciel embodies the mission to grow a new crop of "food sheroes" from farm to health across the African diaspora. She serves as the nutrition advisor and leads the development of cultural nutrition and nutrition equity content for programming and professional development. Franciel believes that advocating for policy changes while building a resilient pipeline and equitable platform for rising and leading food sheroes is key to fixing a broken food system.