Employee Spotlight: Mary Agnew

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Mary is a Nutrition Educator for the CHOICES Nutrition Education program at the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas. In this employee spotlight she shares how she gives back to the community at work and on the running trails. 

Position: Nutrition Educator

How long have you been with CAFB: a year and a half

What’s your favorite part of your position:

I love that every day is different. Some days I’m in the office all day, then the next day I’m getting groceries and testing out a recipe, and another day I’m teaching a class. My week is very varied.

What’s your favorite recipe to make for Nutrition Education classes:

We make a modified Mac n’ Cheese called the “Cheesy Macaroni Bake” that’s healthier than regular Mac n’ Cheese. It has broccoli and tomatoes, and uses low-fat cheese for the sauce. People in the cooking classes really love this recipe. I like taking some of people’s favorite recipes and making them healthier and showing them they can still be delicious.

I hear you’re running a marathon:

I’m training for my first marathon which will be the Austin Marathon on February 16^th. I was part of the RuffTail Runners when I volunteered with Austin Pets Alive, who take shelter dogs out of the shelter environment to run on the trails, and that led me to join Team Spiridon in September to train for the marathon. It’s been good but very time consuming.

What’s you’re advice for prospective runners:

Start small. The Couch to 5k program is great, I’ve had friends do it successfully. You really have to stick with it too because it takes a while for running to become fun. And, if you really want to do a marathon, I would highly recommend joining a group. It provides a lot of support and accountability that you wouldn’t normally have. Getting up at 6 a.m. to run six miles when it’s 28 degrees outside isn’t as tough when you’re not doing it alone.

To learn more about a career at the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas, visit our website.