What’s cooking with Maisie Merritt

Everybody eats — no one knows that more than senior dietetics student, Maise Merritt, who serves as the manager for The Nutrition Bar for the Olympic Sport athletes of Arizona State University.

Merritt ensures that athletes get the fuel they need to perform beyond their limits. 

“I see these athletes as very high performers,” Merritt said. “They don't really have any worries other than their sport, so it's refreshing to see them be stressed over an exam. It makes them more down-to-earth.” 

These dishes aren’t bland or boring health foods. Making each snack requires thoughtful composition. Meritt carefully crafts delicious foods with targeted protein counts and more, incorporating fruits and veggies.

“I get to create high protein, nutrient-dense snacks for athletes. We do a lot of high protein smoothies and we try to incorporate healthy fats or sneak some vegetables in those shakes, as well as antioxidants, to ensure that athletes are getting the most with those types of snacks,” Merritt said.

She creates these dishes at a small kitchen on campus called The Nutrition Bar. The Nutrition Bar offers plenty of nutrient-dense foods including overnight oats, veggie sandwiches and more.

“It's like a little half-kitchen,” Merritt said. “I started out as a volunteer at The Nutrition Bar and I would watch the managers make protein shakes, learn about the protocols and how stuff works.”

As an athlete, nutrition has always been a passion for Merritt; however, finding the right balance between food and training isn’t always easy. 

“I was a competitive swimmer for eight years, and I always wanted to have more information about the foods I was using to fuel my body to perform better and feel better,” Merritt said. “I think you can train for so many hours, but if you're not fueling properly or consuming the nutrients that your body needs, you're not going to be able to have a better performance than what you're already doing.”

Working in dietetics was a no-brainer for Merritt. Upon entering her first year, she knew that she was meant to be in this field.

“I just had this weird gut feeling that I needed to go here, and it turned out to be the best decision I ever made. Oddly enough, choosing ASU was mostly based on that gut feeling,” Merritt said.

The field of nutrition offers many different opportunities ranging from being in sports to helping those in need of healthy diets. 

“Being able to work with sports dietitians has opened my eyes to that field and how cool it would be to work with people who are interested and want to learn more about nutrition.”

Like many first-year students, Merritt was intimidated at first. Once she stepped out of her comfort zone, she was able to apply her knowledge in the kitchen. After more and more times, being a part of The Nutrition Bar was part of her routine.

“I would recommend trying stuff that you're afraid to try. I remember I was apprehensive about volunteering at the nutrition bar at first,” Merritt said.

She is also very involved outside of her studies as a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority at ASU. There, she finds community and connection within the ASU campus. 

“I'm a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. As an out-of-state student, it's super cool to be a part of a community where I have a strong support system.”

As she enters her final year, Merritt intends to remain in the Valley as she continues her journey toward becoming a professional dietician.

“Working in nutrition has always been my passion, so I will be attending grad school to get my master’s degree. In order to become a registered dietitian, you have to get your master's degree.”

Merritt hopes to eventually use her drive for dietary health and wellness to give back to the community.

“I think I'm going to start off as a clinical dietitian because it’s so rewarding to help people in need at the start of my career.”

Photography by Autumn Williams