Page 56 - Today's Dietitian (February 2020)

Get to Know … By Lindsey Getz

publishes recipes for some of her restaurants’ most-loved items
on her blog—truly wanting the best for her followers and cus-
tomers. Joseph is a social media star, with more than 70,000
followers on Instagram and nearly 20,000 followers on Face-
book—all of which drive traffic back to her blog.
Joseph also is involved in freelance writing for national
outlets and participates in televised cooking segments, all
part of her passion for getting accurate nutrition information
to the general public. Her goal is to make delicious food
and smart nutrition accessible to everyone, using multiple
channels to get there.
She resides in Columbus with her fiancé, Jeff. When Joseph
isn’t at work at home, or in one of the restaurants, she can be
found spending time outdoors, cooking, reading, and dancing.
She loves brunch dates and discovering new places to eat.

Today’s Dietitian (TD): Where did the idea for Alchemy
originate, and how do you use your expertise as a dietitian
to run it?
Joseph: The concept evolved from an idea that my close
friend—and now Alchemy business partner—had during a
nutrition class at Ohio State University. We recognized that
there was a unique opportunity to combine food and nutrition
guidance under one roof. My training in dietetics gave me the
foundation for how to fuel our bodies without sacrificing flavor
or fun—and that’s evident on our menus. I’ve also found that
a lot of people don’t know how to access a dietitian. By inte-
grating health care into the place where they are making food
choices, we’ve made it really easy for them. We’re providing an
accessible way for people to talk about nutrition.

TD: What types of foods are on the menu, and what’s the
overall food philosophy?
Alexis Joseph Joseph: While the restaurants are plant-forward, we do serve
meat. Our goal was for Alchemy to be a place where everyone,
no matter their diet, could come together and share a delicious
Social Media Star With a Fresh Approach meal. We wanted it to be approachable to the masses and,
to Nutrition Counseling more importantly, a no-judgment zone for food.
We encourage our guests to try new things and view that
A lexis Joseph, MS, RD, LD, has been moving at a items, like Coconut Bacon Avocado Toast and Superfood
as a teachable moment. While we have plenty of unique menu
Donuts, we also offer more traditional options. The Egg Sand-
nonstop pace from the very start of her career. A
mere few months after earning her RD creden-
wich is super popular, made with baked eggs, havarti, zesty
tial, Joseph helped launch a successful Columbus,
Ohio–based restaurant concept called Alchemy, cashew cream, and arugula—and, of course, our eggs come
directly from the local farmer. Our smoothies are popular, too,
which now has a thriving second location called Alchemy but that’s not what it’s all about.
Kitchen. The restaurants uniquely combine foodservice and
nutrition guidance under the same roof. Joseph says she was TD: How do you structure your nutrition coaching? Can
looking for a way to pair her love of food with her understand- clients book a one-time session upon visiting the restaurant?
ing of how it fuels the body. Joseph: I actually don’t offer one-time visits because I find
With both restaurants growing, Joseph and her partners there’s never a situation where nutritional guidance is a once-
at A&R Creative Group are in the process of expanding the and-done venture. I’m not booking the clients that want to lose
brand beyond brick and mortar with Alchemy Meal Prep, a 5 lbs or find a quick fix. The clients I take on are those who are
line of prepared meals launching in 2020. She recently hired committed to improving their lifestyle or who are struggling
a dietetics intern to assist with the additional work this pro- with disordered eating. My goal is to help clients better their
gram will require. relationship with food and be able to live full lives again that
As if the restaurant operations and seeing clients weren’t don’t revolve around micromanaging what they eat. This is a
enough, Joseph runs Hummusapien, a highly successful food journey for most people, and the minimum I usually see clients
blog she started in 2011 and currently runs full time. She even is for three visits—but usually more.

56 TODAY’S DIETITIAN • FEBRUARY 2020