Deborah Olarte, PhD, RD

05/06/2026

My graduate students shined today ☀️ presenting their culminating research projects on the associations between stress and social media on diet behaviors and patterns, among many other great topics! I’m so proud of all their hard work this semester and look forward to seeing their next steps as they become registered dietitians!

01/21/2026

Incredibly excited for this opportunity to serve as the Associate Editor for the Journal of School Health at the American School Health Association. I know I will learn a lot working with such a talented team. Thank you so much!

We’re excited to announce Dr. Deborah Olarte, PhD, RD, as an associate editor for the Journal of School Health (JOSH). Dr. Olarte is an Assistant Professor in NYU’s Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, a Registered Dietitian, & holds a PhD in Behavioral Nutrition and an MS in Nutrition and Public Health from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Her work focuses on improving adolescent health through school-based nutrition research, including studies on universal free school meals and teachers’ roles in supporting healthy meal consumption. She has presented internationally, published in high-impact journals, and co-authored the Diet and Nutrition chapter in Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Prevention, and Control (5th ed.). She also serves in a leadership role within APHA’s Food and Nutrition Section.

We’re grateful to have Dr. Olarte’s expertise on the JOSH editorial team. Welcome aboard!

01/05/2026

I am conducting a survey of teachers to gain their perspectives on school breakfast. If you are a K-12 public school teacher (or know one) please consider taking this survey (or forwarding it on). See below for more details. Thank you!

🍎 Current K–12 Teachers — We Need Your Voice!

Breakfast looks different in every school. Whether it's in the cafeteria or classroom, your insights matter!

Please take our 15-minute national survey 📊 for a chance to win one of 10 $25 Amazon gift cards (1/1000 chance of winning) 🎁
This survey is open to all current U.S. public school teachers, grades K–12 🧑‍🏫

https://nyu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eRT56lw3xdB2nMG

01/04/2026

“If someone is selling you perfection, that is marketing. If someone is acknowledging the chaos, that might actually be health."

I just launched my new publication, Well, Practically.

I’m a PhD and RD, but I’m also a tired mom who doom-scrolls at night. In this first episode, I’m breaking down why the influencer in your feed feels safer than science—and why that’s a trap.

Listen here:

“If someone is selling you perfection, that is marketing. If someone is acknowledging the chaos, that might actually be health." I just launched my new publication, Well, Practically. I’m a PhD and RD, but I’m also a tired mom who doom-scrolls at night. In this first episode, I’m breaking do...

10/01/2020

Happy first day of October! to when we went apple and pumpkin picking two weeks ago. you are beautiful!

Data analysis has been my life lately. I’ve been up to my eyebrows in transcripts of interviews, focus groups and workshops. I’ve been going through every sentence spoken, looking for common themes among teachers and their role in school lunch (simply stated). And I’m loving every minute of it! 🤓

Despite COVID and the upheaval and anxiety it caused my family earlier this year, there’s no where else I’d rather be right now. We are enjoying the changing seasons from our home, surrounded by natural beauty. We don’t really have plans anymore and I get to write my dissertation with in my - ❤️

09/22/2020

Have you been thinking about teaching your kids more about food and nutrition? Whether you're a classroom teacher or a parent helping your child learn remotely this year, my latest post includes 3 food and nutrition lessons that are great to get kids learning about food.

As part of my doctoral fellowship last year I read through tomes of food and nutrition lessons and these are some of my favorites. As the seasons are changing, they're perfect for this time of year. They're also easy to implement and fun for everyone!

Whether you include it during the week or bring it out as a fun weekend project, let me know what you think! Leave a comment! And don't forget to like and share! It always means a lot when you do. Have a great day friends!

09/15/2020

If you've been looking for a few good snacks to get you through mid-morning or the afternoon, read my latest post on snacks that kids and adults love. These are perfect for your back to school snack hankerings.

Do you have other favorite go-to snacks your family enjoys? I'd love to hear! Let me know in the comments! 👇🏼

09/12/2020

❓I am using these colors as part of my brand, and this image as a backdrop on some posts. What do you think?

09/11/2020

We are really looking forward to going back to our new favorite apple orchard for some more apples and blackberries and pumpkins and pie! Oh my!

Orchards are great places to get outside, get fresh air and remain socially distant from others. They are great family-friendly places and apples are coming into peak season!

What fun family stuff are you planning for this weekend? 🍂🍁🍎🎃👨‍👩‍👧 Let me know 👇🏼👇🏼 @ Paulus Mt Airy Orchards

09/10/2020

Fresh blackberry and rosemary gin martini 🥰🥰🥰 ... heaven, I’m in heaven...

Yeah, it was that good.

Recipe (makes 2 servings):
Ingredients:
• A handful of fresh blackberries
• A sprig of fresh rosemary
• 4oz of gin
• 2oz of honey water
• Splash of elderflower & rose lemonade (this is my favorite secret ingredient)

Instructions:
1. In a shaker, muddle the blackberries and rosemary
2. Add the gin and honey water
3. Add ice, cover and shake
4. Use a fine mesh strainer to catch any extra blackberry pulp as you pour into your favorite cocktail or martini glass
5. Top with my favorite secret ingredient elderflower and rosemary lemonade
6. Garnish with another sprig of rosemary and voila!

Enjoy!! 🤗🥰😘