Veronica Osorio Duque

Veronica Osorio is a rising senior at Meredith College double majoring in food & nutrition and professional Spanish. As a FERN Fellow with the Global Food Research Program, she is working with Carlos Roberto Soto Díaz on research exploring consumer perceptions, beliefs, and motivations surrounding prebiotic sodas, as well as marketing claims within the food environment. She is also collaborating with fellow FERN students to examine the prevalence of ultra-processed foods in elementary schools. Veronica is especially interested in the intersection of nutrition, culture, and public health, particularly within Hispanic and Latin American communities in the United States. She is passionate about making nutrition information more accessible and culturally relevant through research, education, and community engagement. Following graduation, Veronica hopes to attend UNC-Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health to pursue her Registered Dietitian credentials and continue her education in nutrition and public health.

My “go-to” comfort food is… Venezuelan arepas filled with reina pepiada, a creamy avocado and chicken filling full of flavor.

Foods I must have in my home are… rice cakes topped with almond butter, banana, and a drizzle of honey.

My favorite combination of food and drink is… a warm cheese empanada with refreshing papelón con limón, a traditional Venezuelan lime drink made with unrefined cane sugar.