Raeanne Sarazen is a registered dietitian and classically trained chef who specializes in recipe development, food writing and editing.
Raeanne is known for translating complex nutrition recommendations into recipes for people with diet-related health conditions and simplifying the complicated recipes of professional chefs for the home cook. Her philosophy is that food is more than just sustenance; it is a source of healing and joy.
Raeanne has more than two decades of food industry experience. She has worked in hospitals as a clinical dietitian, at the Chicago Tribune as test kitchen director and assistant food editor, and in restaurant kitchens, including Charlie Trotter’s. Raeanne has written articles, developed recipes, and produced video for the Chicago Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, Cooking Light, Better Homes and Gardens, national food companies, among other outlets.
Raeanne completed her professional cooking studies at Le Cordon Bleu. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Medical Dietetics from the University of Illinois, and a Master of Arts in New Media Studies from DePaul University. She is a Distinguished Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, founding member of the Academy’s Food and Culinary Practice Group, and board member of Les Dames d’Escoffier and the nonprofit, Common Threads.
Food
Food is Raeanne’s passion and profession. For her, food has always been the lens through which she views and understands life. She is curious about everything as it relates to food—from how it grows to its meaning and place in history. What she loves about food is that there’s always more to know and to experience.
Nutrition
Raeanne believes nutrition is a science, not an opinion. Her life work is helping people enjoy food and focus on living well.
She understands the array of nutrients in food supports good health and can help prevent, manage, or even reverse disease, but she also knows, food is so much more. Food is memory. Food is cultural identity. Food is community. And, of course, food is joy. People don’t eat nutrients; they eat food.
Recipes
To Raeanne, recipes are not just a list of ingredients and instructions. Recipes tell a story about culture, identity, and how we eat and live. They’re historic retellings with nutrition messages embedded in them. Raeanne believes the written recipe is a powerful tool to educate ourselves and future generations about healthy and delicious eating. And for recipes to live on, they must be accurately recorded and shared with joyful abandon.
