About Kay Schlegel-Pratt, MS, RD, LDN, CNSD

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Kay has studied nutrition since 1975. She received a bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University and a Master’s from Ohio State University both in the field of Nutrition Science. She became a registered dietitian in 1983 and began her career at UNC hospital as the nutrition support dietitian working with patient’s who were unable to eat by mouth. For the past 30 years Kay has worked in hospitals, home care, and corporate wellness and has taught at both undergraduate and graduate school at UNC Chapel Hill and North Carolina Central University.

Kay is the mother of two adult children and has a beloved Australian Shepherd named River. She loves being active and loves to be in or on the water.  Kay regularly swims with a master’s group and  has done plenty of boogie boarding, windsurfing, snorkeling, kayaking, white water rafting or canoeing and once even lived on a sailboat in the Caribbean. She also walks and bikes and plays volleyball on a neighborhood sand court. Vacations often include hiking or sailing with her husband. They have backpacked in the Grand Canyon, the Utah National Parks, the Appalachians, Rocky Mountains, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and White Mountains as well as many local trails. In 2019, Kay and her husband sailed their boat to the Bahamas.

Staying healthy and active throughout life is important to Kay.  “It’s not that I want to live forever, but as long as I am alive, I want to be able to be mobile, active and independent.” Through teaching people about good nutrition, Kay hopes to help others to achieve some of these same goals. 

Kay wants to help people transform their lives through natural means by eating and exercising in a moderate healthful way.

Susan completed her undergraduate degree with a double major in Family and Consumer Science Journalism and Food and Nutrition from Iowa State University in Ames Iowa. She completed her dietetic internship at St. Mary’s Hospital/Mayo Clinic Medical Complex in Rochester, Minnesota. She received her PhD in Public Health Nutrition at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Susan joined Essential Nutrition and Wellness, LLC in 2013. She enjoys counseling individuals of all ages, but specializes in pediatrics, adolescents and eating disorders. Susan has experience working in clinical nutrition, diabetes, maternal and child nutrition as well as teaching university-level nutrition courses.

Susan is married and has four children, one in high school, two  in college and one who has finished college and is working.