About
Certified on August 1, 2016.
Dr. Anne VanBeber has been a faculty member in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Texas Christian University since 1992, where she served as Department Chair for 22 years. She holds degrees from Texas Tech University and Texas Woman’s University, with majors in Nutrition and a minor in Food Science. A Registered and Licensed Dietitian, Dr. VanBeber is a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist, and Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences. Current teaching responsibilities include Food Preparation, Meal Management, Gourmet Foods, Food and Culture, Culinary Medicine Seminar, Food Management Supervised Practical Experience, and Veganism/ Sustainability /Plant-based Food Studies. Since 2012 she has led seven cohorts of TCU students on study abroad programs to Seville, Spain, with a curricular focus on food insecurity and public health. Dr. VanBeber is responsible for bringing the Health Meets Food Culinary Medicine curriculum to Fort Worth in 2014 and has subsequently taught over 200 medical and allied health students the importance of food as a vehicle for promoting health and reducing disease risk.
An accomplished author, Dr. VanBeber has published over 30 refereed articles in professional journals, 13 articles in professional newsletters/magazines, and five chapters in reference books. She has conducted numerous presentations at state and national professional meetings and enjoys presenting food and nutrition-related programs to community and public organizations. Dr. VanBeber is a sought-after nutrition expert who has been quoted in numerous lays publications, including Today’s Dietitian, Better Homes and Gardens, Cooking Light, Family Circle, Woman’s Health, Fitness, and Fort Worth Texas magazines as well as in other electronic and print media.
Dr. VanBeber was named an Outstanding Dietetics Educator by the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in 2001. She was named as the Academic Advisor of the Year by TCU Panhellenic Association in 2004 and has been honored as a Preferred Professor by TCU Mortar Board. In December 2009, Dr. VanBeber was honored by TCU with the Dean’s Teaching Award for Significant and Meritorious Achievement in Teaching, and she was honored with the TCU College of Science and Engineering Award for Distinguished Achievement as a Creative Teacher and Scholar in September 2018. In 2022, she was the TCU College of Science and Engineering nominee for the Minnie Stevens Piper Award, and most recently, she was a finalist for the 2023 TCU Ferrari Award for Distinguished University Service and Leadership.
Food Lover’s Questionnaire
What is your favorite ingredient?
Sweet onion
What is your least favorite ingredient?
I don’t really have a least favorite.
What turns you on creatively?
Trying new techniques and flavors.
What turns you off?
People who are unwilling to try foods and people who are very picky eaters.
What is your favorite recipe or meal?
Vietnamese noodle dishes, fresh spring rolls
What culinary flavor or aroma do you love?
Southeast Asian flavors and ingredients. I also love to combine sweet ingredients into savory dishes.
What culinary flavor or aroma do you hate?
I don’t like culinary flavors that are boring and bland.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
I thought about being a flight attendant when I was younger.
What profession would you not like to do?
Any profession that involves a lot of math, spreadsheets.
Julia Child invites you to a pot luck dinner with James Beard and Aguste Escoffier. What dish would you take?
Chicken Pastilla, Cheddar Chive Biscuits, or Apricot Strudel
