From the Motherland to the Menu: WANDA Joins CIA and Harvard to Reimagine Global Nutrition at the Menus of Change Summit

What if the future of food wasn’t just about innovation—but restoration?

At the intersection of ancestral wisdom, public health, and planetary sustainability, WANDA (Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics, and Agriculture) is bringing cultural relevance to the center of the global food conversation. On June 4, 2025, at the Menus of Change Leadership Summit—a landmark gathering hosted by the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in partnership with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health—Tambra Raye Stevenson, MPH, MA, PhD Candidate and Founder of WANDA, will join global food leaders in shaping a new vision of nutrition justice rooted in tradition.

Together, they will make the case that global nutrition frameworks cannot be complete without the ancestral wisdom and culinary traditions of the African Diaspora.

🌍 A Science-Based Framework Meets Cultural Soul

The summit’s General Session IV titled “Science-Driven Global Nutrition Frameworks Translated into Inclusive, Actionable Opportunities for Foodservice” will convene an esteemed panel including:

• Dr. Walter C. Willett, Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

• Fabrice DeClerck, Chief Science Officer, EAT Foundation

• Christa Essig, MPH, World Business Council for Sustainable Development

• Jackie Bertoldo, DrPH, MPH, RDN, Eat Better by Design

• Tambra Raye Stevenson, MPH, MA, Founder of WANDA

Moderated by Greg Drescher, CIA Senior Advisor, the panel explores how the updated EAT-Lancet 2.0 Commission findings can become practical tools for foodservice professionals. What’s new? A bold call for culturally responsive solutions, a theme Tambra will champion with clarity and urgency.

“If we want food to truly be medicine for all, then we must include everyone’s medicine. That starts by bringing traditional African and diasporic diets to the center—not the margins—of food policy, education, and menu development,” says Stevenson.

🍽️ The Power of Traditional Diets in Planetary Health

Dr. Walter C. Willett, a global authority on diet and public health, emphasized the stakes:

Tambra Stevenson and Dr. Walter C. Willett

“Having lived in Tanzania, I know that many delicious, traditional foods align well with what we now understand to be healthy and sustainable diets. Unfortunately, these traditions are being lost… Research by organizations like WANDA is critical for both Africa and the U.S., because everyone can benefit by having options that are enjoyable as well as healthy.”

📊 Building on the Black Food Census

Tambra’s presence at Menus of Change also continues the momentum of WANDA’s groundbreaking Black Food Census—a national initiative collecting data on Black food culture, access, and aspirations launched in the Eating Well feature, "African Heritage Diet as Medicine: How Black Food Can Heal the Community." The Census aims to fill long-standing gaps in nutrition science and policy that have historically excluded the foods and voices of the African Diaspora.

Tambra will highlight how traditional West African dishes—naturally flexitarian, rich in plants, legumes, and heritage grains—are ideal for advancing both health equity and environmental goals. She’ll also share WANDA’s work to democratize access to food data and nutrition literacy, including efforts to incorporate culturally relevant foods into national food composition databases like FoodData Central, ensuring federal guidelines and programs better reflect diverse dietary practices.

“There is a danger in the single story of wellness. To name only Blue Zones or Mediterranean Diets as healthy is to forget that the first medicine was made in African kitchens. The cradle of humanity has long fed the world—yet African cuisines have been left off the plate...until now."

🌺 Cooking Up Solutions: AFRICAN Flavors on the Menu

Following the panel, Tambra will stay on stage for a 20-minute culinary demo that puts theory into practice. Co-hosted by Chef Roshara Sanders, CIA alumnus and faculty leader of the Cuisines and Cultures of Africa and Its Diaspora in the Americas initiative, the demo features Michelle Kwaw, a CIA student. Together, they’ll prepare:

• Red Red: A hearty black-eyed pea stew in red palm oil, served with golden fried plantains—a vegetarian-friendly comfort dish rich in iron, fiber, and antioxidants.

• Fonio Mango Salad: A light, nutrient-dense dish using the ancient West African grain fonio—gluten-free, climate-resilient, and packed with essential amino acids.

• Sobolo (Hibiscus Drink): A vibrant, Vitamin C-rich beverage made from hibiscus petals—refreshing and immune-boosting.

Michelle shares,

“Red Red reminds me of home, of community, and of how simple ingredients can nourish body and soul. To share that story on stage is an honor—and a step toward bringing African flavors into more kitchens around the world.”

Chef Sanders adds,

“African cuisines are foundational—not just for culinary history, but for our future. These foods carry the wisdom of sustainability, seasonality, and wellness. We’re not just cooking; we’re reclaiming and restoring.”

Little WANDA

👧🏾 Enter Little WANDA: A Food Hero for A NEW Generation

Appearing alongside Tambra will be Little WANDA, the animated 5-year-old nutrition ambassador who inspires children to celebrate their cultural food heritage. Her presence brings joy, relevance, and accessibility to the dialogue—proving that nutrition education should start young and center cultural pride.

“Little WANDA shows that storytelling and science go hand in hand,” says Tambra. “She’s here to help the next generation know their food, love their roots, and reclaim their power—one plate at a time.”

💡 A Menu of Change for the World We Want

Abby Fammartino, Director of Health and Sustainability Programs at CIA, sums it up best:

“This session brings science and culture together in a powerful way. Elevating traditional diets is essential not only for sustainability, but for culinary innovation. These menus are delicious, impactful, and inclusive—and that’s what the future of food needs.”

As global food systems adapt to the intersecting crises of chronic disease, climate change, and cultural erasure, the Menus of Change Summit signals a shift—from extractive food models to restorative food movements. And WANDA is helping lead that transformation, plate by plate.

🔥 Key Takeaways for Food Leaders:

• Culturally relevant menus expand consumer choice while aligning with climate goals.

• African and diaspora cuisines offer high-nutrient, low-impact templates for planetary health.

• Foodservice professionals must lead the charge in normalizing traditional diets as the gold standard.

• Culinary storytelling—through empowering content and characters like Little WANDA—is essential for intergenerational impact.

✊🏾 Call to Action: Reimagine What’s Possible

• Are you a chef, food operator? Make room on your menu for ancestral foods like African and Diasporan cuisine that heal both people and the planet.

• Are you a or policymaker? Recognize the value of cultural nutrition and fund research and education that reflects food diversity.

• Are you an educator or parent? Let Little WANDA help spark a new food story in the classroom or home.

• Are you an eater? Explore the plant-forward richness of global Black cuisines. Ask what’s been left off your plate—and explore the healing power of traditional foods like black-eyed peas, fonio, hibiscus, baobab, and bitter greens.

From the Motherland to the Menu, the future of food is inclusive, inspiring, and indigenous. Let’s build it together.

🔗 www.iamwanda.org📸 @iamwandaorg | #MenusOfChange2025 #LittleWANDA #PlanetaryHealthPlate #GhanaianCuisine #RedRed #FoodAsMedicine #FoodIsFreedom #CulturalNutrition #FromTheMotherlandToTheMenu

About WANDA

Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics, and Agriculture (WANDA) is a nonprofit building a pipeline and platform of women and girls of African descent leading in from farm to health. Through education, advocacy, and storytelling, WANDA empowers communities to restore their health and reclaim their heritage through food. Support the Food Shero Freedom Fund at iamwanda.org/fund.

About Menus of Change Leadership Summit

The Menus of Change Leadership Summit functions as a pivotal catalyst for transformative change within the foodservice industry. We provide chefs and operators with access to the most current research, consumer insights, and crucial information concerning nutrition and sustainability. This empowers them to make informed decisions that not only ensure the financial viability of their businesses but also prioritize public health, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility. By showcasing compelling success stories, presenting impactful case studies, and fostering a collaborative environment, the Summit serves as an essential platform to inspire industry-wide recommitment and action towards building a more sustainable and equitable food future for all.