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Biography

Mario Landaverde

Mario Landaverde is a Professional Chef, Registered Dietitian and Functional Culinary Nutritionist, based in NYC, a place he calls his home, since he and his family of origin relocated 40 years ago. Mario discovered his passion for food at an early age while working as a dishwasher and prep person in the NYC Restaurant industry, in which he quickly thrived, becoming a chef and consequently holding executive positions in culinary management.  This period in his professional life helped him to develop curiosity on the biological and emotional effects of food in people; therefore, sparking an interest in food as preventive measures and its functional medicinal properties.
In 2011, Mario decided to round things up with academic knowledge, enrolling in the CUNY BA for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies Program, an academic program that allows students to combine different disciplines and create a learning curriculum that aligns with their interests.

He created a curriculum that combined Culinary Arts with Nutrition, thus obtaining a bachelor’s degree in the science of Food, Nutrition and Health.

In 2018, Mario got accepted to the Dietetic Internship at Lehman College, and promptly obtained his RDN credentials, passing the certification exam in the first seating. He is a licensed practitioner in the State of NY.

His professional career includes over 20 years of experience in the Culinary Industry, after obtaining his Nutrition Degrees, he has been working with private clients in nutrition counseling. Mario’s dietetic practice is oriented towards integrative nutrition, concentrating on food allergies and intolerances, cooking with non-allergenic ingredients as substitutions for conventional recipes. He has also worked with non-profit organizations as food and nutrition education program director.

In the fall of 2022, Mario joined the Lehman faculty body as an adjunct professor in the Department of Health Promotion and Nutrition Sciences, to his excitement he found this new challenge immensely gratifying; so, in the Fall of 2023, he joined the Lehman Faculty as a full-time member in the HPNS - Food and Nutrition.

Mario is super excited for this opportunity.