Chef Ramsey

When on a simple walk to work and you can see everything from elephants and cheetahs to prairie dogs and an occasional orangutan swinging overhead, you may think you are in another world. Not if it’s all in a day’s work at the Smithsonian National Zoo.

What I have come to realize over the last 6 months since I arrived as executive chef for the Zoo’s foodservice provider Sodexo, is that the animal world is not unlike ours, especially when it comes to living well and being healthy.

That may seem like a no-brainer to some people, I get it. Of course animals need to exercise, socialize with others, and in general do the things that healthy humans do. What I didn’t realize was how much we have in common when it comes to eating well.

The Zoo’s senior animal nutritionist, Mike Maslanka, and I have a lot in common when it comes to menu planning – he has to consider everything from portion size, salts and sugars, to food safety standards and even sustainable sourcing when planning a meal for each individual animal in the Zoo’s collection.

A Smithsonian commissary worker prepares a meal for one of the zoo's many animals.

One visit to Mike’s kitchen and I was hooked – it gave me a whole new way of thinking about the animals. Well, that and the fact that I am jealous of his gigantic walk-in refrigerator.

Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of differences between us and the animals–like the fact that while most of us will need to watch our weight over the holiday season, Mike will be working to strategically pack on a few pounds for some of the animals that need it for winter.

In the Zoo’s commissary every animal has a special diet planned specifically for them, their likes and dislikes, even their indulgences saved for rewards or special occasions. The interesting part for me was the factors Mike takes into account for an animal menu and how strikingly similar it is to how I think about creating a healthy menu item for a cafe, for a special event, or especially when I am planning to accommodate a special diet.

For example, did you know that primates can suffer from diabetes? Who would have thought that elephants can struggle with their weight?  In fact, Shanti, one of the Zoo’s Asian Elephants can gain or lose up to 300 pounds in month! 

Zoo Lights provides a perfect link between a visit to the zoo and the holidays. Click on the picture for additional photos.

The holiday season is upon us – in fact, Zoo Lights (Nov. 23-Jan.1) is already shining a festive brilliance here each evening – and we are all planning celebrations full of fresh-baked cookies, egg nog and other traditions.

We all deserve a little indulgence from time to time, but remember living well means living healthy. Make choices based on what you need, and occasionally on what you want…just another lesson we can learn from the animals at the Zoo. Eat a sweet, just watch the portion size; make sure you have a snack, so you can graze instead of overeating; and at the end of the day, join in the holiday spirit, spend time with family and maybe even come see us at the National Zoo.

Tom Ramsey is Sodexo’s executive chef at Smithsonian National Zoo.