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Leah's Background

Leah McGrath has been a Registered Dietitian since 1996. She holds degrees in Speech Communications (BA-1983 West Chester University) and Human Nutrition (BS-1995 University of Maryland) and has completed course work towards a master's degree in Marketing. Additionally Leah has received certification from the Cooper Institute on Health Promotion and completed certification courses in food safety, neonatal nutrition, and as a breastfeeding consultant.

Leah completed her dietetic internship with the US Army at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC and then became the Chief, Clinical Dietetics at Moncrief Army Hospital, Fort Jackson in Columbia, SC. After resigning her active duty commission in the Army, Leah worked for almost two years with the South Carolina Department of Public Health. Initially she worked as the Lead Nutritionist for the Low Country Health District; but soon became the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) and Nutrition Director for that district.

In 2000 Leah accepted the position with Ingles Supermarkets as their Corporate Dietitian and moved to Asheville, NC and is a licensed dietitian in North Carolina. 

Leah writes regularly for WNC Parent Magazine, Upstate Parent Magazine, Smoky Mountain News and Smoky Mountain Living magazine and the Asheville Citizen Times. She is a frequent guest on WLOS-TV (ABC) in Asheville and Your Carolina in Greenville SC where she presents recipe and nutrition information segments. She also hosts the weekly radio program, "Ingles Information Aisle" on WWNC 570am which can be heard anywhere in the world through the Iheart radio network.

Leah has been a guest speaker for numerous hospitals and businesses throughout the Southeast. She also regularly speaks to Nutrition Departments at many colleges and universities including Clemson University, Winthrop University, East Tennessee State, University of Tennessee, University of Georgia, Georgia State University and Appalachian State. Leah has presented at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Meeting (2013 and 2015), the world’s largest meeting for nutrition professionals. She has been a featured speaker for the North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, Texas and Tennessee Dietetic Associations annual meetings and both the South Carolina Department of Health's (Nutrition)and the South Carolina Consumer Sciences annual meeting.

In the past few years Leah has become well known for her work in social media and is currently the most followed supermarket dietitian (@InglesDietitian) in the U.S on Twitter.  She coordinates both the Facebook and Twitter accounts for Ingles Markets and has developed innovative strategies to connect brands and products to consumers and inform customers about health and nutrition.

Currently Leah serves as an advisor to the Soy Connection Newsletter and is a scientific advisor for the American Council on Science and Health.

Information on Public Speaking and Talks with the Ingles Dietitian