As the population health and well-being consultant for the Finger Lakes Area School Health Plan, Ken Foresti’s goal is to find ways to better the lives of his clients.

When his research brought him to Kelly Springer, Foresti knew he found someone who would help him reach his goal. Springer is the owner of the Skaneateles-based Kelly’s Choice, a collection of registered dieticians, nutritionists and educators who develop coaching programs for schools, workplaces, medical facilities and athletes.

“I’m always looking to connect my clients to people who will help them better themselves, and Kelly has a longstanding record in the [health and wellness] industry,” says Foresti, who was instrumental in bringing Springer and her team to FLASHP. “I truly believe Kelly’s Choice is a fantastic fit and will help a lot of people.”

There are approximately 19,000 people who receive benefits from FLASHP, and all will have access to the program through their insurance, according to wellness consultant Rick Amundson of Smola Consulting. Springer, who founded Kelly’s Choice in 2012, will have the opportunity to help a lot of people.

“I really understand nutrition and I want to make FLASHP employees more aware of nutrition and what they should eat and what not to eat,” Springer says.

She has spent nearly two decades in the field of dietetics and is the former division dietitian at Wegmans Food Markets, spearheading the company’s workplace wellness program.

Springer and her team intend to educate FLASHP employees through webinars ranging in topics from “Nutrition Basics” and “Healthy Food Pairings” to “Tips for Healthy Skin” and “Emotional Eating.” Among Springer’s most popular webinars are “Nutrition and Stress,” which walks participants through the dangers of stress and how real food and decreased stress levels can work together to prevent adverse health effects; and “Supporting Your Immune System,” which explains what nutrients one should consume to best support their immune system.

“All of Kelly’s workshops are centered on wellness, and there is no fee to participate,” Amundson says. “We love her leadership and the passion she brings, and really believe people are going to be excited to learn from her.”

Springer doesn’t classify Kelly’s Choice as a “weight-loss program,” but notes that following her healthy meal suggestions and nutrition advice will likely result in the participant dropping a few pounds. Her healthy eating tips and suggestions have helped more than 1,500 people lose a total of 7,000-plus pounds, and approximately 80 percent of those people have kept the weight off for more than five years, she says.

“We are not a fad diet, because those are all about restricting you from something and are not sustainable,” Springer says. “For us, it is all about education and moderation. We work with clients to adopt healthy habits that will give them more energy and make them look and feel great.”

In an effort to help people conquer their nutritional challenges, Springer and her team make a plethora of recipes available – many can be found at kellyschoice.org. Springer’s recipes cover the entire meal, from snacks and appetizers to desserts. Many of these recipes are plant-based, which fits right into FLASHP’s wellness mission. Some may recall that FLASHP recently organized a challenge in which five people from each entity participated in a 10-day challenge following a plant-based diet instead of the typical diet consisting of meat and fried foods, as well as foods with added sugars.

“Kelly supports the idea of plant-based nutrition, which is another reason why we believe she is such a good fit for us,” Amundson says.

“The majority of your plate should be coming from plants,” Springer adds. “We educate all of our clients on the nutrition value of plants because they contain phytochemicals, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber.”

The coronavirus pandemic will limit Springer’s interaction with FLASHP members to the virtual variety initially, but it is not limiting her enthusiasm toward working with the consortium.

“I’m so excited to be working with the consortium members,” Springer says. “These times [with the coronavirus] can be extremely stressful for staff, so I’m happy to be able to come on board and provide ways to lower stress levels and anxiety.”