College of Public Health Grad Promotes Benefits of Vegan Foods
| Tionna Jenkins, Ph.D., MPH, is making a significant impact in Arkansas as she inspires individuals to adopt healthier lifestyles.
Jenkins, an alumna of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health’s health policy and management program, is a public health practitioner, consultant and owner of Plate it Healthy, a plant-based, vegan food business. Her food truck, Plate it To Go, brings healthy, delicious options to communities.
Furthering her mission to promote wellness, Jenkins partners with corporations, businesses and communities to help bridge health gaps, provide nutrition solutions and address food deserts.
“I’ve always known I wanted to help people through health care,” she said. “But I never imagined it would be through public health or running a food business focused on health and wellness.”
A native of Little Rock, Jenkins spent much of her childhood in Camden, Pine Bluff and Magnolia. These four diverse locations played a crucial role in shaping her career in public health.
“From an early age, I became aware of the lifestyle differences between rural and urban populations,” she recalled. “I realized that people in certain areas and populations had better access to health care, healthy foods and quality education. Seeing what people did — or did not — have access to because of their zip codes and neighborhoods left a lasting impact on me.”
Raised in a middle-class household where both of her parents were educators, Jenkins’ life changed dramatically when her father died of a heart attack in his 30s. She was only a preteen at the time. In 2021, she experienced another significant loss when her mother passed away from diabetes and kidney failure.
The deaths of her parents due to chronic illnesses fuels Jenkins’ passion for helping others lead healthier lives.
“I’ve always wanted to find solutions to chronic health issues,” she said. “I want that to be part of my legacy. That is why I chose public health.”
Jenkins, who earned a biology degree from Philander Smith University, a Ph.D. in Public Policy with a specialization in health from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, and a graduate certification in Nonprofit Management from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock — was among the first group of people to get a Master of Public Health degree from the UAMS College of Public Health.
She deems her journey into public health as serendipitous.
After graduating from Philander Smith University, Jenkins was working on a project with her mentor at UAMS, when she noticed a book on public health on his desk. This sparked a life-changing conversation.
“My mentor, Dr. Billy Thomas told me he was returning to school to earn an MPH,” she said. “He explained that as a doctor, he could only see patients one-on-one, but by working in public health, he could change systems and influence entire communities. He could also impact public policy and help people change harmful behaviors. That is when I decided I would pursue an MPH, too.”
Jenkins described the pursuit of her degree as challenging, especially since few people were familiar with the MPH program at the time.
“It was intense,” she said. “In the early 2000s, most people did not know what the MPH program was, except those already in the medical field. Most of my classmates were older professionals with established careers. Transitioning from undergrad to graduate school with classmates much older than me was tough. But through prayer and perseverance, I completed the program, specializing in health care policy.”
She credits her undergraduate and graduate professors and mentors for their role in her success.
“I had some incredible professors who were instrumental in ensuring that we were well-rounded and knowledgeable about population health,” Jenkins said. “They were thorough, intense and made sure we mastered the material.”
Her education at UAMS laid the foundation for her work in public policy.
“Thanks to my public health education, I had the opportunity to work alongside national leaders, including U.S. presidents, legislators and in various philanthropic spaces,” she said. “It also enabled me to become a public health practitioner and consultant. As an entrepreneur, I’ve been able to specialize in the food industry, with a focus on wellness, addressing food deserts, identifying gaps in access to nutrition and health care, and providing practical solutions.
“UAMS taught me how to apply public health to all these areas, which is why I am so passionate about serving healthy foods to the community.”
After completing her degree, Jenkins worked with Joe Thompson, M.D., MPH, when he was Arkansas’ surgeon general, focusing on obesity policy and legislation. Thompson is the president emeritus of the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI).
Jenkins has also held various roles addressing healthcare policies at the local, state, and federal levels. However, it is her vegan food business, co-owned with her husband, that has garnered her the most recognition.
Tionna Jenkins’, Ph.D., MPH, vegan food truck has become a popular source for healthy meal options at community events throughout Arkansas.
The business emerged from Jenkins’ own transformation after using plant-based foods to lose 80 pounds.
“After having our second daughter, I struggled with weight loss,” she said. “I was overweight, stressed and began experiencing chest pains. I did not want to have a heart attack like my father. A doctor advised me to change my lifestyle. I set boundaries and changed my environment.
“I stopped eating processed foods and began researching the foods that could help me lose weight and thrive internally,” she continued. “Eventually, I embraced a plant-based diet, gradually removing meat, cheese and other unhealthy processed foods. I lost weight and began sharing my journey with others. People asked me to teach cooking classes, and that led to the business we have today.”
Jenkins, a vegan for more than a decade, is grateful that her personal experiences and education have aligned to help her achieve her goal of promoting healthy living.
“Food addiction is real,” she said. “I am thankful that offering healthy food options has become a part of my life’s work. I love showing people that there are solutions to health and wellness through the food we choose to eat and how we consume it.”