Can (or should) you give a mouse a cookie? You would have to ask our zoo animal nutritionist, Barbara Henry!

At the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, mealtime is serious business. Every leaf of lettuce, every scoop of grain, and every carefully prepared snack is part of a plan to keep animals healthy and thriving. Behind it all is curator of nutrition, aka zoo animal nutritionist, Barbara Henry.

Instead of planning meals for people, she creates diets for hundreds of species, from tiny insects to massive mammals. Each animal has different nutritional needs based on its species, age, health, and activity level. Some need extra vitamins, some need special supplements, and others need carefully measured portions to make sure they stay at a healthy weight.

Barbara Henry has been a dedicated animal nutritionist at the Cincinnati Zoo for more than 20 years. 30 years ago, when she began her career, there were 7 zoos in North America that had trained nutritionists—today there are 21, reflecting how much the field has grown and how important proper nutrition is to animal care.