From Project to Profit: Cheryl Fitzgerald ’04 & Maria Dellanina ’17

Oct. 2, 2018



Cheryl Fitzgerald ’04 and Maria Dellanina ’17, graduates of Dominican's nutrition program, have created a low-fat, allergen-free, more nutritious alternative to traditional guacamole and have been selling it at farmers' markets throughout the Chicago area this summer and early fall. Their product, Guiltless Guac, was developed in Dominican's Experimental Foods class and debuted on campus during the Food Industry Showcase in 2017.



The guacamole, which was perfected after much trial and error, uses beans and vegetables to reduce calories and increase protein and fiber. As registered dietitians, Cheryl and Maria are very interested in making sure that their product is tasty as well as healthy. The guacamole, which has no preservatives and has only 70 calories per half-cup serving, is sold in six flavors--Traditional, Asian Sensation, Tropical Tango, Minty Mango, Smoked BBQ and BLT.



They have been using Dominican's nutrition lab to create the guacamole in bulk for sale at farmers' markets. The women have a provisional patent on their formula and plan to apply this fall for a spot in The Hatchery, renowned chef Rick Bayless's food start-up incubator.



Eventually, Cheryl and Maria plan to add more food products and manufacturing capability to their umbrella Guiltless Garden business.