This year I’m running three marathons in one season, and it’s almost time for my first one! While I have a good idea of what works for me overall nutrition-wise, I’ve never focused on fueling my body for performance and optimizing my nutrition to help me reach my running goals. Because I work full-time, manage businesses, and train, it leaves little time for deep dives into nutrition.
I decided to enlist more support this year, and I’ve been working with an incredible running coach, Corky, this year. She has been an amazing help in getting me set up for success. I chose Corky because I loved taking classes with her IRL when I lived in New York, and it gave me an introduction to her approach to coaching. I truly admire her as a runner and as a human! She shares so many tips with her athletes but advises that you work with a registered dietitian if you want to go deeper on the nutrition journey.
Why It Matters to Work With a Dietician of Color
As I started diving deeper into the nutrition side of things, I decided I wanted to find a dietician who would understand my fitness journey. My family is from the Caribbean so I really wanted to work with someone who understands that carbs for me might be roti and rice on some days and quinoa on others. I also wanted to avoid having inadequate nutrition, which is a mistake I’ve made in the past when I trained for my first marathon. Fueling for daily life is also much different than fueling for a marathon (let alone THREE marathons). So I really wanted to invest in someone that looked like me, but that’s easier said than done. It can be difficult to find dieticians of diverse backgrounds, but I started digging and I put together a list of dieticians of color for folks who are looking for the same thing!
Dietician vs Nutritionist
Before we dive into the list of dieticians of color, it’s important to understand the difference between a dietician and a nutritionist. While both dieticians and nutritionists are specialists in food and diet, dieticians have more education and credentials. To qualify as a nutritionist, you must have a degree in nutrition. Be careful because the term nutritionist is not regulated, so if you decide to work with a nutritionist make sure they have the credentials (Certified Nutrition Specialist or Clinical Nutritionist) to back it up. Nutritionists can work in clinical settings, school districts, or in research settings for sports organizations. They can provide advice on food behavior for individuals and groups, including creating meal plans.
To become a dietitian, you must earn a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited program with a focus on nutrition, earn a verification from a Didactic Program in Dietetics, and complete a 1,200 internship before being eligible for the national board exam. Additionally, some states require more licensing and certifications to keep an active practice. Registered dieticians assess the food, beverages, medications, and supplements that are part of someone’s diet and consider medical conditions, food preferences, and other factors to create a nutrition plan. Dieticians can also work in the same settings as nutritionists. The main difference between the role of a dietitian and a nutritionist is that a dietitian can help diagnose and treat illnesses and create meal plans that support the health of their clients.
My Journey With a Dietician
My search for a dietician of color led me to Bri Butler, the CEO and lead dietician at Power Portions. I decided to work with her because I got great vibes from her at our kickoff call and her response time and honesty were great! She has been incredibly helpful at working with me while my schedule is less than ideal for endurance fueling. With Bri, where there’s a will there’s a way! I’d highly recommend her and her team if you are looking for someone who specializes in endurance athletes. Bri played in the WNBA, and after retiring from professional sports, she found her next calling in helping performance athletes with their nutrition and health goals. Since I started working with Bri, here’s what we’ve accomplished:
- Food Journaling – This gave Bri (and me) a sense of where my baseline is.
- Testing and Education – Learning is part of the process. Learning what works for you personally and how your body reacts to the food you use to fuel it is important.
- Inside Tracker – Labs from Inside Tracker have given us science-backed recommendations for my body’s needs.
- Sweat Testing – Using a wearable sweat sensor helps me monitor biomarkers as I move.
List of Dieticians of Color in Private Practice
Diverse Dieticians for Athletes
Starla García – Marathoner + Dietitian offering 1:1 nutrition coaching
Culina Health – Online and accessible personal nutrition coaching from dieticians and nutritionists of color
Vanessa Rissetto – MS, RD, CDN, founder of Culina Health
Samantha Partida – MS, RD, CSSD, Sports Dietitian
Black Dieticians
Marisa Moore – MBA, RDN, has great content on social media and blog
Christyna Johnson – MS, RDN, LDN, offers in-person and virtual nutrition counseling
Shana Minei Spence – MS, RDN, CDN, offers virtual nutrition counseling
Valerie Agyeman – RD, founder of Flourish Heights, a resource for women’s health
Basheerah Enahora – Dietitian who specializes in helping busy women improve their health, offers 1:1 and group sessions
Jerlyn Jones – MS, MPA, RDN, LD, CLT, Certified LEAP Therapist, offers a 3-month program for lifestyle transformation
Wendy & Jess – RDs, CDEs, post easy recipes and have a nutrition podcast, available for collaborations, recipe creation, and freelance writing for brands
Maya Feller – MS, RD, CDN, provides nutrition therapy with a culturally-sensitive approach and a focus on staying healthy, offers 6-month nutrition counseling
Tambra Raye Stevenson – MPH, Tambra founded NATIVSOL KITCHEN, which advocates and educates on ancient nutrition practices that have been lost in our modern diet, also founded WANDA
More Dieticians of Color
Amy Yiu – RD, founder of Libra Nutrition, where you can find nutritional counseling and community and corporate services
Marina Chaparro – Diabetes Expert + Dietician who specializes in creating meal plans with balanced meals for kids
Diana Rodriguez – MS, RD CDN, weight loss focused dietitian that helps Latinxs eat their cultural foods while on their weight loss journey
Dalina Soto – MA, RD, LDN, intuitive eating focused dietitian who reframes common beliefs surrounding Latinx food
Krista Linares – MPH, RDN, offers virtual nutrition counseling and content that focuses on reclaiming heritage foods
Mansi Padechia – RD, diabetes educator and PCOS specialist who offers 1:1 services
Charan Bijlani – Registered Associate Nutritionist, Charan shares fun recipes and offers online coaching
Ke’alohi Naipo – Dietician who helps Hawaiians have a healthy relationship with food
Adrian Chavez – Doctor of nutrition who simplifies the science of nutrition and offers a 12-week program to establish healthy habits and 1:1 nutrition counseling
Another great resource I found is Diversify Dietetics, a nonprofit that can connect you with nutrition leaders of color. Check out their Instagram & website!
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