HHM Feature: Marina Chaparro, MPH, RD, CDE
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we're highlighting some incredible Hispanic and/or Latine RD's and their contributions to the field of dietetics. See the latest feature below and stay tuned for more highlights this month.
Meet Marina Chaparro!
Marina is a Nationally recognized bilingual nutrition and diabetes expert, media spokesperson, and author specializing in Pediatric and Family Nutrition. Marina is the founder of Nutrichicos, a bilingual pediatric and family nutrition practice, where she provides evidence-based yet practical feeding advice to everyday parents.
Q&A with Marina
Why is it essential to have a dietitian that understands your culture?
HOW we eat, WHAT we eat, and even our health beliefs are all intertwined with our culture. It's impossible to separate the two, and we need to understand where that person is coming from, what they believe, and how they grew up to provide meaningful and non-judgmental advice & recs.
In what ways do you celebrate your heritage?
I didn't consciously think about celebrating it until recently; it's just part of my identity. Every day is Hispanic Latinx Heritage Month; it's not just something that happens one month out of the year. I've become more conscious of sharing unique things in my upbringing and culture because I want to educate others, and she's light on our uniqueness. It also shows that Latinos are not a monolith; we are unique yet share common threads.
Why did you choose to become a dietitian?
Not by choice, but it was my calling after I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I was told what to eat when to eat, and life around food shifted entirely. This is when I found I could make a difference and show by example that diabetes does not define you. YOu can see more of my story here.
How do you give back to your community?
A way to give back is to create consistent, valuable, and free educational material in my Instagram and newsletter. Nutrichicos started because I saw a need for culturally relevant and evidence-based nutrition information focused on the Latinx child and family. When I began Nutrichicos, all I saw was material that was translated from English to Spanish, and it was a simple one-pager with very black-and-white guidelines. I knew parents needed something more, something that was realistic, simple yet evidence-based. I also mentor and welcome nutrition interns so they learn about entrepreneurship, media, and having a private practice.
Check Out Marina’s Resources: