HHM Feature: Krista Linares, MPH, RD

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 Krista Linares!

Krista Linares (@latina.dietitian) is a Mexican and Cuban-American registered dietitian and the owner of Nutrition con Sabor, where she helps Latinos manage their health by celebrating Latin food culture. Krista specializes in diabetes management, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and food allergies

Q&A with Krista

Why is it important to have a dietitian that understands your culture?

I talk to Latine clients every day who have had past experiences with dietitians where they felt a line was being drawn between the dietitian's recommendations and their cultural foods.  More often than not, this was completely unintentional on the part of the dietitian. It was because none of the resources provided were inclusive of cultural foods, or another seemingly small reason.

But there are two reasons this may turn a client away from their cultural foods. First, it simply means the client has to do more work if they wish to include their cultural foods. They have to spend more time looking up information on that food, and assessing if it fits the plan established with the dietitian. Even if a client is willing to do that extra work, they may fear "getting it wrong" and decide to just stick with what the dietitian said.

Second, clients heavily rely on visuals and examples. They may see a dietitian's example meals and think that's what a healthy meal has to look like. If those meals don't look like the types of foods they would enjoy, that can reinforce an internal belief that there's something inherently different between a healthy diet and their preferred cultural foods.

Check Out Krista’s Resources:

  • Tortilla and Nutrition History Workshop: Join Krista on November 30th or December 6th to discover the secrets behind this iconic food, from its ancient origins to now, including it’s unique nutritional value (and how the nutrition has changed over time). Register here.

  • Mexican History and Nutrition Workshop for Health Pros Recording: Are you looking to deepen your understanding of Latine heritage foods? Check out this special recorded webinar exploring the fascinating connection between Mexican history and nutrition, designed specifically for health professionals. Approved for 1.5 CEUs by CDR. Get it here. 

  • Nutrition Con Sabor Blog: It's no secret that there's a lack of information when it comes to the nutritional benefits of certain cultural cuisines such as Mexican food. Krista provides information on everything from the health benefits of Birria to Mexican snacks on her blog. Check it out here.

  • Balanced Latin Meals - Dietitian’s Toolkit: Customizable guide to balanced meals using Latino heritage foods. For dietitians working with Latino clients! Get yours here.

stephanie mendez