RDN Spotlight: Isabel Vasquez, RD, LDN
What is your ethnicity/race? Did your family have any customs related to food? Please describe.
I am Latina, and my grandparents immigrated to the US from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Growing up, foods like pernil (roasted pork), arroz con guandules, and tostones were always present at holidays. I ate rice and beans almost everyday as a kid and it’s still one of my absolute favorite meals.
Where/when did you go to undergrad/dietetic internship/grad school?
I obtained my bachelor of science in nutrition and completed my dietetic internship at La Salle University in Philadelphia, PA. I completed my program and became an RD in 2019.
Why did you decide to choose nutrition and dietetics as a career?
My decision to become a dietitian was largely influenced by my involvement with competitive soccer throughout high school. I realized how what I ate impacted my athletic performance and grew an interest in learning more about nutrition.
What do you do now as an RDN and what does a typical day/week look like for you?
I now hold a couple different positions. I work as an eating disorder dietitian at a virtual eating disorder treatment program. We provide family based treatment, which means I work primarily with carers to aid them in the nutritional rehabilitation of their child. I spend a lot of time on Zoom calls with carers and collaborating with our interdisciplinary team. In addition to that, I work for Your Latina Nutrition doing intuitive eating coaching, private practice work, and writing blogs. My days are spent emailing clients, having virtual counseling sessions, writing blogs, and preparing my IG content
What is/was the biggest challenge for you in becoming a dietitian and how did you overcome that challenge? This can be related to being an RD of color or not just any challenge?
The biggest challenge was probably navigating my own eating struggles as I went through my dietetics education and learning not to tie my whole identity to being a dietitian. Work-life balance is important to me and I've learned that I really have to have time to connect to myself and take care of myself in order to have the energy and capacity to provide the best care for my clients.
Have you had any mentors in your career if yes how have those mentors affected your career/life?
Yes! Dalina Soto (AKA Your Latina Nutritionist), who I now work for, has been a huge mentor in my career. I read an article she was featured in back in 2019, and excited by reading about a fellow Dominican RD in the area, I reached out to her, we met up, and she pretty much took me under her wing. We kept in touch and she invited me to work with her in 2020. She has helped instill confidence in me and furthered my growth in practicing cultural humility, along with embracing HAES and Intuitive Eating in client work.
Why do you think diversifying this field is important?
As dietitians, we serve a diverse range of clients. It is essential that we have providers who can connect to clients' lived experiences and who clients feel understand their culture.
What is a piece of advice you would give a student of color interested in entering the field of dietetics?
Don't conform. Connect with others you identify with and who inspire you. They can help you bloom and evolve into your most authentic dietitian self.