RDN Spotlight: Sherene Chou, MS, RDN
What is your ethnicity/race? Did your family have any customs related to food? Please describe.
Chinese/Taiwanese American. My family practices Taoism, so I was born and raised vegetarian. Being vegetarian is not a requirement in Taoism, but a choice my parents made for both religious and health reasons. For many who practice Taoism or Buddhism and choose to adhere to a strict vegetarian diet, onion and garlic (along with other alliums) are avoided. At home with my parents, we cooked without onion and garlic. This style of cooking is also found in most traditional Chinese vegetarian restaurants. In my household, I follow a plant-based, vegan diet and when I’m with my parents, I will honor their practices by cooking a vegetarian diet that follows Taoist traditions.
Where/when did you go to undergrad/dietetic internship/grad school?
I went to USC for my undergrad and studied public policy and business law, then went to a holistic culinary school in NYC before completing my dietetics program at CalState LA and internship through Sodexo.
Why did you decide to choose nutrition and dietetics as a career?
I love food. I've always wanted to work in food, with food, and be around food. Changing my career and creating work around my passion for sustainability, plant-based foods, and culinary nutrition has allowed me to find freedom, fulfillment, and joy in my career as a dietitian.
What do you do now as an RDN and what does a typical day/week look like for you?
I'm a culinary-nutrition consultant running my small business of 1 at eat sustainable foods, llc. My focus is on developing programs, education, and content for plant-forward brands, companies, and organizations. I am also a co-founder of a new non-profit, food + planet. Our goal is to empower 1 million health professionals to change the food system. Outside of these organizations, I serve on several boards the Teaching Kitchen Collaborative, Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group, and Padilla's DE+I group. Each and every day is different depending on the project I am working on. It can range from spending a few days on recipe/product development, social content, workshops/lectures, business admin or board/networking meetings. I have the ability to craft a schedule that works for me. It really ranges and I love all of it!
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?
When I was researching my career change to dietetics, I wish there was more information on the career options within dietetics and the opportunity to network with mentors, leaders and educators who look like me. To learn more about jobs, I made many cold calls to learn from people in the field and ultimately crafted my own role. I am so thankful that DD exists today!
Have you had any mentors in your career if yes how have those mentors affected your career/life?
I've had several mentors throughout my career. They've helped me learn more about what is possible in dietetics, connected me with projects and helped me think through challenging decisions, ultimately making me a better person, dietitian, and entrepreneur.
Why do you think diversifying this field is important?
Diversifying our field is critical to the success of our field. As practitioners, we are able to better serve communities, engage with larger audiences and have a stronger impact in challenging the norms of what is seen as healthy. Ultimately, we can move closer towards health equity as our field evolves.
What is a piece of advice you would give a student of color interested in entering the field of dietetics?
Reach out to those in the field you want to learn from. There is something for everyone in dietetics. No, you don't have to do clinical first. Your diversity is your power and strength. We desperately need you!