Challenging Whiteness and the Mediterranean Diet

Yumlish: Diabetes and Multicultural Nutrition

In this episode, Dr. Katherine Burt delves into how the Mediterranean diet plan is a white diet that perpetuates racist systems of oppression through being framed as the gold standard of healthy eating. She also discusses the need to diversify the field of dietetics and better include culturally rich food into dietary recommendations.

Katherine Burt Gardner Burt, PhD, RD is an assistant professor and Undergraduate Program Director of the Dietetics, Foods, and Nutrition Program at Lehman College, City University of New York. Dr. Burt is a registered dietitian and culinary nutritionist who teaches courses in cultural humility, cultural foodways, and professional practice. Dr. Burt’s research explores how systemic racial bias and the normativity of whiteness impact the dietetics profession and dietary recommendations.

“You need to be able to work one-on-one with people and in doing so, I would recommend cultural foods regularly. If it was something that my client told me that they enjoy, that they wanted to eat, we would work it in.”

Question of the Day: What is one cultural food you want incorporated into dietary recommendations?

On this Episode you will Learn:

The Mediterranean Diet

Systemic Racism in Nutrition

Including Diverse Cultures in Dietary Plans

Diversity in the Dietician Field

Connect with Yumlish!

Website

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

LinkedIn

YouTube

Connect with Katherine!

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Key Points:

0:00 - Intro with Shireen!

2:30 - What sparked your interest in challenging inclusivity and equity in nutrition?

4:55 - What is the Mediterranean Diet plan?

5:41 - How is the Mediterranean Diet promoted by healthcare professionals as the “gold standard diet” in the United States?

7:40 - How has the lack of diversity in dietetics influenced the infusion of the Mediterranean diet into dietary recommendations?

8:45 - What issues exist with marketing the Mediterranean Diet as the healthiest possible diet?

13:40 - How do nutritional guidelines constructed within the Mediterranean diet plan perpetuate systemic racism and harm minority populations?

17:45 - How can healthcare and dietetics professionals work to create more inclusive food environments that incorporate non-white cultures’ diets?

21:10 - How can our listeners connect with you and learn more about your work?

22:03 - Outro with Shireen!

--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yumlish/message