Humans of NHC- Meet Katie Venezia

Meet Katie Venezia (she/her), a registered dietitian who practices nutrition counseling at UPMC Shadyside's Center of Care for Infectious Disease.

“I am an anti-diet dietitian. I believe that all food fits, in moderation, and that quality of life is important when it comes to nutrition. I was inspired by my grandmother who was my main caretaker while my parents worked. My parents kept our kitchen stocked with all kinds of food. My grandmother encouraged well-rounded eating.” 

“I want to bring more awareness to nutrition in general. Nutrition is highly underrated. In my experience it can give people the ability to take ownership and control of their life. Nutrition can also be a preventive measure. Proper nutrition can lead to a happier, healthier life, but it gets overlooked most of the time, until it’s too late.”

“My advice for anyone is that everything works out in the end. I was discouraged by an intro to nutrition course. I went to my advisor, and she led me to exercise, which is where I met my husband, and I got a fuller understanding of nutrition and how it interacts with people's everyday life. I got my current position through shadowing and joking about the then current nutritionist calling me if her position ever opened up. Even though I was discouraged and my path to where I am now wasn't a traditional one, I got where I needed to be.”

Stay tuned for more Humans of NHC stories from Pittsburgh coming soon!