In the new year, Hawaiʻi registered and licensed dietitian nutritionist Kristen Salles is excited to start her own practice focused on individual health needs and diet goals.
Her care model is client-centered, Salles told Aloha State Daily. “[I develop] care plans … through assessment, coaching, counseling and empowering accountability, and [I am] currently taking new cash-paying clients, but spots are limited.” She added that she’s still in the process of firming up business details like her companyʻs name, website and insurance carriers.
At the outset, Salles aims to approach businesses interested in educational cooking demos, group support sessions and lunch-and-learns. She also specializes in refrigerator and pantry transformations, nutrition journal editing, endurance training nutrition plans, menu reviews and grant writing proposals.
In 2023, Salles secured a three-year grant in the amount of nearly $500,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program to provide “subsidized produce for women veterans experiencing food insecurity,” she said. The Pacific Islands Pono Prescription Program, its called, also helps women across the Islands and Guam “practice new recipes and skills utilizing the local produce.”
Originally from Louisiana, Salles has seven years of experience working at outpatient clinics on Oʻahu for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Queen’s Medical Center and Ekahi Health. Her focus is “on reversing heart disease, managing Diabetes Mellitus, expanding women’s health initiatives, supporting weight management programming and leading food insecurity research,” she said.
Another goal for the new venture, she said, is “building partnerships with the community and stakeholders to offer additional means of incorporating healthful food into daily living.”
ASD asked Salles more about her experiences as a local dietician and how she prioritizes her own health.
What is unique about the food and work of a dietitian in Hawaiʻi? Hawaiʻi residents are from all over the world and represent many stages of life, therefore influencing food and flavor preferences. Native Hawaiian Pacific Islanders value their lineage (moʻokuʻauhau) and land (ʻĀina), which translates into respect for local ingredients, where they come from, the effort of the laborers harvesting crops, and the experience of eating as a community with family ʻohana.
While the Islands were entirely self-sufficient to feed and nourish its members in history, the current model requires food to travel to the Islands from far away, making it expensive. Dietitians benefit from immersing themselves into the food scene by tasting different dishes, hearing stories about historical and cultural historical events that impact food, learning how food was served while growing up, and offering nutrition-dense, lower cost solutions that are culturally appropriate.
What do you enjoy most about your work? I find education rewarding. I want to share truth and evidence that makes sense. When education transfers into practical behavior change, it can be heavily impactful due to what I call our “sphere of influence.” Those around us can pick up on new tips or tricks from watching us and hearing from us as we learn, grow and change. For example, parents learning how to incorporate local produce with dinner by including their children in preparation, means that the children now have familiarity and skills that they’ll likely pass on to their family and friends.
What have you found most challenging? Behavior changes. Building the bridge between knowing information and turning it into realistic, sustainable action. We aren’t spending adequate time envisioning how we want our ideal selves to feel – this practice of visualization helps us identify our next steps subconsciously and evaluate our values.
How do you focus on your own health? I love being outdoors and participating in numerous activities like surfing, hiking, swimming, free diving, cooking, camping, jogging, gardening and, more recently, art. [One personal goal this year is to showcase] my oil paintings in a public facility.
CONTACT
Kristen Salles, Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist
Email: Kristen.salles@gmail.com
Instagram: @Kristen_meals
Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
