Tracy L’Allier, Dietitian with a Passion for Vegetarian Cuisine

Nassim Drissi Smaili August 2, 2024 Dietitian, Our Team

Meet the new member our Nutrition team: Tracy, dietitian. Having lived in Australia for 11 years, she brings a unique perspective enriched by her international experience. Passionate about nutrition and committed to a vegetarian lifestyle, Tracy uses her extensive knowledge to provide personalized support to our VIP members. Her experience with type 2 diabetes management is particularly welcome.

How did nutrition become your profession?

I was in my third year of High School. We took education and career guidance courses. The only thing I found interesting was the nutrition. I couldn’t find anything else more interesting in life. So, at that moment, I decided to become a dietitian. Even today, I believe that nutrition is essential and that it should be put at the center of our existence.

How could your experience as a dietitian in Australia help you here in Canada?

I spent a lot of time in Australia, and I think that helps me mostly with my English (laughs)… More seriously, I noticed that the food culture in Australia is less developed than in Canada. People there seem less interested in what they eat and cook less. In Australia, it’s more like England where the food is less refined. But maybe that’s just an impression based on the people I met and worked with there… I don’t want to generalize!

How did you end up on the SOSCuisine team?

I was looking for an online job that would allow me to balance my family life and give me the freedom to choose my hours. I homeschool my two children and they are my priority. My work must be flexible. During my search, I found an ad for SOSCuisine shared by Kathryn Adel on a Facebook group for dietitians.

What is your role at SOSCuisine?

For the time being I only work with VIP clients. I do consultations with them to understand their eating habits and explain to them the link between their health and nutrition. My role is to guide them to make good choices and teach them the concepts of nutrition.

Diabetes management is my strong point. I worked for a year in a day center for people living with diabetes at the CHUM and I did a master’s degree on the subject when I was in Australia

What are the challenges you face as a dietitian?

The challenge is that we’re not with our clients 7 days a week. We only have a small window to convey information, and then they go back to their daily lives and try to apply it. However, I think SOSCuisine’s meal plans are very useful for them, as they provide ongoing support. Motivation is also an issue, I can’t give it to people. During consultations, this is an important aspect to work on.

Plus, there are a lot of myths around nutrition. Everyone thinks they are a nutrition specialist, which complicates our work. Sometimes you have to work against the myths, when people say: “Ah, this person said this to me“, and then we say: “No, that’s not absolutely right“.

How did you decide to become vegetarian?

It’s an awareness for the lives of animals… My husband, my children and I no longer wanted to participate in their suffering, because the living conditions of animals are often bad. So we decided not to eat them anymore. In addition, as a dietitian, I know that choosing a vegetarian diet is beneficial for our health: we consume less saturated fats, more fiber, and it is also more economical!

Do you have any final words to share?

The environment is of great importance in my life. My dream would be to have a large garden at home to grow our own vegetables and adopt a more ecological lifestyle. By growing your own vegetables, you stay active while taking care of your garden, harvesting and eating foods that have not been processed. Besides no transportation is necessary. It’s a more natural cycle. Plus, you know exactly what you’re eating because you’ve seen the whole process.

Tracy in the kitchen

If I were a food, I would be… a little hot pepper because I have a lot of fire and passion in me!

My culinary specialty is… vegetarian Mexican cuisine.

In my kitchen, I avoid … added sugars and processed foods.

My preferred SOSCuisine recipe …  Mexican Quinoa Salad

Mexican Quinoa Salad

Author

Nassim Drissi Smaili

Passionate and creative, Nassim is a graduate of the ENCG (National School of Commerce and Management) of Kenitra in Morocco, option Marketing and Commercial Action. She is responsible for the management of SOSCuisine's Social Networks. Her field of action ranges from the implementation of digital communication strategies to the creation of content and, of course, to the management of communities.