Every March, National Nutrition Month invites us to think about the role nutrition plays in our lives, and the people who make healthy living more accessible for all. At PHFE WIC, a program of Heluna Health, Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) do more than provide guidance on food; they walk alongside families through pregnancy, new parenthood, and beyond, providing the knowledge, support, and resources to help them live healthy lives.
PHFE WIC serves 190,000 women, children, and families across Los Angeles, Orange, and San Bernardino Counties each month, providing food assistance, nutrition counseling, breastfeeding support, and an extensive network of resources. For many families, the RDNs at PHFE WIC are their primary, and often only, source of trusted nutrition guidance. This work can be demanding, but as the RDNs we spoke to shared, it is deeply meaningful and rewarding.
The paths that led these women to nutrition are as varied as the families they serve, but they all share the same core desire: to help people. Danielle Arce, an RDN, International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), and clinic supervisor with 18 years at PHFE WIC, traces her calling back to childhood when she set out on a journey to understand the relationship between food and emotion. “Nobody talks about the why,” Arce reflects. “Why was I eating? Oftentimes we eat for our emotions rather than our hunger.” For Alejandra Chavez, Nutritionist RDN, it was a single college professor whose passion for nutrition opened a door she didn’t even know existed, that she walked through all the way to becoming a bilingual dietitian serving families in both English and Spanish.
For others, the road to PHFE WIC ran directly through its own Dietetic Internship program. Jazmin Wieland completed her internship through PHFE WIC and went on to become a Training and Project Supervisor, and Taylor Lowe, Nutritionist RDN, (pictured left) credits the program’s hands-on experience and supportive staff as foundational to her growth as a dietitian. “I don’t know how I would have gotten that experience otherwise,” she says.
One of the things that surprises families most when they first enroll is how much PHFE WIC actually provides. Most come in expecting food benefits and leave having discovered a full support system. As Wieland puts it, “There are so many services that we provide, so many that participants don’t even know about until they enroll. Online nutrition classes, referrals and resources for whatever you need — a car seat, diapers, wipes, free books. We do so much for the community.”
Ask any of the RDNs about their approach and the same philosophy surfaces: one built on listening far more than telling. From day one, Wieland shares with new staff, “Your job as a nutrition professional is not to tell people what to do with their food and with their body, but to meet them where they are and try to help them identify changes that they want to make — not that you think they should make, but that they want to make.”
Lowe brings this same spirit to every appointment, layered with a commitment to cultural sensitivity. “I try to take in their culture and talk about the foods they grew up with,” she says. “What can we implement so they can honor their history while also making healthy choices?” Jenna Farrow, a Nutritionist RDN specializing in high-risk cases, adds that she approaches every session from a place of curiosity. “I always want to know what’s important to the individual or family. What do they want to talk about? What do they want to work on?”
It is an approach rooted in respect that runs through every interaction on the PHFE WIC team. Farrow says the connections that form from that kind of care can surprise you. She recently had a client recognize her voice over the phone from an enrollment months earlier. “She said, ‘Oh my gosh, Jenna, I remember you,'” she laughs. “It was just really cool to feel that connection.”
In the spirit of National Nutrition Month, the advice these RDNs offer is grounded and accessible. Chavez shares, “You don’t have to do everything. Do what’s realistic for you. A little bit at a time will always get you further than any fad diet or drastic change.” Farrow has a practical tip she loves sharing with families: frozen riced cauliflower blended into a smoothie adds vegetables without changing the flavor. “It sounds bizarre,” she admits, “but you genuinely cannot taste it.”
And Arce, who has watched nutritional guidance evolve over nearly two decades, offers a piece of enduring wisdom: “Don’t ever think you’ve arrived. Always stay open, keep learning, and meet people where they are. Support them with what they need, not what you think they need.”
Heluna Health is proud to support PHFE WIC and every RDN, nutritionist, and staff member who shows up every day for the families of Los Angeles County. This National Nutrition Month, and every month, we celebrate their expertise, their compassion, and the impact they are making.
Click here to learn more about PHFE WIC.
