July Member Spotlight: Katie Spada, RD, LD

Katie has been a member of NvAND since she became a RD four years ago. Katie is a very busy professional who works full time in a hospital, owns her own business, and is also finishing a Master’s degree. As a dietitian Katie does send time educating clients and patients on the differences between a dietitian and a nutritionist/health coach.

Katie is a pediatric PICU dietitian at University Medical Center where she calculates tube feeds, educates on type I diabetes, and monitors nutritional status of patients with traumatic brain injuries. Katie loves being an indispensable part of an interdisciplinary team where she is able to make an impact on nutritional care daily. Critical thinking is the most important skill Katie feels she has developed over the years. She reports real patients are much more complex than the case studies learned in school and figuring out the key thing to address is essential to problem solving.

Katie was a competitive synchronized swimmer for many years and was even selected for the US national team. Katie reports she loved being a synchronized swimmer but that she did develop poor eating habits and struggled with body image, even after she became a RD. After walking through her own “food freedom journey”, she founded Spada Strong Nutrition LLC to assist athletes with similar struggles. Spada Strong Nutrition LLC is a nutrition coaching company focused on helping athletes overcome eating and body image issues. The focus of Spada Strong Nutrition is overall wellness, not just physical health. Katie helps her clients decide what they can eat for themselves and works best for them. She tells clients she wants them to be “their own dietitian”. Katie makes a difference to her former athletes by breaking down false nutrition beliefs that are ingrained in sports culture so they are able to eat with more freedom and confidence. Katie stated her biggest advice to other members thinking of starting their own business is to “take messy action”. Jumping into a business will be far from perfect, but just do it anyways. Finding a business coach or mentor can also be helpful.

In her spare time Katie likes to go hiking at Redrock, strolling Las Vegas Boulevard in the evening, and laying by the pool.If Katie had to eat one meal every day for the rest of her life, she would choose Taco Salad. 

One of Katie’s favorite things about NvAND is being able to connect with other members and she encouraged anyone who wanted to connect with her to reach out. You can reach out and learn more about Katie at spadastrongnutrition.com.
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