Dr. Stewart is NJAND’s February RDN of the Month!
In honor of Black History month, we are turning the spotlight on Dr. Victoria Stewart, a daughter of the NJ soil with roots in the Caribbean. Dr. Stewart is the Program Director for the Plainfield WIC and is also a CDR certified item writer.
Born in Newark, NJ, Dr. Stewart was privileged to have an upbringing that straddled the cultures of both, New Jersey and Tobago, West Indies. This upbringing, she acknowledged, helped to inform her decision to forge a career in nutrition.
The seed to become a dietitian was planted in a basic nutrition class while an undergraduate student at Montclair State University. From there, Dr. Stewart realized that she enjoyed the connection between the foods we consume and their corresponding effects on the human body. She was most amazed by the effects of herbs and their varied uses, especially that she was exposed to their medicinal properties as well as the flavor profile they add to dishes by her paternal grandmother on the island of Tobago in the Caribbean. This early exposure to herbs has profoundly shaped Dr. Stewart’s personal and professional life. “I love to examine the scriptures (Bible) for food and herbal references and connecting them to how we should be eating today. I follow the dietary laws of the Torah and enjoy teaching about them as a way of life and wellness,” she said.
Having laid the foundation for her career at Montclair State University, where she completed her BS in nutrition and dietetics, Dr. Stewart went on to complete her dietetic internship at Saint Elizabeth University. She later earned both her masters and PhD from Walden University in Public Health Education and Promotion. She credits Dr. Janet Reid-Hector, a former supervisor at University Hospital where she was employed for 12.5 years, as being her mentor.
With respect to the dietetics profession, Dr. Stewart believes there is a need for diversity in the field of dietetics in order to have a greater impact. She offers sage advice to those with a desire to enter the field. “Nutrition can impact everything that we do therefore you can marry it into whatever you want it to be. If you have a unique vision of how you would like to implement nutrition, it can be done. You may have to create it for yourself, but it can be done.” she said.
Dr. Stewart loves to dance and enjoy engaging preschoolers and elementary aged children with lessons from the Bible.
Facebook: Victoria Stewart
LinkedIn: Victoria Stewart
