Priya is an award winning registered dietitian and nutrition professional with a degree in Nutritional Sciences and a Masters in Dietetics. Best known as resident dietician on BBC1’s Eat Well for Less and appearances on Food Truth or Scare and Channel 4’s Embarrassing Bodies, she is registered with the Health Professions Council and the British Dietetic Association. With wide ranging experience both within the NHS and as a freelance dietitian, Priya offers an inventive and fresh approach to nutrition.
Winner of the British Dietetic Association’s Media Spokesperson of the Year and an SBS award from Theo Paphitis. With a wealth of media experience, Priya is known for her down to earth realism and no nonsense nutrition messages.
1) What is your current position?
I'm a freelance dietitian running my own practice "Dietitian UK: www.dietitianuk.co.uk". I work with food brands, the media as well, so I am probably best known as the dietitian on BBC 1's Eat Well for Less. My main clinical work is in eating disorders, IBS and helping people eat a balanced diet. I also run a thriving Pilates studio in Southampton and am mum to 3 small children.
2) What are your proudest achievements?
I love my media work and was awarded the Media Spokesperson of the Year award. However my proudest achievements have to be my children and the way that I have managed to build my business around them. Being a working mum is hard work and being self-employed makes it possibly harder, but it is very much possible to do with some creative thinking.
3) What inspires you?
Inspiration is all around us. I get my inspiration from other professionals in my field who are passionate about health and nutrition, from my clients, from my children and from my faith. I also love to get outside and walk, often my best ideas come when I'm away from my workplace.
4) What has been the biggest obstacle in your career?
Family life has definitely been the biggest obstacle. In the past 8 years I have had 3 babies and breastfed for over 4 years and been pregnant for 27 months. Having small babies has made it a lot harder to travel to meetings and to be away from home overnight. I have had to turn down work but it has also meant I have found ways to work creatively.
5) Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?
Probably my parents, who taught me to set my aims high and that I can do anything if I really set my mind to it.
6) What is the best aspect about your current role?
The variety of amazing work I get to be involved in and my media work. There is very little chance for boredom! I love working with people and seeing real change happening. My clinical work means I am able to help people make small changes to their eating and health behaviours and these changes lead to very real change in their health.
7) And the worst?
The paperwork! I am not a fan of the paperwork side but it has to be done. Also the amount of negativity there can be towards dietitians and registered nutrition professionals. Dietitians are state registered and have at the minimum a degree course, they continually work on updating their skills and knowledge, yet there is a myth that it is an outdated profession.
8) What are your long term goals?
For sensible, evidence based nutrition advice to be promoted to the public on all major platforms and that the public would know who to turn to for nutrition advice that they can trust.
9) If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change?
The National Health Service needs a lot of help and attention, it is an amazing service and something that we really cannot lose.
10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why?
Rosa Parks is one of my inspirational historical figures. I love the fact she stood up for what she knew to be true.
