From Political Science, International Economics to Dietetics
Vittoria Pasca, owner for Healthy Eating Fiji and the co-founder and lead organiser of VegFest Fiji. ‘Changing my career to work in the field of dietetics and NCD prevention was my own choice.’
Vittoria Pasca is an Italian nutritionist and healthy food blogger specialized in vegetarian and sports dietetics.
She has been living and working overseas for almost 20 years and moved to Fiji with her partner in 2017.
Prior to that she has been living in Switzerland (Geneva) and France (Paris) and also worked with Italian NGOs in Bosnia Herzegovina (Mostar) and Kosovo (Prizren).
The 40-year-old is the owner for Healthy Eating Fiji and the co-founder and lead organiser of VegFest Fiji.
The main objective of her work and projects is to promote healthy diets and NCD (Noncommunicable diseases) prevention in Fiji, mostly through activities people would find enjoyable, such as dining events, healthy cooking demonstrations or nutrition-focused cookbooks.
She studied Political Science and International Economics in Rome and then moved to Paris where she got a Master’s Degree in International Relations and Development Studies.
“At the time my career plan was to work in the development sector NGOs and international organisations -, which I did from 2004 to 2016.
“However, around 2014-2015, when I was working for the United Nations in Geneva, I decided to change my diet from vegetarian to vegan and enrolled for a Masters Degree in Dietetics focusing on Vegetarian Diets in an Italian University.”
At the time she wanted to do it just out of personal interest, however, at some point during her studies she realised that nutrition was the topic she was really passionate about and started to plan a career change.
“After doing some side projects in the field of nutrition, at the end of 2016 I finally quit a good career at the UN to start my own business. Some people thought this was a crazy thing to do, but it ended up being a great decision: I’m much happier now and I find my current work much more fulfilling.”
She also acquired another Master’s degree in Dietetics - with specialisation in Sports Nutrition -, as well as a certification in Lifestyle Medicine from the International Board for Lifestyle Medicine (IBLM).
How do you manage the demands of professional and personal commitments?
In the first part of my career, when I had an office job, I had a very clear separation between my professional and personal time (I wouldn’t even check my emails after work hours). This changed quite radically when I started my own business as I generally work whenever there’s something that needs to be done, without any difference between weekdays and weekends. The good thing is that I really like what I do, so most of the time I actually enjoy spending my free time working on new projects.
I’m trying to get better at planning at least 1 free day per week though, as it’s important to learn how to manage your energy levels and not commit to more than you can actually handle. Doing something you’re passionate about and care about is great, but it can quickly become exhausting, so it’s important to protect yourself and make sure it doesn’t absorb all your time and energy.
What are some of the challenges faced by the company?
In the field of dietetics, lifestyle medicine and NCD prevention the difficult part is not giving dietary advice or a meal plan to someone. The biggest challenge is to motivate people to change their behaviour and stick to a healthy lifestyle. So, having a good background in dietetics is not enough, you have to build competences also in the field of communication and behavioural change, which is not really something your studies prepare you for. But that’s also the more interesting part of the job, it forces you to be creative.
What is the most rewarding thing about your current job?
Sometimes even months or years after an event or a book purchase, I would hear from a client how much that interaction had a positive impact on their diet, for example that they started to eat more plant-based or to include much more local vegetables in their daily meals. Also after a consultation sometimes I don’t get immediate feedback but would then run into one of the patients and they would tell me how much better they feel or how the consultation helped their kids better live with a food allergy for example.
How would you describe yourself as a leader?
I’m very determined and results oriented, I know that when I start a project I also have to see results quickly otherwise I can get a bit impatient. So, in general I focus on making things happen.
What have been some of the highlights of your career so far?
When my first book Pacific Vegan, Healthy and Creative Cooking with Pacific Plants won the international award Best in the World Gourmand Awards last year.
And seeing VegFest growing from a small passion project to a popular yearly festival. I would have never imagined that 5 years ago!
What is your philosophy about business as a whole and your vision for your businesses?
For me it’s important to focus on activities that are relevant and help find solutions to the main challenges in your community.