Food & Fitness

Cassie Rico is a registered dietitian and the Associate Director of Medical Affairs and Health Outcomes at the American Diabetes Association. She received a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During her education and work experiences, she has been involved in several Association initiatives, community outreach, and nutrition education activities.

Originally from Chicago, she grew up in a family where much of their time together was spent around the kitchen table.  “With one side of my family being Italian and the other Latino, food has always been a very important and traditional part of every family event,” says Cassie. Her own interest in diabetes springs from the strong history of type 2 diabetes on the Latino side of the family. She personally has seen how important diet can be for those trying to prevent or manage the disease.

Cassie likes to spend her free time visiting with family and friends, spending time outdoors, training for and running long-distance races, experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, and cooking for others.

Favorite Healthy Snacks: carrot sticks with hummus or fresh berries with low-fat vanilla yogurt

Favorite Treats: homemade chocolate chip cookies and Chicago-style pizza