I tore through this book and know I'll read it several more times.
The author succeeds at:
✔ Highlighting the importance of social determinants of health
✔ Heavily educating me on the racist roots of modern diet culture
✔ Giving me a deeper understanding of Latine culture and how much more Latines deserve from our society and healthcare systems.

Needless to say, this book made me think. A lot.

This is a difficult review to write. I’m pouring some rawness in here because the topic demands it and this book deserves it. If nothing else, take away that I *adore* this book, and it’s had a bigger impact on me than any book since my first intro to Intuitive Eating.

I read a *lot* about anti-diet culture, intuitive eating, and nutrition. I’ve spent years learning, absorbing, and reshaping my understanding of food, health, and weight. And yet, this book still taught me so, so much—despite what I thought I knew.

Soto doesn’t just call out diet culture—she rips it apart, lays out its racist roots, and demands we do better. The way she ties modern diet trends back to eugenics was something I’d never seen laid out so clearly before. It was a bittersweet reminder that diet culture, rooted in patriarchy, racism, and white supremacy, has hurt everyone. And yet, that’s not to center “my hurt,” because this book also made me acutely aware of my privilege as a *white*, fat person. It reinforced that everyone has a stake in dismantling these oppressive systems, and everyone should care.

This book mattered to me because my relationship with food and body image was *complicated* growing up. I was white in a place where European diets were not the standard, and white bodies were not the ideal. I was surrounded by cultural foods, cultural practices, and different body norms. I was allowed access to them, but they were not for me. Yet, I didn't have alternatives, so no matter they were a part of me no matter what. I felt like an outsider. I struggled with a lack of belonging, a weak sense of identity. A lot of that centered around food. I was wrong for being different, but wrong if I tried to embrace what was around me. It was a unique, and challenging way to grow up. I still haven’t untangled that from my privilege of being white. And so reading this book requires a lot of time with these complicated feelings and how the subconscious biases they formed still impact me.

So reading Soto’s experience—and the deep, emotional truths about body and food struggles in the Latine community—was hard. Hard because her experience is not mine. Hard because some of my struggles were directly about being white. Hard because so much of what she describes—shame, pressure, impossible expectations—is something I deeply relate to, just from a completely different angle. And hard because while I’ve been invited to benefit from this book, I am completely aware it is not *for* me.
(Note: I'm aware this review is very me me me. For better or worse, it's the only way I know how to review something that struck me so deeply.)

The challenge is exactly why this book is important. The best books about anti-diet culture, food justice, and systemic oppression aren’t just about affirming what we already know—they challenge us to step outside of our own experience. This book crushed my ego a little bit and I appreciate that.

What really resonated with me is that food is about so much more than nutrients or calories. Soto hammers this home over and over—food is community, identity, history, connection. She makes it impossible to separate food from culture, and honestly, that's a message that needs to be spread as far as we possibly can. Because when nutrition is reduced to macros and portion sizes, it erases entire histories.

There were parts that could have been more clear and more consistent with the message of the whole book. The Intuitive Eating chapter, for example, critiques how IE has been co-opted and misinterpreted, but at times, it wasn’t clear if Soto was questioning the framework itself or just how people have applied it. One moment she draws the line at eating a sleeve of Oreos, saying that’s “not learning balance,” which… didn’t sit right with me. Because sometimes, when you’re unlearning diet culture, *it is* a sleeve of Oreos. And sometimes, it isn’t. And both are fine. That’s part of the process. Drawing that line for someone else felt like a contradiction to the overall message of food freedom.

But what stands out far more than these moments is how thoughtful and deeply human this book is. Soto brings so much warmth and cultural pride to these pages. The personal stories she shares about her family, her community, and the deep, generational ties to food are some of the strongest parts of the book.

This book is powerful. It’s direct. It’s unapologetic in the best way. If you care about food, culture, and dismantling harmful systems, i’s absolutely worth your time. And if you don't care about those things... Well, you read this far, so it's time to reconsider. This is the right place to start.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc. Anything with a Latina in the title, I will definietly read. I enjoyed this very much. It was a good, quick read, very informative and entertaining.

5 stars

The title of this book made me feel, transparently, that maybe this book was not for me. I'm not Latine, and I'm not particularly interested in information about diets, though according to some, I have a pretty unusual one (vegan). It's that latter factor that ultimately compelled me to read and thoroughly enjoy this!

Soto apparently has a huge social media following, and I'm laughing as I type this, because she mentioned she only needed to say that for those folks with no social media accounts. Well? Thanks for the personal messaging! I came to this read with no information at all about this author, and since it sounds like most readers will have the opposite perspective and reality, I'm adding that info here. No background needed to understand and enjoy!

The book is not for an audience that is as limited as the title may suggest. Is this the target audience? Yes. Do the rest of us have a lot to learn? Absolutely. I really enjoyed the discussion of multiple styles of eating, common mistakes, cultural connections, and what seem like common sense tips about keeping ourselves nourished and healthy. This is informative and useful but never feels didactic, which is exactly the tone I want from a book on this subject.

This was an unexpected gem for me, and I'm so glad I had the chance to read it. I'll definitely be recommending it.

Many of us are taught that our Latin food is unhealthy, greasy or junk food, but Dalina Soto teaches us to celebrate our culture and our food in an intuitive healthy way. We do not have to stop eating our platános, rice or beans; we just need to pay attention to our portions. She teaches us many helpful ways to stay healthy. I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to learn more about about intuitive eating. I especially recommend this book for Latina women
Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

“The Latina Anti-Diet: A Dietician’s Guide to Authentic Health that Celebrates Culture and Full-Flavor Living” is the absolute best title for this body of work. It grabbed me instantly and I am so happy that I was able to get an arc of this book!

You are getting so much more than just another self-help book here. Dalina’s life experiences and featured stories are all personal, relatable, and touch on so many topics that are embedded in our community. The health and wellness spaces are often very unkind to “others” - aka anyone who is not already thin, CIS, and/or white. This book is a guiding hand on how to dispel the myths and blanket advice that doctors and diet culture so often push and shows how BIPOC people can adapt cultural foods or how we eat to be healthier. The flow of the book was one of the best parts as each section begins with a story, is packed full of information and practical guidance, and ends with a TLDR section that sums it all up perfectly. It was a quick read and one that I am sure I will return to again.

P.S. Any book that suggests seeking therapy to go beyond what the author has been able to give you in just a few short lessons will always be A++ in my book!

Thank you to #NetGalley for a review copy of #TheLatinaAntiDiet. All feedback is my unbiased opinion, not paid, and simply for the love of books.

At first view, I thought this was a cookbook. Once I received it and began reading, I realized it was not, but rather a book meant to inform on how their are alternatives to what some might consder the "white/western diet". It is a book about loving ones cultures and about love towards your own food (Latin Food). Many of us are taught that Latin food is unhealthy, greasy and/or junk food, but this author teaches you that you can celebrate your culture and food in a healthy way, that fear should not be in the limelight when it comes to what you eat. The fact this book is about self-acceptance is very important and I very much recomend this to my fellow latinos/as.

Finally a nutrition book where I feel seen. I tried intuitive eating but this is different. I feel like this book honors my heritage and my culture. I loved all the tips on this book; something useful that focuses on nutrition and not on losing weight. Another aspect of the book that I loved was the amount of research on it. Read why cereal was invented....PLEASE!

thought this was a cookbook but it's not - it's amazing resource for unlearning some poor information we've been fed about health and relearning intuitive eating and to stop fearing food.

This was a great, quick read. I liked the stories between the information. It added a nice touch to the dense information. I found it an easy read and I love that it really does aim to make us less scared to eat and to lean more into understanding - it's a whole picture, not just one piece.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Absolutely loved this book! This should be required reading for anyone who needs to heal from a lifetime of negative self-talk and warped views on food and beauty. Living life con sabor is so vitally important. I received this as an ARC from Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine via Netgalley.

This was just an awesome read way beyond my anything I could have imagined. I grew up a Mexican/Latina family in Arizona and eating beans, potatoes,rice and tortillas and none of us were heavy. We just learned about portions from my dad. My dad was the cook in our home. The book really hit home with me. Reading the peoples stories to further illustrate what author, Dalina Soto talking about helped even more. You don't have to stop eating what you grew up enjoying, just pay attention to the portions. There are so many helpful ways to stay healthy with food be intuitive about the way you eat no matter what culture. I can highly recommend this book for everyone who cares about what they eat.

I adored the book and thank you netgalley for giving me an opportunity to read it.

I’m so glad I found this book! For such a long time, I was thought that Latin foods were not healthy. It wasn’t until Tik tok that I started realizing that it can be very healthy, you either need to portion it or find methods not to use ingredients like oil. This book has helped confirm that. I love that this included the TLDR sections and the Chula practice. It’s very informative and thorough in my opinion. It even breaks down the My Plate Diagram and explains each section with examples. I will be reading this over and over again for my meal times!

Thank you to Dalina Soto, Random House Publishing, and NetGalley for this e-ARC

This was thoughtfully written and with a lot of care. I love the stories used to help connect to the reader and the infused humor that softens some of the challenging conversations and feelings that often come with "weight-loss"/"Diet" culture. It's empowering in its own right.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this book!

The author, Dalina Soto, truly wrote an incredibly moving and engaging piece. Once I started, I could not put this book down.

When I read the description of this book, I knew I had to read it. As a plus size woman who grew up in a Hispanic family- food and weight have always been at the forefront of my mind. Soto most definitely did not disappoint. I found myself connecting to the women in the book, and Soto’s wisdom on nutrition opened up something that I wasn’t expecting. I learned a lot from this reading, and I’m so happy that it was my first read of the year.

First read of 2025! This was so good!! Thank you @netgalley and Ballentine Books for the chance to read this coming book from @your.latina.nutritionist. She nailed it with this book, due to come out March 18, 2025. It was funny and informative. I was able to relate to so many of the stories and ideas, even though I’m not Latina…Jewish families are so similar! This isn’t one of those “diet” books that makes you feel bad about yourself…it was informative and gave great information to apply to my life…just wish there were some good recipes!

Very interesting book. I like how this one talked about different Diets related To the L a t I n community. I like how she tells a story about the person telling with a diet problem and how she explains how they can go about fixing this problem. Interesting book.Because She does.
Not like the diet myth. And she explains how different People went to a nutritionist and got the same results but in a healthy manner.

The Latina Anti-Diet by Dalina Soto is an outstanding contribution to the field of intuitive eating, nutrition, and body acceptance from the Latine perspective. Most books on this topic are written by white dieticians with a lack of cultural sensitivity for Latine culture and customs. Dalina Soto is a registered dietician who started a popular instagram site on diet-free living. The first section of the book discusses how intuitive eating and dietetics in general can be extremely challenging for women in the Latine community. Ms. Soto empowers readers to embrace their bodies and cultural. While many dieticians make Latinas feel comfortable about cultural cuisine, Ms. Soto empowers readers to embrace foods that taste good and teaches approaches to make peace with food and exercise. The second section of the book covers the healthy living methodology that she has developed using several case studies.

I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to learn more about about intuitive eating. I especially recommend this book for Latina women and dieticians who work with the Latine community.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Well written and very informative. I am not Latina but there was a lot of good information for all of us. I had never thought of the cultural significance of my food.

I really enjoyed this.


March 18, 2025 NetGalley/ RHPG

I received a free ebook from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review of this book. I am not a Latina. I don't really have a weight issue. I did have an eating issue when I was in my teens. I didn't really know what this book would be about. I highly recommend it!!

All of have been taught that thin is beautiful. It's horrible but even if we aren't on a diet, everyone around us is. We have not been taught to love our bodies. It creates so much havoc.

The book is about trying to teach us how to eat in a healthy and non judgemental way. It's not a book about rules. It's about acceptance.

It's a book about self care and being kind to ourselves. It dismantles many myths we have been taught. It's a book that can be reread.

I read this book in only a few days. It is an easy to read book. The chapters are fairly short. The book is so interesting. It gives examples, teaches facts, gives history, and teaches self love.

I am so happy that I got the opportunity to read this book. I highly encourage others to read this book. I would love to meet the author at a book signing.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a wonderful book, filled with great insight!

Dalina Soto’s 'The Latina Anti-Diet' is a refreshing and much-needed addition to the conversation around intuitive eating, particularly for those in the Latine community. This book offers a culturally affirming guide for anyone who has followed Soto’s Nutritiously Yours platform or felt frustrated by the rampant misinformation about nutrition. Soto brings the warmth of abuelas’ kitchens to her approach, celebrating staples like arroz, habichuelas, and plátanos while rejecting the restrictive norms of diet culture.

With her CHULA method, Soto empowers readers to embrace intuitive eating that honors both their health and cultural heritage. This book speaks directly to Latine individuals from New York, Philly, and beyond who grew up surrounded by the love and tradition of home-cooked meals. It's an essential resource for those seeking to rebuild their relationship with food in a way that prioritizes both nourishment and joy.