Susan is a seven-year Army veteran who served between 2000 and 2007 in both the Army Reserves and Active Duty with two deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (2002 – 2003; 2004 - 2005). Susan currently works with the Army’s Health and Holistic Fitness Program bringing education centered around nutrition and lifestyle to frontline forces. Daily she works alongside soldiers at the ground level to ensure a force that is ready to perform at all times. Susan also owns a private practice working with military entrant hopefuls, police, and firefighters.
Susan received her bachelor’s degree and completed a 900-hour internship with the University of Houston in Texas before becoming a registered dietitian. She then went on to become part of the less than 1% of dietitians to hold a board certification in Sports Nutrition. For almost a decade, Susan has been creating programs for tactical athletes including firefighters, police officers, and military service members. She is currently finishing her Master’s in Exercise Science at Concordia University, Chicago.
https://anchor.fm/john-psyllas/episodes/Susan-Lopez--RD-ek1cab
In this episode Susan talks about:
What her role as a tactical dietitian entails.
Her general nutritional recommendations as well as common nutritional faults within the Military.
Her recommendations for first responders on how to manage energy balance throughout their shift.
Advice to anyone considering a career as a tactical dietitian.
Book recommendation:
You can follow Susan via her Instagram account @tactical.dietitian or you can contact her for any help and support via her website at
If you want to find out more information regarding the nutrition within tactical populations check out Susan's podcast at The Performance Dietitian Podcast