12 - Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food with Alicia C. Simpson

Alicia has an unparalleled passion for nutrition that led her to found Pea Pod Nutrition and Lactation Support, Inc. in 2012. This passion started early in life as a child growing up in the agricultural town of Fresno, California. There she grew up on fresh, local produce grown in her family’s fruit and vegetable garden and the many gardens and farms nearby. Her parents raised her with an appreciation for health, nutrition and the importance of fueling your body with wholesome foods. Alicia moved from California to Virginia to her “home by the sea” Hampton University to pursue a degree in Marketing. After graduating from Hampton University Alicia entered corporate America as a saleswoman. Although she excelled in her career she felt something was missing. An avid reader since her childhood, Alicia dove head first into any book, article, blog, or scientific journal she could get her hands on that dealt with public health and nutrition. Finally, Alicia decided to make the shift from a corporate sales career to that of public health and nutrition earning her Master’s degree in Nutrition from Georgia State University as well as her second bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Georgia State University. Alicia has a burning need to answer the “why’s” in life and her question of “why do African American mothers have the lowest rate of breastfeeding in the United States?” fueled the research behind her master’s thesis titled Sociocultural Barriers To Breast Feeding In African American Women With Focused Intervention To Increase Prevalence and spurred her involvement in the field of lactation. Her original thesis research was also the catalyst behind the creation of Pea Pod Nutrition and Lactation Support.

Alicia is active in her community as a volunteer with La Leche League International (Georgia Chapter),  on the Advisory Counsel for Postpartum Support International (PSI) Georgia, and Chair of the Membership Committee for the United States Lactation Consultants Association (USCLA) as well as the national liaison between the USLCA and National Association of Professional and Peer Lactation Supporters of Color (NAPPLSC) . She is also the author of 3 bestselling cookbooks and her new bestselling book Boost Your Breastmilk: An All In One Guide for Nursing Mothers to Build a Healthy Milk Supply. Alicia is currently working on her PhD in Public Policy focusing her research and neonatal and maternal mortality. Her most important role is that of mother to her vibrant and energetic daughter.

Alicia C. Simpson: peapodnutrition.org IG: @peapodnutrition
Dustin Harder: veganroadie.com IG: @Theveganroadie
David Rossetti: IG: @drossetti