What is a Dietitian?
A Registered Dietitian (RD) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) is a nationally certified nutrition expert who has a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from an accredited college or university. They are required to complete a supervised practice program at a health-care facility, community agency, and/or food service corporation, and also pass a national certified exam.
Dietitians are familiar with a variety of subjects including food and nutrition sciences, food service systems management, business, economics, computer science, culinary arts, sociology, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, anatomy, and chemistry.
To learn more about registered dietitians, click here.
Q&A
Q: Why did you decide to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)? ​
A: I have always been a dreamer, and growing up I always wanted to be a chef AND a doctor. While being both of those things, at the same time, might not make a lot of sense to most people, becoming an RDN allowed me to merge my passion for food and cooking with my desire to help people achieve their health related goals.
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Q: As a RDN, do you have any hard and fast rules about what you should and shouldn’t eat?
A: Generally speaking, I would say that I am an "everything in moderation" type of dietitian. There are, however, a few ingredients that I would avoid eating at all costs. I won't get into specifics, but I will say that they are highly processed and scientifically shown to have a detrimental impact on health so I don't feel guilty fully excluding them.
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Q: What is your philosophy when it comes to cooking and eating?
A: I would say that. I have a multi-pronged philosophy with regards to food/cooking.
1. Cook and eat high quality foods (grass fed/finished, pastured, organic, biodynamic, etc) that are as fresh and minimally processed as possible. Basically the more a food has been messed with, the less it should be ingested.
2. Foods should have depth in flavor and texture so that they excite the senses and create feelings of happiness and joy.
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3. Whatever you eat, truly savor and enjoy it, no guilt no regret.
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Q: Why do you love to cook?
A: I love to cook because I love to share the foods I make with friends and family. I love making foods look and taste amazing, and seeing the joy the on the faces of the people who eat what I prepare. The kitchen is also my happy place so the more time I spend in the kitchen, the happier I am.
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Q: What do you think of supplements?
A: I am an advocate for supplementation because I know how difficult it can sometimes be for us to get what we need from food alone. With that said, I believe that a supplementation regimen should be personalized and that the quality of all supplements be taken into consideration because the supplement industry is highly under regulated and there is A LOT of junk on the market.