Okay, so who wants to eat a meal at a table full of Registered Dietitians?
Anyone? Hello????
(Crickets chirping off in the distance)
If you read my last post, oh so long ago (yeah, I know, my New Year’s resolution is to try to get back to posting weekly), I had a recipe for Vanilla Custard French Toast with Butter Pecan Syrup. I had many comments from friends, family and readers about how this looked good but complained because it was not “healthy” or “Dietitian-y” enough.
So that got me thinking: those of you who are not RD’s. What do you suppose it is we dietitians eat?
I was speaking recently with some RD colleagues of mine about how many of the culinary and “foodie” glitterati (including Julia Child, Michael Pollan and Alice Waters) have expressed subtle to overt distain for dietitians at one time or another.
At it’s most basic, the job of an RD is to help foster optimal health via advising the public or other healthcare professionals on consumption of nutrients. That said, consulting with an RD is the best way to help you eat better. However, the unspoken pervasive misconception is that healthy eating means you must sacrifice flavor and enjoyment of your food. It’s the “if it tastes good, it’s not good for you” mentality. Dietitians are guilty by association.
This line of thinking has always really bugged me as I happen to be both a flagrant foodie and Registered Dietitian. So today I’m going to toss my two cents into the stock pot.
Years ago when I was a hospital dietitian, I would eat lunch with the rest of the RD’s in my department. Usually the group of us would take up most of one cafeteria table with maybe 1-2 chairs left over. On occasion, someone from another department might join us though this was very rare. This did not go unnoticed by the group of us as we speculated the thoughts of our fellow colleagues in the lunch room:
1. They were afraid that their lunches were not healthy enough and would not measure up….because of course as RD’s we MUST be eating boiled tofu balls and wheat grass right????
2. Good luck trying to find a salt shaker on THAT table!
3. The fear that we would be heartlessly callous, criticize and berate the unfortunate guest’s lunch choices: “OMG…. what a crappy lunch, do you even have a clue that you are not even REMOTELY meeting your needs for Molybdenum???? Fool!!!”
What were we really eating? Foods just like everyone else, pizza, spaghetti, sandwiches, salads and soup and on occasion (gasp!) cookies or ice cream!
So, can I speak for all RD’s here? Of course not, but the majority of the ones I know (and I know quite a few!) eat very normal healthy diets.* Typically these RD’s:
1. DON’T eat the same amount of calories everyday. To be frank, that’s just not natural.
2. Don’t obsess about the fact that they ate a calorie laden meal. They enjoy it wholeheartedly the way it was intended to be enjoyed and move on. As an aside, I happen to love ice cream and my husband is well aware that I occasionally have a torrid affair going on with not one man but two….Ben and Jerry.**
3. They know how to prepare simple tasty meals and prepare meals at home more often than they buy them. Check out Cooking Healthy Across America by the American Dietetic Association Food and Culinary Professionals Practice group for ideas.
4. Find delicious and inventive ways to work fruit, vegetables, whole grains and beans into their diets.
5. Realize that the best “diet” is the one you can comfortably live with for the rest of your life.
A good dietitian can help you walk the line of balance and eat not out of fear but out of abundance and variety. Want to eat better but don’t know where to start? Find one of us here today.
*When I use the term “diet” here I am not referring to weight loss. Diet is simply a term referring to the typical way one eats.
**Nope, didn’t get paid for saying that.
11 Responses
January 6th, 2010 at 11:18 am
Well said! As a fellow foodie and RD, I totally hear you on this. I don’t think I’ve counted my calories since those food log assignments back in school
January 6th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Great post, Julie. My clients always are so relieved when they learn RDs don’t always eat low calorie, low fat, etc, and are healthy, too. Giving ourselves permission to eat foods we like in a way that makes us feel well is so important to eating well long term. Yay for feeling great while enjoying great food!
January 6th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
Hey Julie, great topic! As a dietitian in a small city, I often run into clients at the grocery store. As I try to avoid looking at their cart, I see them peeking into mine, curious about what I am buying. Sometimes it’s a tiny bit embarrassing, as I stock of for the family camping trip or holiday party. S’mores, chips or a bottle of Moxie, anyone?
January 6th, 2010 at 9:09 pm
Great post! I totally agree with you, especially this sentence: “the unspoken pervasive misconception is that healthy eating means you must sacrifice flavor and enjoyment of your food.” People don’t believe that I, a dietitian, eat dessert (and other less healthy foods) — until they eat with me! It’s about time people realized dietitians are “real” people toO!
January 6th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
I loved this post because it demonstrates a critical difference between those who eat instinctively and those who eat restrictively.
Most people who struggle with their weight believe they need to get “in control” when in actuality it is more about being “in charge.”
This confusion is so rampant that I finally developed a quiz to help people determine whether they tend to follow an instinctive eating cycle, an overeating cycle, a restrictive eating cycle, or an eat-repent-repeat cycle (a combination of the last two): http://www.amihungry.com/quiz.shtml.
January 7th, 2010 at 6:25 am
Hi Julie,
I just came across this post linked from twitter. Great post.
It’s become almost extreme how srewed up we are in terms of the common sense of food. When all the contradictions and marketing is pulled apart the truth is that real food tastes great and is good for you, it will keep you on a path of health and pleausure.
Every taste sensation and desire can be satisfied with food that comes from nature. Food is about what we eat and what’s in our head but diets, calorie counting, slimming medications and restriction are part of the problem.
Kerry B
January 8th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Welomce back to posting, I have missed your honesty and thoughtfullness. I’d love to eat at your table, and invite others to join us.
I remember some specific comments on my lunch while working as a clinical RD. Coconut cream pie one time, a milkshake and fries another. The comment was the same, “I can’t believe you are eating that!” My response? “And I am enjoying every bite too!”
January 9th, 2010 at 5:59 am
[...] food as medicine sounds a bit severe, Julie at Iceberg to Arugula answers the question, “What do dietitians eat…really?” Not severe at all, and as you can imagine, most are on board with the concept of food as [...]
January 9th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
Excellent post!!
As a fellow RD, intutive eater, and food lover, I have to agree. Thanks for sharing your insight!
January 16th, 2010 at 10:36 pm
Julie,
This was a good post…enjoyed it.
January 19th, 2010 at 9:40 am
Well it’s good to know that RDs are human and splurge a little too!
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