Today I served as a judge for the state fair in the "cookies, candies, cakes and breads" category. This was my third year. If you think it sounds like an awesome job, think again. It's fun, yes. At first, it's a nice treat. But after 50 cookies, even the cookie monster himself would fall into a sugar coma!
When I told some folks I was judging again this year I received a comment about my ability to judge fatty, sugary things that taste good but aren't good for you. It wasn't a personal slight of any kind, and I didn't take it personally. But it did get me thinking...
I know I've posted on here before about what a RD or registered dietitian is and how we differ from a nutritionist or nutritional counselor, etc. But I think many people don't realize that the extent of our education and training goes beyond the topic of "healthy" or "proper nutrition."
Yes, we take classes on medical nutrition therapy and nutrition throughout the lifecycle (what a baby should and shouldn't eat, breast feeding, how our needs change as we age, etc), and learn all about counting calories and measuring BMI. And during our internship rotations we work at hospitals calculating the needs of those receiving tube feeding and educating newly diagnosed diabetics.
But a large portion of our training is also based around food science, food service and food safety. I took some classes that were basically in-depth cooking classes and had to learn the proper way to tenderize meat, the best fat to use in a pie crust, how to make a souffle, etc. (Basically a class Alton Brown could teach.) In such classes and others we learned about the chemical structure of foods and how this determines proper preparation. I can look at a muffin and tell you if it was overmixed or undermixed, for example, or why chocolate seizes when water is added. I even learned about all the cuts of beef and the best cooking methods for each.
Now, I'm not trying to say I know everything there is to know about food. Far from it. We all have our specialized topics, especially after we graduate and find our niche in the nutrition field. (I refer the difficult sports nutrition questions I get to a close friend and often have to ask my boss or co-workers about things like canning and gardening.) But we do have a much broader understanding than some realize.
I think RDs are not only misunderstood, I think sometimes we get a bad rap. We aren't just here to tell you you are fat and force carrots down your throat. Nor do we all work in hospitals (although I sincerely admire those of us who do!) Some of us are thin and some not so much. Many of us are ardent foodies and love fresh bread with real butter, or french fries, or full fat ice cream as much as the next person. Some of us espouse a more holistic approach to food (local, organic, vegetarian, etc) and some can put together a whole meal plan using convenience/processed items common in most American households. But I think the one thing we all have in common is wanting to help others be as healthy as possible.
How did I get off on this tangent? Sheesh! Why do ya'll let me do this? ;) I think this post ended up being a combination of responses to two recent comments I received...the one about the judging of unhealthy foods and a comment about how registered dietitians are all alike and only possess a certain kind of knowledge/skill. So please pardon the rambling and the soapbox preachin'. I won't let it happen again....for awhile. ;)
When I told some folks I was judging again this year I received a comment about my ability to judge fatty, sugary things that taste good but aren't good for you. It wasn't a personal slight of any kind, and I didn't take it personally. But it did get me thinking...
I know I've posted on here before about what a RD or registered dietitian is and how we differ from a nutritionist or nutritional counselor, etc. But I think many people don't realize that the extent of our education and training goes beyond the topic of "healthy" or "proper nutrition."
Yes, we take classes on medical nutrition therapy and nutrition throughout the lifecycle (what a baby should and shouldn't eat, breast feeding, how our needs change as we age, etc), and learn all about counting calories and measuring BMI. And during our internship rotations we work at hospitals calculating the needs of those receiving tube feeding and educating newly diagnosed diabetics.
But a large portion of our training is also based around food science, food service and food safety. I took some classes that were basically in-depth cooking classes and had to learn the proper way to tenderize meat, the best fat to use in a pie crust, how to make a souffle, etc. (Basically a class Alton Brown could teach.) In such classes and others we learned about the chemical structure of foods and how this determines proper preparation. I can look at a muffin and tell you if it was overmixed or undermixed, for example, or why chocolate seizes when water is added. I even learned about all the cuts of beef and the best cooking methods for each.
Now, I'm not trying to say I know everything there is to know about food. Far from it. We all have our specialized topics, especially after we graduate and find our niche in the nutrition field. (I refer the difficult sports nutrition questions I get to a close friend and often have to ask my boss or co-workers about things like canning and gardening.) But we do have a much broader understanding than some realize.
I think RDs are not only misunderstood, I think sometimes we get a bad rap. We aren't just here to tell you you are fat and force carrots down your throat. Nor do we all work in hospitals (although I sincerely admire those of us who do!) Some of us are thin and some not so much. Many of us are ardent foodies and love fresh bread with real butter, or french fries, or full fat ice cream as much as the next person. Some of us espouse a more holistic approach to food (local, organic, vegetarian, etc) and some can put together a whole meal plan using convenience/processed items common in most American households. But I think the one thing we all have in common is wanting to help others be as healthy as possible.
How did I get off on this tangent? Sheesh! Why do ya'll let me do this? ;) I think this post ended up being a combination of responses to two recent comments I received...the one about the judging of unhealthy foods and a comment about how registered dietitians are all alike and only possess a certain kind of knowledge/skill. So please pardon the rambling and the soapbox preachin'. I won't let it happen again....for awhile. ;)
Now you might be asking why there is a picture of a fluffy white dog dressed as a pumpkin in the middle of this post. And, being an all-knowing RD, and the author of this blog, I have an answer...because I couldn't find another picture that went with what I was saying and I know how ya'll prefer posts with blogs, especially wordy ones like this one and I wouldn't want to disappoint my few loyal readers so I decided to include one of my puppy all decked out for Halloween. Isn't he cute? ;)
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