Dietitian Confession #1

This may be taboo to admit, ESPECIALLY as a Registered Dietitian, but for me it is true.

Dietitian Confession #1: I HATE TO COOK

Okay, okay...hate may be too strong of a word here. A better description may be I dislike cooking.  Or if I dig a little deeper: I'm honestly just not that good at it.

If my cooking skills are questionable, you may be wondering how in the world did I end up as a retail dietitian?  While I never imagined myself working in a grocery store, it has been an amazing learning curve.  Quite frankly, a few college courses were also eye opening - "The Scientific Study of Food/Food Prep Lab" being the one I felt most at odds with.  All of my peers seemed to be culinary experts, whereas I was struggling on the proper way to cut an onion (anyone ever hear of onion powder)!?  And no matter what food chemistry topic we were studying that day, my recipe's end result always seemed to be the one to examine on what "NOT" to do.  From this day forward, I will always remember excessive amounts of sugar in cake will cause it to completely fall apart (sugar makes baked goods tender, fyi).  I'll also never forget the mortifying feeling of not being able to distinguish what a "Leek" was, as I had never seen or used, let alone cooked with one prior to 2012!

As you can see, I'll never claim to be a Julia Child in the kitchen, but I'm also no Mrs. Doubtfire - hehe.  Thanks to Pinterest, I have had great successes with recipes, especially baked goods.  But along with my successes, I've of course had a few interesting/un-flavorful outcomes (i.e. homemade Alfredo sauce with ZERO seasoning; always second guessing the 'done-ness' of chicken; not following directions and forgetting a key ingredient...you know, the little things).  I'm so thankful the man I married makes amazing food from scratch.  I even stated in my wedding vows if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have learned to cook.  What can I say, I picked well :)

I'm also lucky there are so many different avenues and career paths you can take as a Dietitian.  While people are often attracted to careers and jobs that highlight their strengths, I also think it's important to work in a position that encourages self-improvement.  As a retail RD, OBVIOUSLY food prep is a popular inquiry I receive; again, I educate on the basics, but Hy-Vee is great that we now employ CHEFS and department managers who can compliment my knowledge to help best serve the customer.  I will say that in my three years as a grocery store employee, I have definitely expanded my kitchen repertoire, and plan to use this blog in the future to share favorite recipes I attempt, as well as funny mishaps along the way.

The following quote is from a fellow RD friend, who shared me this saying when I informed her of my blog topic.  Thanks Steph!

"Sometimes I feel terrible that I'm not whipping up gourmet meals...but then I tell my husband I did not go to culinary school - I just studied the nutrients!"

I, too, sometimes feel guilty that I'm not playing the "normal" role as a domestic housewife (cooking, cleaning, etc.)  But then I sit back and reflect on all the things I AM good at, and I realize there are plenty of other talents I possess that make me unique and special.  And if you know me or Dee in any way, the answer is yes: our kitchen REALLY IS used for dancing more than anything else. :)

Look out for more 'Dietitian Confessions' coming soon!