The Best Books by Dietitians

In honor of Registered Dietitian Day, I'm sharing the best books by dietitians, highlighting RDs at the cutting edge of nutrition science.

Little did you know, today is the most important holiday of them all. No silly, it's not Christmas...although depending on where you live, it might still feel like it! March 11th is Registered Dietitian Day, a day to celebrate the valuable role Registered Dietitians (RD) play in communicating nutrition and health information to the public.

There's a lot of talking heads spouting nutrition advice in books, magazines or online. I suppose I'm one of them! But with all the different credentials and fancy titles, many people don't know what distinguishes an RD and RDN (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist). To achieve an RD/RDN credential, one must have a 4-year degree in nutrition or a related field with nutrition prerequisites, complete a dietetics internship and pass a (loooong and hard) exam. To continue to practice, RD/RDNs must keep up with continuing education and advanced degrees/certifications. The title nutritionist is unregulated, so it's a term anyone can use, regardless of their level of education and experience in nutrition. Most nutritionists have completed brief online certificate programs, the most popular of which is essentially a review of popular diets along with lots of marketing advice. Although to be fair, there are also many nutritionists who have undergrad, masters, and/or doctorate degrees in nutrition, but didn't complete the internship and exam. There are also many health coaches who refer to themselves as nutritionists, who are skilled at what they do.

Sometimes I see dietitians getting a reputation for being too conservative or “old school” with their nutrition approach. Usually it’s from the keto bros on twitter, who like to accuse RDs of being forced to teach the food pyramid. Guys, the food pyramid has been gone for like 15 years! Twitter trolls aside, I can see where the criticism comes from, even if I don’t agree with it . When you've seen trendy diets come and go, and the negative impact fad diets have on health and ones ability to have a normal relationship with food, it can certainly make you a bit hesitant to jump on the latest trend trend! But sometimes that means when emerging science comes out, RDs as a whole (not everyone!) can be a little suspicious.

There are SO many dietitians who are on the cutting edge of nutrition, health and wellness, changing thousands of lives with their science backed approaches. So, in honor of that, I thought I would share my favorite inspiring books written by registered dietitians!

INTUITIVE EATING by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD and Elyse Resch, MS, RD

A must read for absolutely everyone. Intuitive eating is a revolutionary, non-diet approach for building a healthy, balanced relationship with food. Learn to trust your body, honor hunger and fullness cues and finally make peace with food.

THE INTUITIVE EATING WORKBOOK by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD and Elyse Resche, MS, RD

This workbook is an incredible follow up to the original Intuitive Eating book that will help you (or your clients) work through the 10 principles of IE in a way that makes sense and resonates.

BODY KINDNESS by Rebecca Scritchfield, RDN

Body Kindness is a practical guide to self care and feeling good in your body! This book is a great read for individuals, as well as a valuable resource for professionals working with clients struggling to accept or connect to their body.

NANCY CLARK'S SPORTS NUTRITION GUIDEBOOK by Nancy Clark, MS, RD

A helpful book for dietitians who work with active people, and active people alike! This is a practical guide for fueling for activity, that’s not rooted in diet culture or restriction.

BORN TO EAT by Leslie Schilling, MA, RDN and Wendy Jo Peterson, MS, RDN

You've probably heard me say this before, but we are all born intuitive eaters! This book dives deeper into that idea, and is a fantastic guide for raising children who continue eat intuitively, and have a healthy relationship with food and their bodies.

THE COMPLETE IDIOTS GUIDE TO EATING WELL WITH IBS by Kate Scarlata, RD, LDN

Knowing what to eat with IBS doesn't have to be so complicated. The low FODMAP diet can be a helpful way to determine what foods trigger your IBS symptoms. Studies show about symptoms are reduced in 75% of IBS sufferers following the diet. This book takes you through everything you need to know about digestive health, food sensitivities, what a low FODMAPS diet is, and it includes recipes!

SECRETS OF FEEDING A HEALTHY FAMILY by Ellyn Satter, MS, RD, LCSW, BCD

Easily the best book out there for parents who want to raise healthy eaters with a positive relationship with food. I love this book so much I've even given it as a gift to many of my new mom friends! Ellyn Satter has designed a science backed approach to feeding children that turns conventional wisdom on it's head, and takes the pressure off mom and dad.

BODY RESPECT by Linda Bacon, PhD and Lucy Aphramor, PhD, RD

Written as a follow up to Health at Every Size, this book takes a deeper dive into why health is not determined by size.

EAT WHAT YOU LOVE LOVE WHAT YOU EAT WITH DIABETES by Michelle May, MD and Megrette Fletcher, MEd, RD, CDE

A diabetes diagnosis can be incredibly overwhelming, especially when it comes to figuring out what to eat. It can easily feel like the days of enjoying food are over. This book is a great resource for reducing anxiety around food with diabetes and learning how to enjoy food while taking care of yourself.

Also…my book: Gentle Nutrition!

If you don’t mind me being a bit self-promotional for a moment, I will also add my book to the list! Gentle Nutrition: A Non-Diet Approach to Healthy Eating is a book that explores the role of nutrition in the intuitive eating paradigm. As someone who has utilized a non-diet approach in her practice for helping clients with a variety of health concerns, I saw that there was a hole in the literature out there for the general public. There’s this myth that intuitive eating is somehow anti-nutrition, and I wanted to show people how to integrate nutrition science into intuitive eating, while also writing a book that helps readers chill out about food a bit! Here’s a link for you to learn more and to order!

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