Page 57 - Today's Dietitian (February 2020)

TD: Do you foresee your model of combining food and if I’m reshooting recipe photos from past recipes. I’ve slowly
nutrition under one roof as the future of dietetics? started thinking about what consumes my time and how to get
Joseph: I absolutely think that having dietitians integrated some of it off of my plate. What can I do more efficiently? It’s an
into the food industry makes nutrition more accessible to the ongoing process.
masses and we might see more of it in the future. In general,
people embrace personalized health care and health care that TD: What meals do you prepare in your own kitchen, and
is provided outside of the traditional setting. The fact is, we what foods do you keep on hand?
want to help people before they end up in the hospital. I think Joseph: I love making these tacos with chickpea walnut meat.
that’s where health care is headed—toward a model that priori- I’ll sauté onions, garlic, zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms,
tizes prevention and wellness. We don’t push our dietetics ser- chickpeas, garlic, toasted walnuts, and taco seasoning—all
vices constantly, but it’s an inherent part of our mission. mashed with a potato masher and served in tortillas with
homemade guacamole. There’s also this vegan lasagna on my
TD: What’s the nutrition philosophy behind your incredibly blog that is one of my most popular recipes and happens to be
popular blog? one of my favorite dinners. I’m a big snacker. I love crackers
Joseph: It’s about bringing joy back to the table. Whether and hummus, homemade muffins, and anything with nut
working with food brands, individual clients, or customers at butter. I also love pickles and olives and other fun acidic
the restaurant, I want to inspire people to get to a place where foods. And I always have dark chocolate–covered pretzels on
they can celebrate vs restrict food. We live in a time where a hand for dessert!
lot of people, young and old, feel controlled by food choices in
a way that harms their mental and physical health. I hope my TD: What do you do for fun when you get a break from work?
blog and social media channels can change that. I love nutri- Joseph: I love being with my friends and scheduling breakfast
tion and the ways in which food can fuel the body, but I also dates to catch up. My fiancé and I love to explore new
honor the fact that food doesn’t have to serve a nutritional pur- restaurants, take walks, cook together, work out, and watch
pose to be enjoyed. Food is about so much more than nutrition. our favorite TV shows. I’m a strong believer that you have to
find time to do what you love!
TD: Between televised cooking segments and being quoted
in articles, you’re well known for your media work. How did Lindsey Getz is an award-winning freelance writer based in
you delve into that? Royersford, Pennsylvania.
Joseph: I have always loved nutrition communications. I
feel at home creating content. I started my blog purely
because writing is a passion. That said, I grew slowly and
organically. I didn’t make money for the first five years as a
blogger—it was just a hobby. My advice to anyone starting
this type of work would be to stay true to yourself, be
patient, and stay consistent. Success is a journey.
Don’t be afraid to pitch to brands you love. Tell them
you’re a dietitian interested in supporting them. Many
companies really value dietitians and their credibility.
There’s plenty to offer as an RD beyond recipes and pretty
photos—brands need nutrition materials, webinars, and
articles on their website, too.

TD: How do you balance all of this work? Do you have
assistance?
Joseph: To be honest, I struggle with balance like anyone
else. That said, I’ve been working at least two jobs for as
long as I can remember. I love to be doing multiple things
at once—it’s in my DNA. I don’t have a perfect system,
and sometimes I am all over the place. But I do have a set
list of things that I need to get done each day, and I make
sure at least those are completed. My day-to-day sched-
ule might include bouncing around the restaurants,
doing blog work, or meeting with clients. I do have a part-
time assistant who helps me with scheduling and social
media—smaller tasks—but I admittedly struggle with
letting many tasks that I handle myself go. My assistant
handles my entire Pinterest account, which is a big source
for blog traffic and something that’s easy to outsource. I
also outsource some of my food photography, particularly
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