Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Kimberlain.
Hi Amy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
People ask me all the time how I got into the field of Nutrition. I give them the short answer –“I love food! Who wouldn’t want to talk about food all day?!” If I were to give them the long answer, well, it all started in my sophomore year of college. It was the spring semester and I had to declare a major.
I had thought about this major decision (pun intended) for a countless number of days and was not able to choose one. Psychology, Nursing, and Spanish all were of great interest to me. I often wondered how I could narrow it down to just one. So one Sunday afternoon I called my mom for our usual weekly talk and as we were talking about some new recipe that she was trying out, that’s when it clicked. I knew what it was that I wanted to be when I grew up.
My mom studied home economics in college. As kids growing up my brothers and I was taught how to eat healthy without ever having to think about it. My mom had striven to incorporate the Four Basic Food Groups (what they used to be called) and see to it that a wide selection of foods was always available.
My mom had 3 different kinds of eaters – I was the picky one growing up, one brother ate everything regardless of what it was, and my other brother couldn’t let any food touch another food on his plate (& he had a lot of allergies). Let’s just say my mom didn’t have it easy.
And if you were to include my dad in the mix, well, don’t try and sneak anything too healthy in because he’d know! Anytime there was spaghetti my mom would always try and mix ground turkey with the ground beef. My dad always knew and always let her know he knew. And there was one time she tried to make tofu lasagna. Well, needless to say, it didn’t go over so well. My mom was ahead of her time in the field of nutrition in the 70s.
I’m thankful she taught me what a well-balanced meal was without even having to tell me what it was – she simply made dinner every night with proper portions and vegetables galore (in our family we’d eat our salad last. I’m not sure why but as a kid growing up I used to always think we saved the best for last). And so it was on that Sunday afternoon talking to my mom, that I knew what major I would declare – Nutrition.
I learned a really simple definition of Nutrition in college that has stuck with me ever since. I use this all the time when I teach kids as it allows them to understand why their parents tell them they have to eat their veggies. Nutrition/ n(y)oo’trisSHən/: the study (the science of) food and how it works in your body.
I give them the example of carrots. Carrots have Vitamin A. One role/function of Vitamin A is that it helps with night vision. Therefore carrots help them to see better at night. (& I’m not talking about the kind of Vitamin you eat that looks like a gummy bear. Vitamins are in foods that we eat!).
Teaching our kids from a young age about nutrition is key in them developing lifelong healthy eating habits (and the reverse is true too, they can learn unhealthy eating habits that will last a lifetime as well). Kids are sponges; they soak it all in, the good and the bad. As I was growing up I learned 3 principles that are key for me now as I teach nutrition: balance, variety, and moderation.
Balance: I think my mom had a good balance in allowing us to feel like “normal” kids in the neighborhood. We had hot dogs growing up and while I know she probably cringed giving those to us she also made sure that we had a vegetable with that meal. It actually turned into one of our favorite ways to eat hot dogs, otherwise known as “slaw dogs” (homemade coleslaw on top of our hot dog). It was the subtle message that all foods can fit, but also allow us to be kids at the end of the day.
Don’t get me wrong, we weren’t eating hot dogs every time we asked for them. Hot dogs were for special occasions. The other way we were taught balance was simply by all that my mom was balancing – going to school, being a mom, cooking dinner for us. I sometimes wondered how she did all that she did in a day. She made sure to make dinner for us to make sure we were getting the proper nutrition to do well in school and be healthy. Life is truly a balancing act.
Variety: The sky is the limit when it comes to food preparation. Back to the number one complaint, I get from parents: “What can I do to get my kid to eat vegetables?” This is where variety is critical. If you offer the same vegetables over and over it’s a given they’re not going to like vegetables. There are TOO many vegetables for a kid (or an adult for that matter) to tell me they don’t like ANY. Find the ones they do like and continue to build from there. Encourage them to find a new vegetable at the store and figure out how to prepare it.
And always remember even with the same vegetable there can be variety in how you prepare it – Raw carrots versus cooked carrots. Some kids might prefer them raw, but the minute you cook them they might gag. I always tell parents to allow their kids to see what it is that they’re giving them. Expose the kids and make sure the vegetable is on the plate. But in the same token, there are kids that aren’t going to eat it no matter what way you fix it.
That’s where you simply have to outsmart them and offer them another vegetable that gives them the same vitamin. Vitamin A is in SO many other fruits and vegetables that you don’t have to get worked up if your kids aren’t eating carrots. Variety not only in the way the food is prepared but also in the foods that are offered as well.
Moderation: my mom taught me moderation with desserts. My mom loves to bake and if there ever was such a thing as a sweet tooth, well she’s got one (and so do I). I have a distinct memory of including something sweet in my lunch bag every day when I was younger. Whether it was a mini-Twix or whether it was a Little Debbie cake, we were allowed things daily but in a moderate amount – it wasn’t a whole Twix candy bar, nor was it both of the Little Debbie cakes.
We were allowed these things in moderation so that we wouldn’t overdo these indulgences if we had gone without them. I still to this day have a hard time counseling people about the concept of moderation. Some people are either all or none when it comes to sweets. They aren’t able to do just 1-2 cookies, rather they end up doing the whole sleeve of cookies and so they choose to not even have any at all.
I try to explain to them that the deprivation can actually be worse. They’ll still tend to overdo these foods in the end, but it’s finding that balance that will allow them these foods that might be a trigger for overeating.
That’s how it started and how I’ve incorporated a few key messages throughout the years. In the last 10 years, I’ve worked with patients with diabetes and earned my CDCES, Certified Diabetes Care, and Education Specialist credential.
Working with patients with type 1, type 1.5, type 2, GDM, and MODY, all have allowed me to help teach patients the science behind the disease, the nutrition to help manage, the medications, etc, however, the patients have taught me that beyond the science it is also an art as no two days are the same in diabetes management.
And lastly, in the last couple of years, I’ve been appointed as an Academy Media Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Being a spokesperson allows for me as a dietitian, the food and nutrition expert, to help “translate the nutrition science into information consumers can easily understand”.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
After you complete your degree in nutrition there is an internship portion (unpaid). I had completed two degrees in four years and worked a part-time job on campus.
The internship at the time was a computerized matching system. I did not get my first pick when applying the first year. To say that was a hardship is an understatement. I immediately touched base with the first pick and asked what I could do to improve upon my application – and the response was ‘nothing. They’re just quite competitive’.
In that next year, I worked for the department of health as a nutrition educator for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). In that year, I practiced my Spanish and was able to have a conversation (vs just the book knowledge) with patients. I additionally took courses on breastfeeding in order to better help the patients as well. And last but not least, I volunteered at many local events (heart walk, farmer’s markets, etc.).
You need to complete an internship in order to become a Registered Dietitian. Not getting that internship early on taught me a lot. I was determined to enter the field of nutrition and dietetics. It was my passion. And so I persevered. That 2nd year, I applied and obtained an internship.
It’s funny how the saying goes, “things happen for a reason.” That 2nd year most of the girls lived in the dorm (and the prior year no girls did) – which creating friendships within the internship are so important – and to this day still am friends with many of the girls.
I’ve often been called ‘passionate’ about what I do. The truth is that I was privileged to have the opportunity to learn nutrition early on and want others to have that same opportunity. I do what I love and love what I do.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a dietitian in the community. My 9-5 is helping to teach the community about nutrition through a wide variety of topics. However, in my spare time/off-hours, I write a blog and recently started publishing my recipes. During the pandemic, everyone was home and cooking more.
I wanted to share the recipes that I was making so that others could make what I’d post online via social media. I also took up food photography. I try to style my food pictures to look appealing – not only through their taste and nutrition but also by showing how delicious they can be!
And it was during this time that I realized people needed to see how nutrition could be fused into the kitchen. The thought is that “healthy doesn’t taste delicious” and it’s my hope that through the recipes I create I let people see how to incorporate more vegetables, and more plant-based dishes (vegetables are the main event, protein is a side dish), and include desserts.
I have a specialization in diabetes education. And it’s also here with the website that I continue to teach about nutrition through blog posts and create recipes that everyone can eat, not just people with diabetes (it’s part of what I teach, it’s how we all should eat!).
I mentioned desserts and this is also part of the conversation/teaching that I do – incorporating a bit of mindfulness into our eating habits. Mindfulness is a practice and it takes time and gets stronger the more we do it. It’s an important area to help people see how to include vs exclude foods (whether they’re desserts or salty foods or whatever they may be) all while recognizing/managing a condition (i.e. diabetes) and we are able to merge those two.
I’d like to think I’m known for not only my nutrition knowledge but also my kitchen skills (and showing how cooking doesn’t have to be difficult) in the kitchen, and ultimately how people can merge the two together. Not to mention my food photography allows people to want to make some of the recipes that I’m creating. (one of the things I’m most proud of are these photography skills I’ve picked up since the pandemic).
With all of my background: Academy Media Spokesperson, Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, Registered Dietitian, Registered Yoga Teacher – this has allowed me to now translate that all into easy recipes that people can make, all while tasting delicious, and ultimately improving their health!
It might sound ironic, but not all dietitians like to cook/be in the kitchen. I think this is part of what does set me apart – I’m able to show people it doesn’t have to be difficult or seem overwhelming and that by getting back to the basics – cooking in the kitchen – if we can reclaim ‘cooking’ as an act of enjoyment it really can open the door to a more nourishing life.
Now if you asked me to grow my own food, that might be more of a challenge but I do have a few herbs growing now, a passion fruit vine, and a few fruit trees!
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I grew up in Miami. Miami is my home. From the sunrises on the beach to the bike rides in the Everglades (Shark Valley), there really is something to do in different environments.
I love all the tropical fruit we’re able to grow here. I currently have a passion fruit vines. How many people can say they’ve been able to have fresh passion fruit? from the mangos to the guanabana to the dragon fruit, it really is the best. And while the heat and humidity are sometimes hard to bear (maybe part of the least favorite things) I really can’t complain because it gives us the tropical fruit.
Additionally, we have such a melting pot of cultures here in Miami. This allows us to have quite a variety of food experiences – from Jamaican to Peruvian to Asian Pacific (and there are more, but that’s just to show what a wide variety) – eating at different places allows you to experience culture and gain an understanding.
I absolutely feel grateful to have the ability to experience this.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amysnutritionkitchen.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amysnutritionkitchen/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmysNutritionKitchen
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/RDAmy
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/AmysNutritionKitchen/_created/
Image Credits
Headshot: Marcela Galvez
