Sound Bites With Melissa Joy Dobbins

“I believe good food makes your life better. I believe feeding your soul makes your life richer. My passion is sharing the news that delicious food can be enjoyed and healthful—on the same fork.” – Judy Barbe Judy Barbe is a registered dietitian who has been bringing realistic solutions to tables for more than 20 years. As the author of Your 6-Week Guide to LiveBest, Simple Solutions for Fresh Food & Well-Being and LiveBest Seasonally, a Fresh Approach to Living with Vitality, she shows people how to make better-for-you choices through her website, original recipes, speaking engagements, newspaper columns, blogs and webinar series.  Judy’s unique perspective includes representing local dairy farmers, participating in her own family’s cattle ranch and being a beekeeper. These farm-to-table experiences help her bridge the gap between urban customers and today’s modern farming practices.  Judy educates both nutrition professionals and the public on the topic of food waste, providing ideas they can implement

Survey Says: Many consumers are choosing “clean” and “mindful” eating as their path to healthier living instead of “dieting”. More than 1700 Registered Dietitians weighed in on the fifth annual “What’s Trending in Nutrition” survey by Pollock Communications and Today’s Dietitian.  Pollock Communications and leading nutrition trade magazine, Today's Dietitian, released the results of their fifth annual "What's Trending in Nutrition" national food trend survey, which polled over 1,700 registered dietitians (RDs) across the country on the upcoming year's big trends in food and eating. This year overall, results reveal a decline in consumers' interest in dieting. Instead, many are choosing clean and mindful eating as their path to healthier living. For the last five years, the “What's Trending in Nutrition” survey has been a leader in identifying and tracking the next significant trends in food for the upcoming year including what foods are topping the coveted Top 10 Superfoods list. Dr. Jenna A. Bell is a Senior

“Cooking with Love and Loving to Eat…I’m on a mission to provide both adults and youth with delicious and nutritious recipes and tips to optimize performance and fuel health.” – Sarah Koszyk   Sarah Koszyk is a sports dietitian and weight management specialist and the founder of Family. Food. Fiesta., a healthy recipe blog including kid cooking videos and meals the entire family will enjoy. She is the author and co-author of multiple books including: 25 Anti-Aging Smoothies for Revitalizing, Glowing Skin, Brain Food: 10 Simple Foods that will Increase Your Focus, Improve Your Memory and Decrease Depression, Whole Body Reboot: The Peruvian Superfoods Diet to Detoxify, Energize, and Supercharge Fat Loss and her newest book: 365 Snacks for Every Day of the Year. Sarah writes monthly columns for many publications including UltraRunning magazine, Swimmer magazine, NutritionJobs, and ExerciseJobs. She is bilingual in Spanish and English, and is a Nutrition Coach for individuals and families in both sports nutrition

“Don’t base your food and nutrition decisions on scary headlines and rush to eliminate entire food groups from your meals. Instead, check the facts with reliable sources and a registered dietitian nutritionist.” – Neva Cochran   Neva Cochran is a nutrition communications consultant in Dallas. She works with a variety of food and beverage industry clients to promote science-based food and nutrition information, translating it into consumer-friendly messages people can use to enjoy eating a nutrient-rich diet. Her expertise lies in looking beyond the sensationalized food and nutrition headlines trumpeted in the media to discover the real facts and the true story.  She wants people to know that good nutrition is not about avoiding certain foods or categorizing foods and ingredients as “good” and “bad” but about eating a variety of foods in moderation, balancing choices and burning calories through more physical activity so you can enjoy the foods you love. You can read the full show notes and activate all the li

“I don’t tell people what to think….I give them something to think about” – Milton Stokes Milton Stokes is the Director of Global Health and Nutrition Outreach for Monsanto where he engages with Registered Dietitians and other health professionals on topics pertaining to food, agriculture, and nutrition.  Before coming to Monsanto, Milton had a professorship and directed a dietetic internship at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, CT.  He also owned a private nutrition counseling practice with offices throughout Connecticut and is a former restaurateur. Milton was a National Media Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in the New York City media market and a freelance writer for consumer magazines covering food, nutrition, and health.  His fourth book was a New York Times best seller, and his latest book, “Launching Your Career in Nutrition and Dietetics”, 2nd edition, is a comprehensive and essential guidebook to help dietetics and nutrition students thrive in the classroom as w

“When I was working on my first book I surveyed 1000 people and 2 out of 3 reported they eat due to stress. The reality is, life throws us curve balls and food can become your comforter, your best friend. But food is only a quick fix and ultimately we have to deal with the underlying issues.” – Dr. Susan Mitchell   Dr. Susan Mitchell took her nutrition degree and turned it in to a 20+ year successful small business. By developing leadership and speaking skills, honing media skills, and acquiring business acumen, Susan has worked with some of the top food companies and PR firms. She is the co-author of three books including, Fat is Not Your Fate (Simon & Schuster), Eat to Stay Young (Kensington) and I’d Kill for a Cookie (Penguin). She is also producer and host of the podcast Breaking Down Nutrition: Your Digest for What Works, What Doesn’t (available in both medical professional and consumer versions). Susan is a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the recipient of the 2015 Media Award from

“Dinner is a great place to share a meal and so much more…I’m all about family and setting an example when I set the table. I teach people how to eat to make themselves feel good – emotionally and physically – and I truly believe that if you raise your kids to enjoy food because of the way it tastes and the way it makes them feel, you’re teaching them a lesson for life that’s more important than most of the subjects they learn in school.” – Bonnie Taub-Dix    Bonnie Taub-Dix is the author of Read It Before You Eat It, a media consultant to global companies and a freelance journalist for US News & World Report, TODAY, Everyday Health, and several other sites. Bonnie makes sense of science and proves that nutritious and delicious can coexist on the same plate at every meal and snack. She believes that food is fun, festive, and for promoting wellness. It’s not about deprivation, punishment or excess. The key is trying to find the balance YOU need for your particular body and lifestyle. You can read the full

In this episode, Sarah and I discuss the many ways we’ve done “MORE” with dinner since our last episode in June! We also reflect on the past year and how we want to #domorewithdinner in 2017.   Sarah and I have continued doing “MORE” with dinner over the past several months and we finally sit down to review everything and share our successes (and failures) with you. As always, life can get in the way of dinnertime plans, but we are happy to report that we are still doing our weekly meal planning, have tried a few new recipes, had some fun in the kitchen, and even more fun around the dinner table. We hope you enjoy hearing about our learnings and will share back with us how YOU are doing “MORE” with dinner! You can read the full show notes and access all the links and resources at www.soundbitesrd.com

“True confession: Despite the fact that I’m a registered dietitian, a food blogger and love to cook, my family of 3 isn’t always stellar about eating meals together… even “experts” aren’t perfect so you don’t have to beat yourself up if you think you’re failing in the family meal department. That’s why I love to share tips and tricks that might help YOUR family!” – Deanna Segrave-Daly Deanna Segrave-Daly is a Philadelphia-based, food-loving dietitian who co-owns Teaspoon Communications, a food–focused nutrition communications group that consults with a variety of health and food organizations. She blogs at Teaspoon of Spice, with her business partner, Serena Ball, sharing healthy recipes, delicious photography, kitchen hacks and even mishaps in the kitchen. Their motto is “two dietitians who love food as much as you do.”  You can read the full show notes and access all the links and resources at www.soundbitesrd.com  

“Raising healthy kids is one of the hardest jobs of parenthood – from picky eating, childhood obesity, food allergies, sports nutrition, and eating disorders to the endless doubts about what to feed your children.” – Jill Castle   Jill Castle is a registered dietitian and America’s Childhood Nutrition Expert. She is the author of Eat Like a Champion: Performance Nutrition for Your Young Athlete, co-author of Fearless Feeding: How to Raise Healthy Eaters from High Chair to High School, founder of the blog Just the Right Byte, and creator of The Kids Healthy Weight Project, an online nutrition and feeding course for parents. Mealtime is not about what your kids eat; it’s about being together and HOW you feed them—this has an equal, if not stronger effect on overall eating. Dinner together in a positive setting and atmosphere not only helps kids and teens eat healthier, it may curtail negative behaviors like experimenting with drugs and alcohol and other risk-taking behavior. Communication and connection are the

“To change our habits, we first have to figure out ourselves…When we change our habits, we change our lives.” – Gretchen Rubin    Gretchen Rubin is the author of several books, including the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers, Better Than Before, The Happiness Project and Happier at Home. She has an enormous readership, both in print and online, and her books have sold more than two million copies worldwide, in more than thirty languages. On her popular weekly podcast Happier with Gretchen Rubin, she discusses good habits and happiness with her sister Elizabeth Craft (who is a person living with Type 1 diabetes).   You can read the full show notes at www.soundbitesrd.com

“Gardening as a family becomes a place where no one is an expert. Instead, everyone teaches each other, enjoys each other, and works side by side together. Gardening is not only a place to grow vegetables, but it’s also a place to grow closer as a family.” – Jen Haugen’s mom    “Moms are craving simplicity and balance and I believe a family vegetable garden can not only grow healthy food that nourishes our families, but it can also nourish our souls. I learned this while I was a supermarket dietitian with an overloaded schedule and realized I needed to go back to my roots to achieve balance again with my family.” – Jen Haugen Jen Haugen, RDN, LD is a mom, an award-winning registered dietitian and a certified master gardener. She recently published her first book “The Mom’s Guide to a Nourishing Garden.”  Known as the Down To Earth Dietitian, Jen specializes in inspiring moms to create the recipe to a nourishing life through gardening, good food, family, and faith. Her TEDx Talk, “How Moms Can Change the World

Making family meals happen is easier than you think! Supermarkets offer shopper solutions to combat barriers that challenge the goal of having one more family meal per week. Discover how one small change per week can improve your family’s health and happiness. Susan Borra is a registered dietitian and a nationally recognized expert in nutrition, food and health.  Susan has built her career working with national and international organizations representing the food retailing and food processing industries. As the Chief Health and Wellness Officer at the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), Susan leads the health and wellness initiatives recognizing the unique assets of a grocery store (food, nutrition experts and pharmacy) and food retail’s important role in helping customers lead healthy lives. Susan is also executive director of the FMI Foundation which supports research and education in the areas of food safety, nutrition and health. You can read the full show notes and access all the resources at www.soundbites

It’s not every day you get to hear about nutrition research straight from the expert himself! Dr. Taylor Wallace has a passion for food science and technology that creates a safer, healthier and more nutritious food supply, and a perspective on industry research that may surprise you. While attending the University of Kentucky, Taylor fell in love with the field of food science and the technology used to create a safer, healthy and more nutritious food supply in a world with a fast-growing population and diminishing natural resources.  He became particularly interested in the functional properties of foods, how different foods affect human health, and how specific diet patterns can be used to prevent the onset of chronic disease.  He spent the next few years focusing his doctorate research on the health-promoting properties of a group of compounds known as “anthocyanins,” the orange-red to blue-violet colors in many fruits and vegetables.  Today, Taylor focuses much of his professional career on nutrition and

“Healthy and wholesome can also be delicious! I embrace this philosophy and incorporate science-based principles to deliver up-to-date information and advice.” – Toby Amidor Toby is the founder of Toby Amidor Nutrition, where she provides nutrition and food safety consulting services for individuals, restaurants and food brands. She is also the author of The Greek Yogurt Kitchen: More Than 130 Delicious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Day.   Toby is a nutrition expert for FoodNetwork.com, and has been writing for their Healthy Eats Blog since it began about 9 years ago. She is also a regular contributor to U.S. News and World Report Eat + Run blog, Shape.com, MensFitness.com and is an adjunct professor at Teachers College, Columbia University. She also has her own “Ask the Expert” column in Today’s Dietitian Magazine.   Toby trained as a clinical dietitian at New York University. Previously, Toby was a consultant on Bobby Deen’s cooking show, “Not My Mama’s Meals.” Through ongoing consulting and facult

Our kids are bombarded every day with health and nutrition information and misinformation in the news. But what are they learning in the classroom? And are they able to digest this information and make their own, well-informed health and nutrition decisions? Andrew Milne, Illinois’ Health Teacher of the Year 2016, has traveled around the world in his 20 years as a teacher and coach. Originally from England, Andy taught physical education in London for 12 years before immigrating to America in 2008. Since that time he has worked in Special Education, written and taught a health curriculum and now teaches Kinetic Wellness and Health at a high school in the Chicagoland area. Andy received his BA (hon) in Sports & Recreation at Staffordshire University and his PGCE in Physical Education & English at Exeter University, both in England. Read the full show notes here: http://www.soundbitesrd.com/

 “The next 35 years are not only the most important 35 years there have ever been in the history of agriculture, they are the most important 35 years there will ever be in the history of agriculture.” – Jack A. Bobo   Jack Bobo is Chief Communications Officer for Intrexon Corporation. Prior to joining Intrexon last year, Jack spent 13 years at the U.S. Department of State working on global food policy. His education includes degrees in biology, chemistry, psychology, environmental science and law.   Jack is an expert in global food policy and spent the last decade trying to figure out how to sustainably feed the world in 2050. In many ways there is nothing we do that has a bigger, more negative impact on the planet than agriculture, but there is also nothing more critical for our daily survival.   You can read the full show notes and access all the resources at www.soundbitesrd.com

Preparing your own meals can help you be more mindful and appreciative of food and how it nourishes your body and spirit. Sarah-Jane Bedwell is a Nashville-based registered dietitian and the host of Cooking with Sarah-Jane video series, a consultant to the food and beverage industry, and frequently appears in the media sharing evidenced-based information on food and nutrition. Sarah-Jane’s mission is to help people achieve a higher quality of life through food and nutrition. She is the official food and nutrition blogger for SELF Magazine, has appeared on all the major Nashville news station affiliate channels, and several times nationally on NBC’s TODAY Show. You can read the full show notes and access all the resources at www.soundbitesrd.com

Today’s episode is about my progress with the 30 Day Protein Challenge and solutions for getting more protein at breakfast.   Lauren Harris-Pincus is a registered dietitian nutritionist and the owner of Nutrition Starring YOU. She’s a nutrition communications specialist and also has a private practice where she specializes in weight loss. Lauren grew up as an overweight child and draws on that experience, in addition to her degree in nutrition and years of counseling clients on weight management strategies, in her daily work as a nutrition communicator and educator. She develops recipes that not only taste great, but are calorie-controlled and pack a lot of nutritional power, and has a particular talent for creating breakfast recipes that are protein-rich because she knows that helps control hunger and support weight management efforts.   In this episode, Lauren helps Melissa with her 30 Day Protein Challenge with a focus on breakfast solutions. They also discuss various aspects of weight management including

Today’s episode is about hormones and antibiotics in dairy.   Carla Wardin and her husband Kris are dairy farmers in St. Johns, Michigan, where they milk 400 cows and raise corn and alfalfa to feed them.  Carla is also an agriculture representative for U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, which is a position that puts her in touch with consumers who have questions about how their food is produced. Carla has a master’s degree from MSU in English Literature and worked in corporate jobs and as an adjunct professor before deciding to become a dairy farmer nine years ago. In this episode, Carla discusses the most common questions she gets about hormones and antibiotics in milk and shares information about dairy farming practices, including her own experiences on her Michigan dairy farm.   You can read the full show notes and access all the resources at www.soundbitesrd.com