Many of us think nutritionists and dietitians eat perfectly at home and are the true beacon of all that is healthy and good. But lest we forget, they’re real people, too! Case in point: writer, registered dietitian, and cookbook author Katie Morford. Katie lives in San Francisco with her husband and three daughters, and is the voice behind the popular blog, Mom’s Kitchen Handbook: Raising Fresh-Food Kids in a French-Fried World. She’s written three cookbooks (more on that below!), and is a big fan of balance and avoiding super restrictive diets. We’re encouraged to know a registered dietitian who occasionally enjoys wine and tacos, and had a chance to ask Katie a few of our most burning questions:
What Do You Cook for Dinner When You’re Just Cooking for Yourself?
If I’m feeling motivated, I’ll make a pretty salad with whatever is in season, usually with a bit of cheese and bread to go with it. If I’m feeling lazy and worn out, I’ll pour myself a glass of wine, pop a bowl of popcorn, and call it a day.
What’s Your Go-to Clean Out the Pantry Meal?
I like to do big sheet pans of whatever veggies are hanging around the produce drawer that need to be used up. I cut them up, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and then roast them until nice and caramelized. Then I make a quick tahini dressing with lemon and cumin to serve on the side. My whole family loves it. I also do a lot of tacos using whatever we have. I’ve decided pretty much anything can go into a taco as long as you have avocado and good salsa.
Where Do You Find Recipe Inspiration These Days?
Everywhere! My sister and brother are both excellent cooks and I get a lot of inspiration from them. I live in San Francisco, where there’s always something new happening in food. I also love to travel and usually bring back ideas to try at home. And of course, there’s Instagram.
What’s One Thing About the Way You Cook at Home That Might Surprise People?
I’m such a messy cook. I try to follow my own advice and clean as I go, but more often than not, I just keep making messes until I’m done. Then have to face the monster task of putting the kitchen back together at the end. It’s pretty much why I made the rule in our house, “whoever cooks dinner, doesn’t have to clean up.”
What Healthy Eating or Diet Trend Are You Most Skeptical About?
I struggle with diets that are really restrictive because I find they’re hard to stick with. You might drop weight quickly, but that doesn’t determine long term weight loss or overall health. I think the Keto diet fits the bill for being pretty rigid and in my opinion, not particularly appetizing. Although there’s some interesting research in the works about the diet, I think it’s a tough one to stick with and I wonder about the impact of eating such a high fat diet over the long haul.
Last Thing: Tell Us About Your Cookbooks!
The inspiration for each of my books sprang from the challenges I was facing in my own kitchen. Best Lunch Box Ever aims to solve what many parents consider their least favorite chore. I wrote it when I was packing three school lunches everyday and realizing that it’s no easy task. Rise & Shine is all about making simple delicious weekday breakfasts, so that parents can send their families off into their day with a nourishing start. And the seed for PREP was planted when my oldest daughter was a senior in high school and I was thinking seriously about the skills I wanted my kids to have when they went to college. It’s a guidebook and cookbook to empower high school and college kids in the kitchen.
