Taste Life Blog

 March as it is National Nutrition Month® which makes it a registered dietitian’s favorite month.

As dietitians we believe all foods fit! There are no bad or good foods. But, just like I love to know what my doctor feeds her family and eats and does for exercise I love to know what my fellow dietitian nutritionist friend eat and don’t eat! Read about what foods you won’t find in these dietitian’s kitchens and why.

Next time you have a question about nutrition contact one of these nutrition experts.

Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD

I would not eat foods that are moldy or poisonous. Other than that; I have an open mind and open palate.

Steph Saullo, MS RD, LDN

Vegemite or Marmite and while I understand these are not American and not-so-common, I just won’t do it. The taste is too salty and harsh. Brits and Aussies, I say, “No thank you.”

Lisa R Young, PhD, RD

Would never eat–French fries–they are fried, unhealthy, and addictive. Instead, I always keep potatoes on hand to make my own healthy side dish. I cook baked potatoes and sweet potatoes regularly occasionally also make baked potato skins.

Jennifer Neily, MS, RDN, LD, FAND

There are several foods I won’t eat only because of childhood aversions (stepfather making me sit at the table until I finished eating… To this day I still can’t stomach beets or Brussels sprouts. Fortunately my mother divorced him! I want to say no food should ever be off-limits. But two foods you should never eat are those that are rotten or spoiled.

Dianne Rishikof, MS, RDN, LDN

I NEVER drink soda. I won’t buy soda. My kids have never had a sip. It is scary stuff

Christy Harrison, MPH, RD, CDN

As an RD specializing in eating disorder recovery and a recovered person myself, it’s really important to me to be open to all foods, and not to put any foods on the “never” list. So there’s really no food that I would never eat. Of course I do have foods I prefer more than others, but I love being adventurous and discovering new foods, and if I come across something I don’t like it’s not the end of the world—there’s always the next meal or snack!

Amy Gorin, MS, RDN

I won’t drink soda. I don’t like the taste or the sugary feeling it leaves in my mouth. I prefer to stick to water, tea, and coffee!

Elizabeth Ann Shaw, MS, RD, CLT

 I can’t eat vegemite! I was a little kid on vacation in Australia and picked up what I thought was a chocolate croissant at a buffet. Suffice it to say, I was sadly mistaken when I licked the top off and realized it was the salty spread and not sweet chocolate goodness! I am scared for life!

Jill West RD

I would never eat…Sauerkraut. Why? The smell is just too much for me, and I just can’t get past it.  I’m amazed at how much our sense of smell plays into our taste preferences!

Dana Eshelman

I cannot eat mayonnaise! Not on a sandwich, not in a dip…nowhere. I remember working for a catering company where we would order the large jars of mayo (you know, the ones that come from Costco or Sam’s Club) and having to make various meat salads with them. Ick!!

Kate Campbell, RD, RYT

I don’t think there are any foods that I’d “never eat” due to health (or lack thereof). But I am extremely averse to ANYTHING with mustard.  I can’t stand the stuff!  If there’s any noticeable amount on a burger, sandwich, or salad, I can’t eat it

Naomi May, MS, RDN, LD

A “food” I cannot eat is Jello. Even from a young age, I avoided artificial colored and flavored foods (yep, I was meant to be a dietitian!). The texture and seeing the ingredients makes it easy for me to avoid jello.

Lauren Swann, MS, RD, LDN

I cannot stand liverwurst or being anywhere near the odor. I find nothing appealing about it. I cannot eat chicken liver and do not like any kind of liver – the texture is a turn-off to me. I also rarely eat lima beans though I’ve had some yummy new-baby that changed my mind about them but that’s been rare.

 

Kim Kulp, RDN

I’m another who can’t eat mayo. Not even a drop mixed into another food. As my husband says, “She doesn’t even want to know that mayo exists”. I love to sub Greek yogurt for mayo.

Angela Lamberson, MS, RDN, LDN, CDE

I will never eat hotdogs (anymore).  I do not like the taste or smell of them and the last time I had one I felt horrible!  As a nutrition expert, I know that all foods can fit into a healthy diet, but I do believe that hotdogs are one of the least healthy foods on the planet as they are highly processed and full of sodium.

 

Rebecca Bitzer, MS, RD, LD, CEDRD

I will never eat leftovers that have been hanging around in my refrigerator for 4 days or more.

Julie Chudak, RDN CPT
I’m a vegetarian so you will never find any meat or chicken in my fridge or freezer.

 

Lauren Squier, MPH, RD

Foods I never eat are fat-free or non-fat items that naturally have fat, such as fat-free half & half, fat-free mayonnaise, or non-fat vinaigrette dressings. Eat real food!

Dale Kline, MS, RD

I can’t think of anything I don’t eat any more. I use to hate turnips, then I roasted them and now I really like them!

 

Digna Irizarry-Cassens, MHA, RDN, CLT

I never keep any shellfish or crustaceans.

Kathy Brown, RD, LDN, RYT

There aren’t many foods I don’t eat, although I am vegan for the animals, environment, and health reasons. I never eat “fake meats” though. They are so heavily processed and if I wanted to eat meat, I’d rather just eat meat and not an alternative.

Tamara Hoffman, RD, LD, LDN

I never eat mayo. I like all of the ingredients but thinking of a spread made with oil and eggs does not appeal to me.

Janyl Finnerty, RD, LDN & Chef

I don’t like diet sodas!  I avoid artificial sweeteners but love naturally flavored waters, without added sweeteners.  I make many of my own infused water blends, my kids love them too.

Anna Gianpetro, Nutrition Student

I recently found myself out for dim sum with friends and chicken feet were on the offer. I like chicken just as much as the next omnivore, but I’ve heard that chicken feet can be a special case of fowl-play. They might have a chewy, rubbery texture and usually involve navigating skin and nails. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it, no matter how much I wanted to. I hope that someday I get the courage to try this pedi-delicacy, but in the meantime I’m going to stick with pedicures.

Frances Arnold, RDN,CLT, ERYT

I work with clients to focus on what to eat more than what to avoid. That is harder with food sensitivities, as some foods end up getting restricted for a while. It is a delicate balance so  I don’t know if I have a food I would never eat…except for anything with gluten, as the consequences can be unpleasant for days or weeks.

Beth Klos, RD, LDN, CDE

The following are on my low probability list.  (Full disclosure is that I never say never because all bets are off when I travel.  I’ll try a little of signature local dish even if it’s outside my usual preferences, semi-vegetarianism or parameters for health. Liver or liver and onions- texture, taste and aroma all get my thumbs down.  The skin on poultry- did not grow up eating this, and cannot get used to the flavor or texture.  Anything fairly sweet- I did not grow up with a lot of sweets, and most things heavily sweetened are turn off.

These are personal food preferences of these Registered Dietitian Nutritionists and are not meant to be taken as dietary advice.