Hi, and welcome to Audra’s Appetite! I’m so glad you’re here. I’m Brittany Audra, a registered dietitian living in the midwest.
I have always had an interest in baking and cooking, from a young age of helping my mother in the kitchen. I had an Easy Bake Oven (anyone remember those?!) growing up, and would feel SO proud of serving my tiny desserts to my family. I would cut the (single serving dessert) until 5 pieces for everyone in my family to try. My favorite room in the house, hands down, is my kitchen. It’s where I spend the most of my time, and I (almost) always enjoy working it in…that is, with the exception of washing all the dishes that seem to pile up way too quickly!
So a bit about my story….well, I think I have to start with elementary gym class. It caused me great anxiety the three days a week we had to go to PE. I am, quite possibly, the MOST un-athletic person you’ll ever meet. I was always so embarrassed, especially with co-ed gym! Never able to make a basket, make it to first base, the last to be chosen for a team, the first to get out in dodge ball…you get the picture. However, in junior high I discovered cross country. Finally, a sport that didn’t involve a ball or coordination! All that to say I quickly fell in love with running and ended up running cross country all throughout junior high and high school. Along with running came an interest in nutrition and eating healthy to run the best I could. Fast forward to college and I decided to pursue a career in dietetics. It seemed the perfect fit, combining my love of food, passion for helping others, interest in sciences, etc. I graduated from Purdue University with a bachelor of science in dietetics and completed my dietetics internship and went on to pass the credentialing exam.
I currently am working as a clinical dietitian in both an inpatient and outpatient setting at a large hospital. I have a passion for nutrition education and counseling and helping others heal their relationship with food. I enjoy interacting with patients/clients and walking them through making lasting changes and finding freedom from dieting, restricting or eliminating foods, etc. I am constantly learning and growing both personally and professionally in my career, and am passionate about intuitive eating-eating in line with your body’s hunger, fullness, and satisfaction cues, without trying to control or restrict your eating. I always say if you’re trying to make a change that you couldn’t keep up the rest of your life, it’s probably not a good idea. Everything fits. I have a deep love for dark chocolate and brownie sundaes, as well as avocados and kale. I have and continue to learn SO much about food and diet freedom, and I am looking forward to sharing more of nutrition topics as both myself and this blog continue to grow.
When I’m not at work, you can probably find me either in the kitchen or outside in nature going on a walk, run, or hike with my husband, Chris, and dog Charlie. They are both great at helping clean up the destruction that sometimes occurs when I’m in the kitchen…Chris with being the best dish-washer ever (obviously his life’s ambition) and Charlie with helping clean up any stray food that ends up on the floor. 🙂
Some random facts about me (in no particular order):
- I’m more of a morning person. I feel most productive in the mornings. I love sunrises, morning runs, all things breakfast and brunch, COFFEE, the quiet before the stress of the day gets in the way.
- Nut butter has it’s own separate food category for me. I’m hopelessly addicted. I often just eat it straight from the jar by the spoonful. I love making my own nut butters with unique combinations and flavors!
- I eat chocolate in some form every single day. The darker the better (something my mom and I cannot agree on…).
- I’m the only one in my family with red hair. I’ve always thought I look nothing like the other members of my family because of this. I’ve always enjoyed having a different natural hair color. My grandfather had red hair, so it’s something special I shared with him.
- I love being outside. Fresh air, sun, and nature do wonders for my mood and stress levels.
- I love Jesus. I am selfish (just ask Chris haha), prideful, and so sinful. I am forever grateful for His grace and forgiveness and am continually learning to live with eternity in mind and walking with the Holy Spirit [Romans 8].
- I have always enjoyed baking more than cooking, although since cooking is obviously sometimes more practical I love meal prep/batch cooking. Setting aside a few hours over the weekend to prepare for the week ahead helps ensure we have balanced meals and snacks on hand and saves so much time during the week.
- I have two younger brothers (I’m the oldest child). I always wanted a sister growing up. However, I am so thankful for the close relationship I have always had with my mom.
- I love reading. It’s slightly ridiculous how much I read growing up (not playing sports or having a sister played a role in that for sure). I don’t have the time to read as much as I’d like now, but it’s something I’ve always enjoyed.
- When I was younger, I loved reading through cookbooks and food magazines. I would clip out recipes and put them together in binders. When I discovered food blogs, it’s always been a secret dream of mine to have my own. However, I never, ever thought that would happen for many reasons (I’m not exactly the best with technology (understatement haha), knew nothing of photography, never thought I’d have the time, terrified of trying something new, etc). The older I get (and a lesson I’ve learned from my husband) is that living a life without taking risks and pursing your passions isn’t really a life worth living. Sure, it could result in being a massive failure. But you never know until you try something and the biggest rewards often come from taking larger, scary risks and getting outside of your comfort zone.
Thanks again for joining me! I hope you enjoy the recipes and try them yourself, as well as learn along with me!
