In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition, I talk with runner, chef, and founder of Real Athlete Diets (RAD), Kelly Newlon. We both share our entries into the food industry, watching cooking shows on TV, and gaining experience in different food settings growing up. Kelly shares her training and education pathway through culinary school to become a chef, before we explore the wide variety of career options in the food industry: from working in fine dining restaurants and bakeries, feeding sports teams and catering events, to cooking on cruise liners or working as a private chef, the opportunities are endless! Kelly highlights the importance of gaining different experiences and the skills each setting teaches.  With over 20 years working in restaurants alongside hundreds of hours of nutrition courses, Kelly founded Real Athlete Diets (RAD), a catering company that creates delicious, performance-oriented food for active people. Based out of Boulder, CO, Kelly shares how she helps athletes fuel, navigating unique nutrition requirements and dietary restrictions. Kelly and I chat about building out balanced plates that support athletes’ unique needs. We reconsider traditional American meal composition norms and encourage listeners to add toppings to their plates: tune in to hear about how Kelly tops her breakfast salad with eggs! For more on Kelly and Real Athlete DIets (RAD), check out her website http://www.radboulder.com/ and follow on Instagram @radboulder  Follow me, your host Lindsey Cortes, on Instagram @female.athlete.nutrition  Have you heard?! The Female Athlete Nutrition podcast patreon is now LIVE and we are excited to offer our community unique perks. Join today and receive bonus episodes, merch, monthly recipes, access to an exclusive community message board, and have the chance to ask Lindsey your questions and get a podcast shoutout, and more! Head to patreon today patreon.com/femaleathletenutrition  Need help with your fueling? Want to get in touch with Lindsey? Interested in the Female Athlete System of Transformation?  Head to www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com to learn more & book a call! THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Previnex: https://www.previnex.com/ use code RISEUP for 15% off at checkout InsideTracker: www.insidetracker.com/riseup for 20% off the entire store for a limited time only! THIS PODCAST IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY: Orgain, head to www.orgain.com and use the code RISEUP30 for 30% off your first order. Repeat customers can use the code OA2203 for 25% off future orders. Practice Better Click the link below to view plans and get a 14-day free trial. Then use the code RISEUP20 for 20% off your first 4 months: https://practicebetter.grsm.io/runp  Jen & Keri: https://jenandkeri.com/ use code RISEUP10 for $10 off your order In this episode we talk about: 2:45 Kelly’s path to becoming a chef and its intersection with running  6:20 Understanding food to meet your body’s needs 11:50 Career options in the food industry: the importance of different experiences  23:00 The merging of cooking and running 27:00 Real Athletes Diets (RAD): a catering company that focuses on feeding athletes 29:50 What is performance-oriented food and how do elite athletes eat? 33:30 Feeding elite athletes, building plates and navigating dietary restrictions  39:25 The importance of fats and adding toppings to food! 43:40 Rethinking balanced plates and meal compositions 56:15 End of the podcast questions