Hi There! I'm Danielle, Founder of Cover The Label

I am a registered dietitian and recipe developer specializing in nutrition for millennials and busy professionals, with an emphasis on navigating nutrition without restriction. My own health journey turned into my core food philosophy, which encompasses an all-foods-fit approach to help overcome labels and stress around food. I want to inspire women of every BODY type to discover food confidence, eat intuitively, feel better and start to love their bodies again, instead of being surrounded by confusing diet culture. 

My love of food is displayed on this blog to provide nutrition in a relatable way, to make healthy living possible! Food should have quality ingredients and make us feel good! I strive to do that by focusing on quality over labels, with nourishing recipes, nutrition swaps and conscious living practices that anyone can incorporate into their routine.

When I’m not cooking, baking or making a mess in the kitchen, I’m doing different workout classes around Los Angeles (Pre-COVID but now virtual classes are my jam) and going out to local eateries with my fiance, Brian. He’s the real chef and butcher in our household. He loves all things butter and I love all things chocolate, so we got the right balance! We are highschool sweethearts and he’s always pushing me to be more adventurous. 

Approachable Living

Recipes with Quality Foods Over Labels 

Food Should Have Quality Ingredients and Make Us Feel Good

As a dietitian, my life revolves around food from teaching classes to creating recipes! Like most, it can be overwhelming navigating food culture, as my relationship with food hasn’t always been the best. It’s been balanced, disordered, healthy, restrictive, and everything else in between. I was constantly ashamed about my body, feeling self conscious and punishing myself for eating “bad foods.”

Thankfully now, I approach food and nutrition in a different mindset as I’ve found food confidence and no longer need labels. I’m not saying I don’t struggle at times, but I’ve gotten a lot better at listening to my body. I allow my body to rest when needed and I’ve truly found movement that brings me happiness! No more stressing if I don’t eat veggies with every meal or enjoy a pint of ice cream while watching Netflix. There will be no food shaming here! I know one day won’t mess up my balanced lifestyle. It’s about creating sustainable habits by moving and fueling in ways that makes me feel good and not following another diet. Discovering food freedom and shifting my mindset has transformed my lifestyle for the better. You can do it too!! It starts one day at time. 

Throughout this blog discover nourishing recipes that incorporate quality ingredients to help you feel your best. Many of the ingredients and products in our curated shop will be featured in these recipes and blog posts. These feel good items have been hand selected and consciously sourced to support our community by showcasing their high quality products. 

Let’s redefine our relationship to food by stressing less with nutrient dense options and allowing our body to enjoy all foods. These recipes will incorporate a variety of food groups by focusing on real ingredients that taste delicious and offer health promoting benefits. If you follow any dietary lifestyle feel free to mix and match ingredients to make them work for you. Some days I feel predominantly plant-based and other days I want a juicy burger on a brioche bun! It’s time to transform your life by fueling with quality ingredients instead of fixating on the labels.

My Story: How I Became a Dietitian 

I struggled with being overweight as a child and as I grew up I started having health issues. In highschool, I was 5’ 2” and 160-ish pounds as I started to adjust my food and began exercising. This is where I started to see a positive change in my body and energy levels; however, this is where my dieting rollercoaster began. In my senior year, I knew I wanted to understand more about the nutrition field so I could learn how to educate myself. I wanted to ditch diets and find a positive relationship with food. 

Now, fast forward through 5 years of many nutrition classes, chemistry labs, food service menus and volunteer hours to earn my BS in Dietetics and Food Administration from Long Beach State University. Then applying for several 1 year (1200 hour) dietetic internship programs to find my match at Oakwood University Distance, ultimately passing the RD exam in spring 2014 to become a Registered Dietitian. My journey wasn’t overnight, as it took many years of personal growth to finally find food and body freedom, as the number on the scale no longer defines my self-worth. But if this is what freedom feels like I never want to go back and you don’t either! Stay tuned for my full journey to become a dietitian, using real foods and a holistic approach. 

If you want to get in touch with me, just reach out as I’m here to answer personal or career questions! hello@coverthelabel.com

Follow me @wellnesswithdanielle sharing my life as an RD, along with Kitchen Fun!