Kristin earned a B.S. in exercise science from Wheaton College, M.S. in nutrition at Loma Linda University, and a Ph.D. in nutrition from U.C. Davis. She completed her dietetic training at the Sid Richardson Center for Preventative Medicine at Methodist Hospital in Houston and Stanford University Hospital in Palo Alto. She is a Registered Dietitian and Licensed Dietitian.

Kristin has taught classes in nutrition at a variety of levels, from community college to university classes, elementary school (nutrition educator for Columbia Public Schools), and community nutrition programs. In collaboration with Columbia Public Library and Central Missouri Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Kristin developed the Kids in the Kitchen program, teaching cooking skills to young children and their parents and has taught these classes for the past 15 years