NW Pediatric & Family Nutrition

07/13/2025

📦 They’re here!! My books have officially arrived and I’m now shipping them out! 🎉📚

I’m so excited to share that my children’s book, Maeve the Junior Food Scientist: From Yuck to Yum, is now officially in print and ready to be in your hands!

This has been a true passion project — inspired by my experience working with picky eaters, raising my own children, and realizing there weren’t many books out there that approached food in a fun and neutral way.

So… I wrote one! 💛

Maeve the Junior Food Scientist encourages children to explore food using their senses — with curiosity, not pressure. It’s all about bringing science to the table and helping kids feel empowered to try new things in a low-stress, no-shame way.

If you have a child in your life between the ages of 5 and 8, they’re the perfect age to enjoy this book — especially with the Junior Food Scientist Worksheet included inside!

📬 You can grab your copy here: https://keap.page/xdk857/maeve-the-jr-food-scientist.html

I’m so grateful for the support already — and I can’t wait to hear what your little ones think of it! 🧪🍓
Thank you for being part of this journey with me!

07/07/2025

✨ Meet Shelby Hazel, RDN, LD—-Our Newest Dietitian! ✨

We’re thrilled to welcome Shelby Hazel to our team at NW Pediatric & Family Nutrition!

Shelby brings a compassionate and inclusive approach to nutrition care. She specializes in supporting teens and adults recovering from eating disorders, as well as kids over 10 navigating ADHD, picky eating, and high BMI concerns. She also works with clients managing chronic health conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, and GI disorders – all through a weight-neutral, non-restrictive lens.

With three years of experience as a dietitian, Shelby began her career in a group practice alongside eating disorder therapists and recently spent two years in primary care, helping clients of all ages with a wide range of nutrition needs.

When she’s not working, you can find Shelby reading, drawing, or playing cozy video games with her two pet birds 🐦. And in true Portland fashion, she loves to bike around town and soak up the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

Please help us give Shelby a warm welcome! 💚

06/20/2025

Team picnic vibes! ☀️
I was so excited to bring our growing team together this past weekend for a summer family picnic at a Portland park. For the first time, we invited partners and kids to join—and it was such a joy to connect beyond our work lives and meet each other’s families.

We try to gather in person at least twice a year, and this one was extra special. We took the opportunity to snap a fresh team photo (swipe to see!)—including several new faces!

💫 Kayci will soon be heading out on maternity leave in September.
👋 Shelby just started with us this week—more on her soon!
🤝 And I finally got to meet our newest admin assistant, Sara Thomas, in person!

Grateful for this dedicated, compassionate, and talented team of dietitians and admin support. These ladies make it all happen—and I couldn’t be more thankful. 💚

06/15/2025

Wishing all the Fathers, Dads, Grandads, Step-Dads, Expectant Dads, and Hopeful Dads a Happy Father’s Day!⁠
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06/07/2025

🌈 Celebrate Love, Happy Pride Month! 🌈

At NW Pediatric & Family Nutrition, we proudly stand beside our LGBTQ+ community with love and unwavering support. To all our clients, colleagues, and friends who identify as LGBTQ+, know that you are seen, valued, and supported. We believe in you and are here to provide a welcoming and inclusive space for everyone.

Your identity and experiences are important, and we are committed to fostering an environment of respect and acceptance. Let’s celebrate love in all its beautiful forms this Pride Month and every day. 🏳️‍🌈💖

05/19/2025

Maeve the Junior Food Scientist: From Yuck to Yum! has been a true passion project — inspired by my youngest daughter Maeve when she was just 6 (she’s now 11!).
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As a pediatric dietitian, I wanted to write a story that helps kids feel curious and confident around food — not shamed or pressured. A book where they become the scientist, using their senses to explore food in a fun, no-pressure way.
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My hope is that kids everywhere will feel empowered to try something new — and maybe even start singing the jinglefrom the book as they do:
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Smell it! Touch it! Taste it!
I use my senses to explore
Trying foods is fun!
Can I have some more?
🎶
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Parents — this book is for you too. I hope it offers a gentle approach to mealtimes, especially if you’re supporting a picky eater.
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PLUS: The book includes a free Junior Food Scientist Worksheet (via QR code) so your child can keep exploring at home!
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📚 Pre-order now and let’s spark curiosity — one bite at a time. Link in bio! Expected book arrival in August. Thank you for this fun photo of Maeve. Thank you .arts for your illustrations that brought life to this vision.
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05/15/2025

✨BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!✨
I’m thrilled to finally share something that’s been a true passion project — my very first children’s book! 📖💚

Maeve the Junior Food Scientist: From Yuck to Yum! is on its way and will be arriving this August! 🥦🍓
This book was inspired by my own daughter Maeve and the countless conversations I’ve had with families navigating picky eating. It’s playful, empowering, and designed to spark curiosity at the table by encouraging children to use their senses when exploring foods.

To say I’m excited would be an understatement — just look at that leap! 🙌
A huge thank you to for capturing this joyful moment 📸 and helping me bring this launch to life.

🛒 I’m now accepting pre-orders — head to the link: https://keap.page/xdk857/maeve-the-jr-food-scientist.html
be the first to join Maeve on her adventure discovering Yum!

04/30/2025

Sharing our latest blog post by Andrea Cox,

Polycystic O***y Syndrome, or PCOS, is a condition that affects about 1 in 10 people with ovaries. Many of us associate PCOS with irregular periods, however, it’s a complex condition that can affect hormones, metabolism, and even mood.

04/21/2025

I'm excited to share with you what I've been working on, my new children's book! It's been my passion project for a few years and finally it's ready to print and I have my author's copy. I'm be taking pre-orders soon! This book is all about Maeve who transforms from a picky eater to an adventurous food explorer. Through a school lesson, she learns to use her five senses to discover the joy and surprises in different foods.

Support your child to use their senses, young Maeve transforms from a picky eater to an adventurous food explorer. Through a school lesson, she learns to us...

03/18/2025

🌟 Meet the Newest Members of Our NW Pediatric & Family Nutrition Team!

We’re so excited to introduce Jessica “Jess” Poling and Kate Spurgin—two amazing additions to our growing team! 🌿🎉

Jess joined us in November as our second administrative assistant, and if you call us in the morning, she’s the friendly voice you’ll hear! 📞 She lives in Bend, Oregon, and is recently married.  She also works in the fitness industry and has worked as a certified spin instructor.

Kate joined us in January as our newest pediatric dietitian and is now accepting new clients! With a background in pediatrics, she brings experience and passion to our team.

Fun fact—Kate speaks Italian, is an avid birder, and loves nature walks.
She also has a degree in photography, a lifelong hobby she enjoys. Kate and her partner live in Portland, and she’s ready to support families in our community!

Help us give Jess and Kate a warm welcome!

03/12/2025

✨ Happy Registered Dietitian Day! ✨

Today, we’re celebrating the incredible dietitians at NW Pediatric & Family Nutrition who make our practice what it is! 💚 Their passion, dedication, and expertise help families every day—whether it’s guiding picky eaters, supporting eating disorder recovery, or empowering kids and adults to build a positive relationship with food.

I’m beyond grateful for this amazing team and the impact they make in our community. 💛 Help me give them a big shoutout! 👏👏👏

02/24/2025

This National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, let’s shed light on an often-misunderstood reality: eating disorders don’t have a “look.” They affect people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds.

They are the third most prevalent chronic illness, yet they remain widely stigmatized. Every 52 minutes, someone loses their life to an eating disorder—but recovery is possible with the right support system. A compassionate team—including a dietitian, therapist, and doctor experienced in eating disorders—can make all the difference.

Let’s continue to break the stigma, raise awareness, and advocate for those affected. Every conversation matters.