A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO FAMILY NUTRITION
From personal health transformation to professional purpose, Jenny’s work through Essence of Nutrition is helping families understand how food shapes lifelong wellbeing.
Following a serious health challenge in 2014, Jenny became intentional about how she fuelled her body, using movement and nutrition to support long-term wellbeing. What began as a personal shift grew into a professional calling, and Jenny has developed a career focusing on children’s nutrition.
Jenny studied nutrition through a German institute during the Covid-19 years, gaining a deeper understanding of how food affects so many aspects of the body, from energy levels to brain development. Alongside this, she gained her personal training qualifications. Jenny now blends her knowledge of movement and nutrition to support women and families in a more holistic way.
Pregnancy added another layer of complexity to Jenny’s journey. As she prepared to bring a new life into the world, Jenny became fascinated with how nutrition shapes a baby from the very beginning. She learned how her key nutrient intake supported foetal development during pregnancy, then facilitated breastfeeding and postpartum healing. This knowledge carried through to the introduction of solids, helping Jenny make informed decisions on how to effectively fuel her family.
“Everything your child consumes creates something,” Jenny explains. “Food literally becomes part of their brain and body. In the first five years, a child’s brain grows more than at any other time in life. The nutrients they receive help shape neural pathways, support emotional regulation, influence attention, and play a role in long- term learning and development.”
Today, Jenny works with families across the region, helping them navigate kids’ nutrition in a simple, nonjudgmental, realistic way. She believes childhood nutrition should never feel restrictive or overwhelming. Treats have a place, takeaway nights are part of life, and perfection isn’t the goal. Instead, she teaches balance and understanding.
Jenny is particularly interested in nutrition’s impact on gut health. Research shows that gut health plays a fundamental role in our immune system development and function. The communication network between the digestive system and the nervous system means what children eat can affect everything from mood and behaviour to skin conditions and immunity.
Through her nutrition support and personal training background, Jenny empowers parents with practical strategies that make feeding their families easier and more intentional.
Her mission is simple: to help families build healthy, nourishing habits from the start, without pressure.
www.essenceofnutrition.co.nz | www.instagram.com/jenny_essence_of_nutrition