About
Founder, Desiree Nielsen RD
Desiree is a registered dietitian and plant-based recipe developer with a focus on plant-based nutrition and gut health, host of The Allsorts Podcast, and author of multiple cookbooks, including Good For Your Gut, a cookbook on digestive health. She runs a private practice with a focus on digestive and inflammatory disease and plant-based approaches to optimal health. Desiree leads nutrition communications, and is available for brand collaborations, keynote and conference sessions.
Desiree runs a nutrition consulting practice with a focus on gut health and plant-centred diets. She is the author of multiple award winning and best-selling books, including a plant-based cookbook called Eat More Plants: 100 Anti-inflammatory Plant-centred Recipes for Vibrant Living, Good For Your Gut: A Plant-based Digestive Health Guide and Nourishing Recipes for Living Well and the upcoming Plant Magic: A Celebration of Plant-based Cooking for Everyone (April 2024).
As the host of the evidence-informed wellness podcast, The Allsorts Podcast, she interviews leading experts on topics such as gut health, plant-based nutrition, and more.
Interested in one-on-one nutrition sessions? Meet our incredible private practice team below!
New around here? Start here!
What you’ll find on this website: lots of plant-based recipes with gluten free and low FODMAP options as well as evidence-based articles on gut health nutrition, plant-based nutrition, and anti-inflammatory diets. If you’re new to this site, check out my most popular posts!
- High Fiber Foods From A-Z
- The 5 Best Supplements for IBS
- Powerhouse Sources of Plant-based Protein
- Low FODMAP Food Swaps List
- Easy Protein Packed Chickpea Scramble
More About Desiree
- Desiree believes that food is more than just nutrients: it’s about connection, culture and pleasure. She takes a positive, additive approach to nutrition and believes in a weight-neutral, non-diet approach.
- With education at the core of her work, Desiree consults, writes, and speaks on a variety of topics ranging from the brain-gut connection to food quality and eating a more plant-based diet. She has delivered keynote presentations, conference sessions, and acted as an emcee for the natural health industry, health professionals, and corporations. Clients include the Diabetes Canada, Canadian Digestive Health Foundation, Dietitians of Canada National Conference, Planted Expos, Canadian Health Food Association Expos, University of British Columbia and Salesforce.
- Desiree began her work as nutrition manager for a chain of natural food stores and continues her relationship with the natural health industry as a spokesperson and content creator for select companies such as Silver Hills Bakery, SPUD, Bio-K+ Probiotics, Canadian Produce Marketing Association, and California Strawberries.
- Desiree is a go-to expert for local and national media; she has appeared on CBC News (Vancouver) and CBC News Now, CTV National News, E-talk, The Social, Marilyn Denis Show, Breakfast Television (Vancouver), Fairchild Television, WGN Chicago, KTLA, CBC Radio outlets across Canada, CJAD Montreal and Sirius XM.
- Desiree has lent her expertise or contributed articles to Chatelaine, Redbook, FLARE, FASHION, Eating Well magazine, Parade Magazine, People Magazine, Mind Body Green, The Globe and Mail, USA Today, Washington Post, Vancouver Sun, The Province and Toronto Star.
- Desiree holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Food, Nutrition and Health (Dietetics) from the University of British Columbia. She completed her dietetic internship at Capital Health Authority in Edmonton (now Alberta Health Services).
- At home, Desiree spends most of her time in the kitchen—usually with the music blaring—with her favourite sous chefs: her two children. She enjoys spending time outdoors with her family, whether in the garden, at the beach, or in the mountains.
Meet Our Dietitian Team
Desiree is delighted to work with two incredible registered dietitians who lead her private practice, seeing personal nutrition clients and working in corporate nutrition. Learn more about them below!
Introducing Associate Dietitian, Jamila Kanji
Jamila is available for one-on-one nutrition sessions and corporate lunch and learn programs. Jamila’s practice focus is inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome and peri-menopausal nutrition.
Jamila Kanji is a Registered Dietitian with over 20 years of varied experience in clinical nutrition, private practice, communications, sales and education..she’s also a trained pastry chef!
Jamila’s interest in evidence-based digestive health nutrition began when a close family member was diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease over 15 years ago; one of her most recent roles had a focus on educating healthcare professionals and consumers about the microbiome. Now that her youngest is in school, Jamila is excited to return to one-on-one nutrition care to help those with irritable bowel syndrome, Celiac Disease, or Crohn’s and Colitis as well as further explore her newfound passion for women’s health, specifically peri-menopause and menopause nutrition. Currently completing her Craving Change certificate, Jamila supports her clients in an empathetic, authentic and holistic way, working collaboratively to help you achieve the goals you set for yourself.
Jamila graduated from UBC Dietetics but her love of food and nutrition goes back a lot further than that! Jamila’s parents owned a restaurant and she spent much of her childhood either helping as a hostess/bus girl or sneaking tasty bites out of the kitchen; growing up with a mom who loved cooking taught Jamila about the joy of eating and how a good meal brings us together.
After completing her internship with the Gerontology Nutrition Society, Jamila moved to Toronto to work with patients in a multi-disciplinary clinic along with Kinesiologists, Endocrinologists and Therapists. It was this experience that taught Jamila the importance of working as a team to provide the best patient care. Her previous clinical and private practice experience includes GI cancer nutrition, diabetes, weight management, IBS, IBD, GERD among others.
Several years later, Jamila decided to go back to school to explore her creative side, receiving her Diploma as a pastry chef. Shortly after, Jamila spent a summer in NYC assisting a food stylist, taking food photography courses and getting inspired by her surroundings. After moving back to Toronto she launched her online chocolate business, Chocolate Lab and spent a few years working in a Culinary Centre in downtown Toronto.
Jamila’s love for food combined with her passion for helping others and sharing her knowledge give her a unique perspective and understanding. Her philosophy when it comes to helping her clients encompasses compassion, rekindling the joy of eating, addition over restriction and always an evidence-based approach.
In her spare time Jamila loves being outside with her two kids, wandering her Mt Pleasant neighborhood in search of the newest food experience or enjoying a great book.
Senior Associate Dietitian, Jess Pirnak (currently on maternity leave until late 2024)
Jess leads our private practice and corporate lunch and learn programs. Jess’ practice focus is behaviour change, transition to plant-based diets, celiac disease and irritable bowel syndrome.
Jess is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Wellness Coach & gut health nerd (thanks to Desiree!). With degrees in both psychology and dietetics, Jess fell in love with coaching after several years of wearing the expert hat and currently integrates the coaching framework with nutrition counselling to support her clients reach their health goals in a positive, and empowered way.
Jess is passionate about education, using nutrition to prevent disease and fostering healthy communities; as such, you will find her consulting, writing and speaking on a variety of nutrition topics. Past appearances include: Global News Morning, Yoga Digest, Gluten Free Expo and North Shore News.
With an extensive background as a retail dietitian, Jess understands the natural food sector and the importance of a sustainable food system. Currently, she is the in-house dietitian advisor for the Canadian Celiac Association – Vancouver Chapter, and the Director of Consumer Product & Services for the MyHealthyGut app and a Clinical Instructor at the University of British Columbia.
