Explore our expert nutrition tips, kids’ meal plans, kids’ activities, recipes and more.

Virtual Pediatric Nutrition Counseling in California

Melissa Halas, MA, RDN, CDE

Help your kids transform the way they view healthy eating and tasting new foods. Together, we can form a dream team to build the foundation for life-long healthy habits.

Melissa Halas with kids at table

Steps for Nutrition Coaching

View the States Coaching is Offered In

*Private pay clients only

Step 1:
Free Discovery Call

LEARN MORE
Book a 10–15-minute call to discuss your nutrition and health concerns. Let’s see if we can form a dream team! If we’re a good match, I’ll explain my process and advise which package may best suit your nutritional needs and health concerns.

Step 2:
Initial Session

LEARN MORE
During our first 70-minute session, we discuss you or your child’s health history, a typical day of meals, lab results, testing recommendations, and usual daily schedule. Then, together we create big picture goals that get broken down in future sessions. Each step of your journey gets mapped out to enable your success towards better health. Small daily changes accumulate into big results!

Step 3:
Follow Up Sessions

LEARN MORE
Follow-up sessions are 30-40 minutes, depending on your unique needs. Together, we will establish small behavioral changes that are manageable and sustainable to set the foundation for life-long healthy habits for your family! You’ll gain the skills, nutrition knowledge, and mindset to live abundantly without ever having to scour the internet for a quick fix!

Scratching your head wondering, “why won’t my kid eat?”

Has dinnertime drama turned into a nightmare?

Are you worried a food allergen is hiding in each new food you try?

Are you concerned about getting the right nutrients during pregnancy to optimize brain health?

Do you dream of a child that can cook for you someday?

Pediatric Nutritionist

While it’s never too late for your child to create more positive food habits, it’s also never too early to start! Quit waiting on your kid to outgrow their current food choices or health concern. They don’t…and they won’t. Instead, take action and put mealtime madness to rest.

Learn to overcome challenging issues such as picky eatingallergy managementweight concerns, and disease prevention.

Together, we’ll create an individualized road map that is practical, effective, and sustainable to address your child or family’s needs. After all, feeding the family shouldn’t have to feel like a full-time affair.

Unlock the solutions to your child’s health for greater peace, happiness, and joy around parenting food! With over 20 years of experience as a pediatric nutritionist in clinical care, pediatrics, research, and integrative nutrition, combined with a graduate degree focused on positive behavior change, I have the expertise to transform your family’s habits while providing proper nourishment for your child’s development.

Within the first 6 weeks, you will:

  • gain the confidence to serve healthy, tasty meals and snacks
  • gain the confidence to serve allergy-free foods
  • learn how to satisfy your child’s tastebuds and unique nutritional needs
  • set a solid foundation for positive habits by building new skills to overcome barriers to behavioral change
  • gain the ability to navigate different health conditions or concerns to be your family’s advocate for better health
 
*Private pay clients only

Melissa's Nutrition Counseling Specialties

Explore our nutrition specialties. Each of these can be paired with a home visit, including a chef and tasting menu. If interested, please note this on your inquiry.

Pediatric Weight or Nutrition Concerns

For those with overweight, obesity or another weight concern.

Toddler, Preschool, or Childhood Eating

For kids and families looking to improve their relationship with food, or have picky eating. See my kids books.

Food Allergies and Food Intolerances

For those with food allergies, food sensitivities, FPIES (food protein induced enterocolitis), Celiac or eczema.

Pregnancy
Nutrition

For expectant moms with nutrition questions wanting to grow a healthy baby while minimizing environmental toxins.

Athletic
Performance

For athletes or exercise enthusiasts of all age ages interested in enhancing performance, strength or recovery. Also, see my sports nutrition books.

Gastrointestinal Issues

For those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Constipation, Colitis or Acid Reflux looking to resolve issues through diet and lifecycle.

Plant-Based
Eating

For those pursuing a more plant-focused diet or vegans and vegetarians concerned about meeting key nutrients needs essential for optimal growth and development.

Functional Nutrition & Supplements

For those seeking integrative nutrition expert insights into evidenced-based supplementation* or benefits of herbal ingredients for health concerns. 

Coaching Offered In

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut,  Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wyoming

*I recommend a variety of high-quality, reputable supplement brands to best suit your needs, with no financial incentive or kick-backs.

See HIPAA Privacy Practice

Client Testimonials

Why Work With Melissa

You should be able to have your cake and eat it too! In other words, mealtime is more than just about the sum of its nutrients. Food should be enjoyable and celebrated. I’ll help you guide your child to experiment with new foods while providing tips and language to use while parenting about nutrition. You’re not alone in your feeding frustration! Allow me to guide you through strategies to transform struggles into strengths.

Nutrition is not a one-size-fits-all phenomenon with any child. As a team, we’ll do what works best for your family. Self-navigating through a health condition or severe food allergy can also be overwhelming and confusing.

With my extensive background in clinical nutrition (including pediatric nutrition), clinical research, education, wellness, and nutrition counseling, I have the expertise to enable your success. With 18 years of teaching functional foods (phytonutrients, vitamins/minerals, and safe supplements), kids nutrition, weight management, sports nutrition, and eco-friendly eating (organic, plant-based, and sustainable), I’ve nurtured several specialties. As a passionate life-long learner, staying up to date on the latest nutritional research is essential for me to provide you with the best level of care.

Board
Certified

With the Registered Dietitian Credential (RD/RDN), a graduate degree in Nutrition Education that focused on behavioral change, you have access to expert nutrition counseling and health guidance to address your health concern or disease process.

Results &
Client-Centered

Each session, we’ll measure your progress and set new goals to best facilitate your success. As part of your support system, I will answer your questions or address your nutritional concerns to help you overcome any barriers to change. Let me be your helping hand to live your best life.

Empathetic &
Attuned

First, my role is to listen to best understand your unique health concerns, desires, and goals as a parent. Your feelings, symptoms, challenges, history, and insights will always be heard. After all, teamwork makes the dream work!

Are you ready to change your child’s frame of mind around mealtime, opening up their food world? Let’s do it together—as a team.

Book Your Free Phone Nutrition Consultation Today!

Still not sure? Read more about Melissa's Holistic Approach

Balanced nutrition contributes to positive spiritual, physical, and mental health. Often, additional tools are needed to help manage underlying contributors to health concerns. After all, eating habits are influenced by more than just the contents of the fridge. Together we’ll address variables affecting mealtime patterns such as stress, sleep, and time management. You’ll find my clients improve mindfulness and learn practical strategies to enable positive behavioral changes no matter their age. I can also guide you how to best talk to your child, teacher or doctor. I’m a strong advocate for individualized solutions, not generalized suggestions. We’ll find the best solution—whatever that looks like for you!

Curious About Supplements?

Navigating safe supplements can be overwhelming and difficult. As a past adjunct professor for close to 20 years, I taught the holistic use and benefits of phytonutrients, supplements, vitamins, and minerals. I have the expertise to best guide your needs. Whether you’re looking for supplements as a complementary or replacement treatment for health concerns such as high cholesterol, pain management, viral syndrome, or other health conditions—I’ll find what’s right for you. I recommend a variety of high-quality, reputable brands to best suit your needs, with no financial incentive or kick-backs.

Request a Free Discovery Call

Melissa does not accept insurance as a form of payment. Nutrition counseling only offered in California.

Sign Up for Our Newsletter!