Breana Penzenik, RDN

 I originally went to school to be a Nurse but quickly realized my passion wasn’t there. Instead I found it was more focused on helping people in a different way - through guiding others to view health and ultimately nutrition in a new light. So I decided to switch majors and further went on to receive my Bachelor of Science in Nutrition with a concentration in Dietetics from Montclair State University (MSU). 

I continued to complete my Dietetic Internship through MSU’s distance program with a focus on clinical nutrition. During my internship, I won the Student Initiative Award from the New Jersey Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for a paper I wrote that illuminated the toxicity of diet culture, stressed the importance of Health At Every Size (HAES) and Intuitive Eating. My main career goal is to continue to open the eyes of all to see beyond the limiting vail of diet culture/dieting and embrace an abundance mindset. 

I’ve always been interested in health and a food lover for as long as I could remember. To me food is a way to learn more about ourselves, helps us connect to others, understand different cultures and is the center of celebrations. However, food hasn’t always been a positive part of my life. In 8th grade, I had gained more weight than I was used to and I remember how cruel some of my peers were with their unsolicited comments. I struggled to find what worked for me until I met a few Dietitians who really understood me. I learned how to make food a part of my life instead of the whole focus. With that came peace, a greater understanding of myself and eventually wisdom on how to truly help others escape diet culture. 

Outside of work, I love heading outdoors to walk my cats, try new brunch spots or try any cuisine/restaurant that I’ve never had or been to. At home, I’m usually watching tarot videos or movies, learning more about nutrition or astrology and dancing on my cleaning sprees.