Expertise: Registered Dietitian since 2012, Recipe Development and Testing since 2015, Food Photography, Food Writing, and Digital Product Creator
Education: Bachelor of Applied Science and Masters in Applied Nutrition from the University of Guelph, culinary courses from George Brown College, self-taught food photographer and home cook
Cuisines: The recipes that I share reflect the types of recipes I feed my family and the overall lifestyle I strive to follow. I share a variety of cuisines including American, Mediterranean, and Mexican cuisines (among others), with an emphasis on fresh and wholesome foods with minimally processed ingredients.
About: I am the creator of Haute & Healthy Living and Little Healthy Bites. I’m all about sharing healthier, family-friendly recipes that make everyday cooking feel fun and totally doable. I love creating simple, tasty meals that support a healthier lifestyle—without sacrificing flavor or joy in the kitchen.
The recipes you’ll find here reflect my own life as a busy mom of two, wife, and business owner. I need quick and nutritious, family-friendly meals and snacks just like you—but I still want them to be packed full of flavor!
You’ll also find all my favorite kitchen tips, foolproof recipes, step-by-step photos, easy-to-follow video tutorials, and trusted advice on ingredients, products and tools—everything you need to feel confident and inspired in the kitchen.
The Resume:
- 2010: Earned my Bachelor’s in Applied Science. At this point, I debated if I should attend culinary school full-time or pursue my RD designation. My heart (and parents) encouraged me to pursue my RD designation, but little did I know, I would later use my culinary interests to become a full-time food and recipe blogger.
- 2011-2012: I worked for one year as a dietetic intern in a number of different community, clinical and business settings, while simultaneously earning my Masters degree. Here, I learned more about the world of nutrition, my strengths/weaknesses, the areas I enjoyed working (and the ones I didn’t enjoy so much), and multi-tasking. It was during this time that I also learned that I have a more creative foodie side.
- 2012-2014: Began my journey as an entrepreneur and started up my own private practice. Took a number of culinary and personal training courses on the side.
- 2014-2022: Decided private practice wasn’t for me and got a full-time job working as a retail dietitian for a major grocery retailer. Here, I conducted one-on-one nutrition consultations, grocery store nutrition tours on a variety of topics, cooking demonstrations and classes, nutrition field trips for kids and community presentations.
- 2015: Started Haute & Healthy Living as a casual hobby totally unaware that it would one day become a full-fledged business.
- 2022: Quit my full-time corporate job to run Haute & Healthy Living full-time. What started as a way to share my passions, cooking experiments and family’s favorite recipes, has turned into a full-time business that serves millions of readers each year.
My Eating Philosophy
When it comes to eating, I like to follow an 80/20 approach where 80% of the time, I aim to consume wholesome foods that will nourish my body, while the other 20% of the time, I allow for the occasional indulgence (like burgers, cake and ice cream)!
While I love following a healthy lifestyle, I don’t believe in deprivation so I try to keep that healthy balance on a daily basis.
My Personal Values
I’m a follower of Jesus and strive to live a life for him. My family and I are actively involved in our church and enjoy giving back to the community!
Features
My work has been featured in a variety of magazines and online media including Forbes, Women’s Health, Men’s Health, Shape Magazine, Today’s Parent and Southern Living Magazine, among many more.
Fun Facts:
- My name is pronounced the same as “Alicia” or “Alisha.” My parents decided to get all creative with the spelling because they liked the meaning of “Elysia,” which means “sweetly blissful.” Almost everyone screws up the pronunciation of my name the first time they see it.
- I went on a French exchange program in grade 10 where I lived with a French family for 6 weeks. It was overall a really good experience but when I returned home, I didn’t feel too great. At that time, I started delving into researching more about nutrition and fitness to help myself feel better. And that’s when my passion for healthy living was born!
- While most people expect my favorite food to be crazy healthy because I’m a Dietitian, my actual favorite food is a big juicy burger…and rich fudgey cake. It’s a toss up between the two. Gotta keep the balance!
- I eat oatmeal or some variation of oatmeal (think Banana Protein Pancakes or 3-Ingredient Protein Waffles) for breakfast every day. That’s right. Every single day. I’ve tried branching out and trying something different, but I always wish I had my oatmeal instead (my go-to is this Macro-Friendly Oatmeal)!
Let’s connect! Follow Elysia on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram, for the latest recipes and a peek behind the scenes. You can also join my email list to get all of the latest recipes sent to your inbox!
