Meet Dr. Marissa Shahani

Marissa has dedicated much of her life to studying nutrition, including earning a bachelor's, master's, and PhD in nutrition, and a board certification as a Registered Dietitian. Throughout this academic journey, Marissa began to learn about how the health of the Earth, particularly the soil, affects the nutrient quality of our food. This simple fact, that soil health directly impacts human health, launched her on the path to studying holistic and culinary nutrition. 

​

Now, she hopes that Handpicked Kitchen will allow her to bring confidence to others that they can provide healthy and honest meals for their families and themselves. She wants to teach as many individuals as possible about nutrition beyond simply "eat your fruits and vegetables"- because everyone knows they need to eat their fruits and veggies. But, what many people don't know is the vast difference between fruits and veggies depending upon what brands you buy from as well as where and when you are purchasing certain produce items and meats. 

​

On a less serious note, Marissa was born and raised in North County, San Diego- growing up in Del Mar and now living in Carlsbad with her husband and sons! She strives to support local farmers and the agriculture community within San Diego County by sourcing as many ingredients as possible from them. Marissa is also an educator at a local farm in Escondido, which helps her learn more every day about how our farming practices are affecting the food we eat!