Sometimes people don’t realize how much education dietitians – if you’re going to go into that field – actually have to do. We’re not just sitting there with a food guide pointing at different fruits and vegetables, right? You actually have to know the science behind stuff.”
Julie Bednarski, MHSc, RD
CEO and founder of Healthy Crunch, Julie Bednarski, sits down with Sarah this week to discuss her path from nutrition student to founder of a wildly successful health food company. Julie’s lifelong love of food has been a driving force throughout her career, from her schooling in dietetics, to culinary school in New York City, to founding her company, Healthy Crunch.
Julie grew up in Toronto and has always been a foodie at heart with a passion for sports and nutrition. As an amateur athlete, Julie was always hyper-aware of what fuel was needed for her body to perform properly, and while she’d hoped to follow her athletic dreams, an injury changed her plans and she decided to study nutrition. Julie completed her undergraduate at the University of Guelph, followed by a Master’s at Ryerson. After completing her MHSc, Julie was given an internship placement but due to an error, the placement was taken from her. Undeterred and determined, Julie completed a self-directed internship with placements all over the province, from the Canadian Diabetes Association to a reservation in Moose Factory.
Julie was ready to enter the workforce, but was having trouble finding a job that spoke to her. Deciding it wasn’t the right time for her to work as a dietitian in Toronto, Julie followed her passion for food to culinary school in New York City. Afterward, she returned to Toronto and decided to take a leap of faith and start her own health food company, Healthy Crunch. What began as recipe development in her own kitchen soon took off, and Healthy Crunch can now be found in major retailers such as Starbucks and Ikea. Julie hopes to keep growing her brand, with the goals of having a product in every category and dreams of branching out internationally.
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Learn More About:
Undergraduate program at the University of Guelph
Ryerson Masters of Health Science and Communication
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