Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber Hanson.
Hi Amber , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story really begins as a little kid in my grandma’s kitchen. Long before I was a nutritionist, I was a chef, inspired by the time I spent peering over the counter helping my grandma mix up a batch of cookies or make her family favorite pepperoni spaghetti. In fact, my first “big girl” career was working as a chef for a well-regarded Twin Cities catering company.
For a long time, my passion for food was at odds with my own body. While I found joy in making delicious food, from a young age I was also battling the diet culture messages that my body was not okay. It was too big, took up too much space. I was drowning in the “eat less, move more” messages from family, doctors, and society at large.
I spent years caught in a cycle of searching for the one diet or workout that would finally shrink my body. I believed so deeply that weight loss was the key to my happiness that I eventually went back to school to study nutrition and dietetics (twice actually, as an undergrad and again for a Master’s).
The biggest secret I learned? There aren’t any secrets. Diets simply don’t work.
I realized my weight wasn’t the problem. My relationship with food, formed by the invasive messages of diet culture, was. I was trying to use a craft I loved (cooking) as a tool for body manipulation rather than nourishment. That realization changed the trajectory of my life and my career.
I founded Whole You Nutrition to bridge that gap. I wanted to help people in the Twin Cities quiet their food noise and rediscover the pleasure of eating without the guilt. Today, I combine my chef’s heart with my nutritionist’s brain to offer weight-inclusive care through 1-on-1 counseling in NE Minneapolis, my virtual Meal Planning Collective, and monthly community Wellness Walks. I’m here to help people find peace with their right-now bodies while reclaiming the joy of eating.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth path. Building a business is hard enough, but building one that actively challenges the multi-billion-dollar diet industry feels like swimming upstream every.single.day.
One of my biggest internal struggles was the unlearning process. I spent years in traditional academic settings where weight-centric health was the standard teaching and training paradigm. Shifting my clinical practice to a weight-inclusive, anti-diet model felt like a radical act. I had to go through the same process of unlearning and relearning that my clients do. My company and I definitely had some “messy middle” years. I had to move from being the expert who told people how to shrink their bodies to being a partner who helps people heal their relationship with food and body.
On the practical side, the transition from being a chef and working in corporate roles to being a solopreneur was a steep learning curve. Suddenly, I wasn’t just a nutritionist; I was the IT department, the marketing team, the bookkeeper, and the person figuring out how to navigate the beast that is the United States health insurance system to make my services accessible to as many people as possible.
The hardest part is still the cultural noise. Diet culture isn’t going anywhere, but neither am I. Every January, or every time a new “miracle” weight-loss drug hits the headlines, I have to work twice as hard to remind my community that their worth isn’t tied to a number on a scale. However, every time a client tells me they finally ate a meal without a side of guilt, or that they’ve stopped fighting their reflection in the mirror, it confirms that the bumpy road has been 100% worth it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Whole You Nutrition is a weight-inclusive nutrition practice dedicated to helping people reclaim their lives from the exhaustion of the nonstop diet cycle. I specialize in Intuitive Eating and Gentle Nutrition, helping clients move away from restrictive rules and forbidden foods and toward a sustainable, peaceful relationship with food and their bodies.
What truly sets us apart is the marriage of clinical and culinary expertise. I’m not just a Licensed Nutritionist, Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS), and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor who understands the science of the body; I’m also a former professional chef. This means my approach isn’t just about what to eat, but how to make it taste good too. I don’t give my clients bland, uninspired meal plans. Instead, I help them rediscover that food can be a mix of joy, flavor, creativity and nutrition.
We are best known for three core offerings:
• 1-on-1 Counseling: Deeply personalized telehealth or in-person sessions in NE Minneapolis, where we tackle everything from food noise to chronic health management using a weight-neutral lens.
• Meal Planning Collective: A virtual community with a culinary coach in your corner. It’s a space where we solve the 5 PM ‘what’s for dinner?’ fatigue together, focusing on satisfaction rather than restriction.
• Community Wellness Walks: Free monthly walks at Silverwood Park because I believe health-supporting movement should be enjoyable, not punishing.
Brand-wise, I am most proud of my commitment to accessibility. It was a massive hurdle, but I am happy to say that Whole You Nutrition is in-network with major insurance providers like Blue Cross Blue Shield and UnitedHealthcare. Weight-inclusive care shouldn’t be a luxury; it should be accessible to everyone.
If there is one thing I want readers to know, it’s this: You don’t have to wait until your body is “perfect” to start living your life. You can nourish your well-being, enjoy food, and respect your body exactly as it is right now. We’re here to show you how.
What are your plans for the future?
I am so excited about the future of Whole You Nutrition. My main goal is to make weight-inclusive care accessible to as many people as possible.
In the coming year, I’m looking forward to growing the Meal Planning Collective. My dream is for it to become the go-to place for people who want to reclaim their kitchens from the ‘diet’ mentality and find confidence (and maybe even a little fun) in feeding themselves and their people.
I am also continuing to look for opportunities to provide education, whether through self-paced online programs like Intuitive Eating for Skeptics or in-person Gentle Nutrition Workshops. I know there are so many people out there who are tired of dieting but are afraid that letting go means giving up. I want to show them that the opposite is true. Authentic health starts with body respect and autonomy.
Ultimately, the big change I’m working toward isn’t just about my business growth; it’s about a cultural shift. I want Whole You Nutrition to be a cornerstone of the weight-inclusive movement here in Minnesota, helping to make the Twin Cities a place where all bodies are celebrated and nourished.
Pricing:
- Individual Nutrition Counseling: I am proud to be in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield and UnitedHealthcare. For many clients, sessions are covered 100% by insurance with $0 out-of-pocket cost. For those not using insurance, my initial connection calls are always free, initial appointments are $240 (90-minutes) and follow-ups $115 (45-minutes). There are also package discounts available.
- Meal Planning Collective: Our virtual community runs in seasonal cohorts with Equity Pricing options available starting as low as $12/month.
- Intuitive Eating for Skeptics: This self-paced 12-module online series is available for $399 and includes a private office hours session and available payment plan.
- Community Wellness Walks: These monthly meet-ups at Silverwood Park are always free.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wholeyounutrition.com/
- Other: https://l.bttr.to/g5Xao (booking page)
