A woman with short curly brown hair, wearing glasses with tortoiseshell frames, a black polka dot blouse, and a mustard yellow cardigan, smiling against a plain gray background.
A woman with short curly brown hair, wearing glasses with tortoiseshell frames, a black polka dot blouse, and a mustard yellow cardigan, smiling against a plain gray background.

About Me

Hello! I'm Melissa Nash, MPH, RDN, LD, CLE, a pediatric registered dietitian nutritionist with more than 20 years of experience helping infants, children, and families navigate feeding, nutrition, and growth concerns.

I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Dietetics from Point Loma Nazarene University and my Master of Public Health in Nutrition from Loma Linda University. Shortly afterward, I moved to Oregon to complete my dietetic internship and quickly fell in love with the Pacific Northwest, which has been home ever since.

Throughout my career, I have specialized in pediatric nutrition and feeding. For nearly 20 years, I worked as a bilingual dietitian with Washington County. After a couple of years with WIC, I joined the CaCoon Program, where I provided family centered nutrition care for infants and children in their homes.

Most recently, I served as part of the multidisciplinary team at the OHSU Feeding and Swallowing Clinic. I worked with infants and children with complex medical needs and pediatric feeding disorders from NICU discharge through adolescence. Here I collaborated with speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physicians, and other specialists to provide comprehensive care in an outpatient setting.

With Homegrown Pediatric Nutrition, I am looking forward to getting back to my roots: caring for children and families in their homes. I’m passionate about building a foundation with families in the home because that’s where feeding and growth happen.

When I'm not working with families, you'll likely find me being active outdoors -walking our puppy, gardening, traveling or exploring the Pacific Northwest with my husband and our sons.

A woman with curly hair, glasses, wearing a denim jacket and red pants, smiling and kneeling next to a black-and-white shepherd dog with a bandana, in a garden in front of a gray house with a window, surrounded by green plants and bushes.
A woman with curly hair, glasses, wearing a denim jacket and red pants, smiling and kneeling next to a black-and-white shepherd dog with a bandana, in a garden in front of a gray house with a window, surrounded by green plants and bushes.

My Approach

Mealtimes should nurture both growth and connection. However, feeding your child isn't always as straightforward as you expected it would be. When mealtimes become stressful, emotional, or filled with worry, it can affect the entire family. I understand how challenging that can feel, and you don't have to navigate it alone.

At Homegrown Pediatric Nutrition, I believe healthy roots are established when families feel supported, confident, and equipped with practical tools that fit into their daily lives. My goal is to create a trusting partnership where you feel heard, valued, and empowered to support your child's growth and nutrition. Whether you're looking for reassurance about a feeding concern or navigating more complex nutrition and medical needs, I am here to support you every step of the way.

Because feeding issues rarely appear in isolation, in addition to families, I enjoy partnering with medical providers and other feeding specialists (like OTs, SLPs, IBLCLs) to better understand the specific needs of your child.