Meet Jenn Likover of Nutrition and Wellness Counseling and “The Petite Piglet” Blog

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenn Likover.

Jenn, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
In my early 20’s I became very interested in nutrition and wellness. At the time, I was living in New York City and juggling a very demanding job with training for my first marathon. For the first time in my life, I began to actually be aware of and contemplate the food choices I was making and whether these choices were nourishing my body. My personal journey to eat better and in a way that supported my needs and goals drove me into a deep study of the science of nutrition. Learning everything about healthy eating and cooking, I could barely open a can of soup at this time, became my main hobby. In 2009 my husband and I returned to Texas from New York and I decided to turn my hobby into my profession.

I was accepted into the masters of clinical nutrition program at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School here in Dallas and completed my studies and internship at UTSW, earning my registered dietitian certification. After graduation, I joined the team at UTSW in their Diabetes Management Program where I provided one on one counseling and group education to patients with diabetes or at high-risk for developing diabetes. During this time, I also earned my Certified Diabetes Educator certification.

In 2018, I left UTSW and made the decision to commit my time 100% to my private practice and blog. My husband and I had made the decision to spend more time in Colorado and this was the push I needed to devote all my energy to my private practice and blog. During my time as a dietitian at UTSW, I had taken on a few clients on the side and started a recipe blog, but had always kept this practice small. Knowing I would be splitting my time between two cities and unable to continue at UTSW was the motivation I needed to totally dedicate myself to growing my practice and blog.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The ride was relatively smooth but LONG. When I researched what the qualifications were for becoming a registered dietitian, I realized I was lacking all the pre-med sciences required to apply to a dietetic program. As my undergraduate degree was in accounting, I had only taken maybe two science courses during my undergraduate studies. The process seemed long and daunting to complete all these required science courses, apply to a masters program and complete the 1000-hour internship required to become a registered dietitian. I made the decision that if I was going to turn my hobby into my profession, I was determined to become an RD, someone that was actually educated and qualified to provide nutrition advice to others. I have always been turned off by the myriad of individuals on the internet and social media who spout nutrition advice that is not supported by any actual science or legitimate studies. If I was going to present myself as someone capable of providing nutrition recommendations to patients and clients, I wanted to have the education and experience required to do so.

It took me about a year and a half to complete all the pre-med prerequisites needed to apply to the master’s program at UTSW and then about another two and a half years to complete my studies and internship at UTSW. Completing these studies and internship even strengthened my belief that nutrition advice should only be given by a credentialed practitioner, such as an RD.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
The focus of my practice is individualized nutrition programs that are based on science and clinical experience. No two programs are ever alike as no two clients are ever alike. At the start of a program, I complete a very detailed assessment with each client, outlining their specific goals, medical history, lifestyle, food preferences, etc. Each program is designed specifically to fit seamlessly into my client’s life as I firmly believe that in order to sustain results the changes implemented during the program need to be ones that align with a client’s lifestyle. Each program consists of weekly meeting or calls (I work with many clients that live in different cities so our weekly sessions are done via phone or video chat), education, weekly meal plans, grocery lists, recipes, eating out guides, exercise plans and anything else I believe will aid my client in achieving their goals. I ask clients to consider me their personal nutrition concierge and make myself available 24/7 during the duration of the program to answer any questions or just provide additional accountability and support.

I am also the creator and author of “The Petite Piglet” food blog. The goal of this blog is to promote a healthy and balanced life by showcasing healthy recipes and nutrition education in a fun and light-hearted manner. My hope is that the blog and my social media connected to the blog models for others that you can achieve your health and wellness goals without compromising your other priorities in life. I love to do recipe makeover posts where I make healthy tweaks to the not-so-healthy comfort foods I grew up eating, I recently posted a recipe for enchiladas that swapped out the tortillas for zucchini strips. Another series on the blog I am very excited about is the “Sea to Table” recipe series. My husband is a spearfisherman and this hobby has taken us to some pretty incredible places across the globe. I love sharing the recipes we create with his fresh catch of the day. I share all sorts of recipes on the blog from paleo to vegan and everything in between.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thepetitepiglet.com and https://www.jennlikover.com
• Phone: 214 415 4209
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepetitepiglet/

Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.