Dr Julie - PhD

Dr Julie - PhD NZ's leading baby & toddler nutrition expert. A multi-time published author, speaker and creator of Dr Julie's Kitchen an innovative and ground up food brand.

💚👶NZs Top Baby & Toddler Nutrition Expert
👩‍🏫 Women's Hormone Specialist
👩‍🍳 Dr Julie's Kitchen
🎙DJs Coffee Chats - Dark Horse Coffee
🏋‍♀️🏃‍♀️ Go Good (Code = DRJULIE)
📚 Badger Publishing NZ In 2015 I completed my PhD in children's independent mobility - it took four years of some of the hardest work I have ever done and I gave birth to my two older boys during these four years. Little did I know this was just the start of an incredible journey. When I am not in the kitchen or hidden away writing I am wrangling my three boys (drinking coffee is a given). Published books:

2017 - The Nourished Baby
2018 - The Nourished Toddler
2019 - Baby & Toddler Cookbook
2020 - My First Vegetables (children's book)
2021 - Feed the Tribe (cookbook)
2022 - The Nourished Bump & DJK Fruit Spread Cookbook

Plus five other ebooks:
2016 - Healthy Easy Dinners for Busy Mums
2017 - Breastfeeding Guide
2018 - Slow Cooked
2020- Get Started
2023 - Sugar Reduction Guide

See website for all goodness and also check out Dr Julie's Kitchen

xx Dr J

21/02/2026

Our limited edition gummies just dropped — and stock is already moving fast!

Made the DJK way: simple, functional, and actually helpful for busy families who want an easy nutrition boost.

Perfect for lunchboxes, after school, or those “we need something now” moments.

If you’ve been following my work through The Nourished Toddler, you’ll know I’m big on making nutrition practical — and this is exactly that.

✨ Limited run
✨ Limited stock
✨ Don’t wait

Grab yours before they sell out.

19/02/2026

Feeding toddlers (and children) is a long game 🙏

Negotiating bites, bribing with dessert, or applying pressure might work in the moment — but they don’t build a healthy relationship with food long term 🙅

I focus on:
✔ Repeated exposure
✔ Neutral reactions
✔ Nutrient density where I can

Appetite fluctuations and “picky” phases are developmental.

Calm consistency wins.

This is the philosophy behind The Nourished Toddler — and why my DJK products are designed as gentle support tools:

✨ Spice blends for flavour exposure
✨ Freeze-dried veggie mixes
✨ Gummies for practical nutrient boosts

Not perfection.
Just patterns over time ❤️‍🩹

16/02/2026

If you’re starving by 10am, it’s rarely about willpower ❤️‍🩹

It’s usually your first meal.

Here’s what’s happening:

1️⃣ Too little protein.
Protein slows digestion, supports satiety hormones, and stabilises blood sugar. Without it, hunger returns fast.

2️⃣ Glucose spike and crash.
Refined carbs alone digest quickly, trigger insulin, and often lead to that mid-morning dip.

3️⃣ You didn’t eat enough overall.
Chronic under-fuelling increases cravings and makes energy unstable.

The solution isn’t eating less.

It’s building a better first meal.

Aim for 25–35g protein at breakfast and pair it with fibre and healthy fats.

This is exactly why I created my high-protein breakfast recipes — and why my protein ball mixes are such an easy add-on when mornings are busy.

Small protein upgrades = steadier energy, fewer cravings, better body composition outcomes.

BackToBasics

16/02/2026

It doesn’t matter how many times you start again.

What matters is that you do.

Not for attention.
Not to prove a point.
But because you decided you’re not finished.

Some seasons stretch you.
Some seasons reshape you.

Either way — you return.
You rebuild.
You rise a little stronger, a little wiser, a little more grounded.

Quiet consistency.
Calm confidence.

This is a reminder to myself too. ❤️

16/02/2026

Your breakfast sets the tone for your blood sugar, energy, and cravings for the rest of the day.

A high-protein, balanced first meal helps:
✔ Stabilise glucose
✔ Reduce mid-morning crashes
✔ Support muscle and metabolic health

🧑‍🍳These are a few recipes from my high-protein breakfast ebook (just $14.99) — simple, practical, and designed for real life.

Not extreme.
Not restrictive.
Just protein, balance, and consistency.

15/02/2026

Insulin resistance isn’t just about sugar 🍭

It’s about how your body responds to food and stress over time.

If I’m supporting someone in this space, we start with foundations — not extremes.

1️⃣ Prioritise protein.
Protein slows digestion, supports blood sugar stability, and helps maintain muscle — which improves insulin sensitivity.

2️⃣ Lift weights.
Muscle is one of your most powerful tools for improving glucose disposal. Strength training improves insulin sensitivity more effectively than endless cardio.

3️⃣ Stop chronically under-eating. Long-term restriction raises stress hormones, disrupts blood sugar regulation, and often worsens cravings (I also know this can be harder than it seems ❤️‍🩹)

Insulin resistance is a metabolic signal — not a moral failing.

Start with strength. Start with protein. Start with consistency.

14/02/2026

I’m in my long-term investment era.

Strength, sleep, and standards.

(Roses are still very welcome — they’re a soft spot 🌹)

12/02/2026

Feeding little people is one of the most humbling jobs.

One day they clear the plate.

The next they survive on two bites and vibes.

Toddler intake fluctuates — wildly. That’s normal development, not failure.

What matters most is overall patterns across weeks, not one tricky day.

I focus on calm consistency:
✔ Repeated exposure
✔ Low pressure
✔ Nutrient-dense options where I can

Sometimes that looks like adding greens to support gut health.

Sometimes it’s protein to support growth and satiety.

Sometimes it’s a simple gummy boost in a busy season.

Not perfection.
Not pressure.
Just small things that add up over time.

If you’re in the thick of it — you’re doing better than you think 💛

11/02/2026

If you feel like you’re “doing everything right” but your body composition isn’t shifting — this is usually where I look first.

1️⃣ Protein helps regulate appetite and cravings.
It slows digestion, supports stable blood sugar, and keeps you fuller for longer. Less white-knuckling.

2️⃣ Muscle is metabolically active tissue.
If you want to change body composition, you need muscle — and you cannot build or maintain it without adequate protein.

3️⃣ Fat loss isn’t just about eating less.
It’s about sending the right signals: lift weights, eat enough protein, and recover properly.

Chronic dieting + low protein + poor sleep?

That’s a stress recipe — not a body composition strategy.

This is exactly why I focus so much on simple, consistent protein intake — including my high-protein ball mixes.

They’re an easy, gluten & dairy free way to increase intake without overhauling your whole life.

✨ Launch specials are still live — perfect time to reset your protein baseline.

11/02/2026

Just Add Water (!!!)

Simple doesn’t mean basic — it means effective.

My Kiwi Green Gummie Powder is formulated to support:

✨ Gut health — fibre-rich greens to nourish your microbiome
✨ Hydration + cellular function — key nutrients your body actually uses
✨ Protein intake — yes, these are high in protein too, helping support muscle repair and metabolic health

Protein isn’t just for shakes and gym sessions. It supports body composition, satiety, and recovery — and adding it in small, consistent ways makes a difference.

These are designed for real life:

Pour. Mix. Set. Done.
Small daily habits > extreme resets.

P.S. The launch specials are still up (mainly because life got in the way 🙃 so you’re in luck!) — you can still grab them until tomorrow night.

Protein doesn’t need to be complicated — but it does need to be consistent.When people increase protein, I often see cha...
11/02/2026

Protein doesn’t need to be complicated — but it does need to be consistent.

When people increase protein, I often see changes in energy, appetite, and strength almost immediately.

Not because it’s magic — but because it supports muscle, recovery, and metabolic health.

Start small:

☑️Add protein every time you eat,
☑️Lift something heavy,
☑️ And respect rest as much as training.

Simple switches add up — which is exactly why I created my high-protein ball mixes.

Easy, gluten & dairy free, and designed for real life.

Stronger. Calmer. Confident.

That’s the goal 💛

P.S The launch specials are still up (mainly as life got in the way 🙃 so you are in luck to still grab these still until tomorrow night!)

RealLifeNutrition

09/02/2026

Today is another day one ❤️‍🩹

I’ve been quiet the last couple of weeks — healing, resting, recalibrating.

When the time is right, I’ll share more about what this chapter has asked of me, what it’s taken to get through, and the incredible humans who’ve stepped in without hesitation.

For now, this is for anyone who knows what it’s like to start again.
To rebuild.
To return to their body after life interrupts.
I’ve done this more times than I ever expected — and I’ve done it with three small humans watching.

If you’re here, beginning again (or again, or again), I see you.

Strength doesn’t always look loud.

Sometimes it looks like showing up quietly — and starting anyway ✨

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