About Optimum Intake Dietitians

At Optimum Intake Dietitians, we believe nutrition care should feel supportive, practical, empowering, and human.

Since 2007, our team of Accredited Practising Dietitians has been supporting individuals, families, aged care providers, disability participants, community organisations, and healthcare teams across the Central Coast, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and surrounding regions.

What began as a small private practice has grown into a trusted and experienced multidisciplinary nutrition service, built on the belief that food is about far more than nutrients alone. Food connects to health, culture, family, identity, enjoyment, independence, confidence, and quality of life.

Our vision continues to guide everything we do:

To inspire health and wellbeing through the enjoyment, satisfaction, and simplicity of food.

We know that nutrition can often feel overwhelming. Many people come to us after years of conflicting advice, rigid food rules, frustration, or feeling like they have “failed” previous approaches to eating and health.

Our role is to help simplify nutrition in a way that feels realistic, achievable, and personalised to you.

Dietitian Consult

More Than a Standard Meal Plan

At Optimum Intake, we believe meal plans can be incredibly valuable when they are used in the right way, with the right level of support and individualisation.

Structure can play an important role in improving nutrition, building consistency, supporting medical conditions, reducing decision fatigue, improving energy levels, restoring nutritional adequacy, and helping people feel more organised and confident with eating.

At the same time, we also recognise that life is not lived on a perfectly planned schedule.
Unexpected events, social occasions, busy periods, changing routines, family demands, travel, stress, celebrations, and low-energy days are all part of real life. Nutrition support needs to prepare people for these moments too, not just the “ideal” days.

That is why our approach goes beyond handing over a standard one-page meal plan and expecting you to simply follow it perfectly.

Instead, we aim to elevate what meal planning support can look like.

Our dietitians combine personalised meal planning with:

  • Nutrition education and understanding
  • Practical problem-solving skills
  • Flexible thinking around food
  • Real-life strategies and adaptations
  • Confidence building Building confidence and empowerment
  • Behaviour change support
  • Guidance for navigating challenges, routines, social situations, and unexpected disruptions

We help clients understand:

  • Why recommendations are being made
  • How to adapt plans when life changes
  • How to make confident food decisions independently
  • How to build sustainable routines that feel realistic and achievable

For some people, a detailed meal structure is helpful. For others, a more flexible framework works better. Our role is to tailor support to your individual needs, goals, health conditions, lifestyle, and stage of change.

Ultimately, our goal is not perfection. Our goal is helping you feel supported, capable, and confident navigating food and nutrition in everyday life, including the moments that cannot always be planned for.

A Different Kind of Nutrition Support

What makes Optimum Intake different is the depth of care and thoughtfulness behind the way we support people.

We recognise that healthcare experiences can feel vulnerable and overwhelming. From your very first interaction with our team, our goal is to help you feel welcomed, heard, respected, and supported.

Our client care team does far more than simply book appointments. We help guide people through referral pathways, funding systems, care plans, rebates, service options, and next steps, helping make healthcare feel more accessible and less stressful.

We value:

  • Compassionate, person-centred care
  • Clear and practical communication
  • Inclusive and accessible services
  • Collaborative healthcare
  • Flexible and adaptive support
  • Respect for individual experiences and goals
  • Sustainable, evidence-based approaches
  • Long-term health outcomes over quick fixes

We also understand that nutrition support is never just about information alone. Behaviour change involves emotional, social, environmental, medical, and practical factors, and our clinicians are trained to support people through these complexities with empathy and skill.

Supporting People Across All Stages of Life

Our dietitians support clients across a wide range of clinical and community areas, including:

  • Paediatric and family nutrition
  • Feeding and mealtime difficulties
  • Disability and NDIS nutrition support
  • Chronic disease management
  • Gastrointestinal nutrition
  • Bariatric nutrition
  • Eating disorder informed care
  • Healthy ageing and aged care nutrition
  • Malnutrition and nutrition support
  • General wellbeing and preventative health

We provide services:

  • In clinic
  • Via telehealth
  • In the home
  • Within residential aged care facilities
  • Across community and supported living settings

Our team also works closely with GPs, specialists, psychologists, allied health clinicians, support coordinators, carers, families, aged care providers, and community organisations to ensure coordinated and consistent care.

About Optimum Image

Evidence-Based Care With a Human Approach

Our work is grounded in evidence-based nutrition practice while recognising that every individual’s experience with food, health, and behaviour change is different.

Our guiding principles include:

  • Non-diet and weight-inclusive approaches
  • Food-first philosophy
  • Practical and realistic nutrition strategies
  • Compassionate and inclusive care
  • Respect for autonomy, dignity, and choice
  • Behaviour change and counselling-informed practice
  • Collaborative multidisciplinary care
  • Ongoing professional development and clinical excellence

We are passionate about continuing to evolve, learn, and improve as clinicians so we can provide high-quality care that genuinely supports the people and communities we work with.

Optimum intake dietitian award winners

Recognition & Impact

At Optimum Intake, we are committed to delivering exceptional dietetic care that makes a meaningful difference to the health and wellbeing of our clients and communities. Our commitment to clinical excellence, innovation and high-quality service has been recognised through several industry and business awards.

Our achievements include:

  • Winner. 2021 Dietitians Australia Quality in Primary Care Award (Large Organisation)
  • Finalist. 2022 HNECC Primary Care Leader. Service Provider Award
  • Finalist. 2023 Dietitians Australia President’s Award for Innovation
  • Finalist. 2023 Central Coast Local Business Awards
  • Winner. 2025 Dietitians Australia Quality in Primary Care Award (Large Organisation)

While we’re proud of these recognitions, our greatest measure of success is the trust our clients place in us every day and the positive health outcomes we help them achieve.

Building Confidence, Not Dependence

One of our greatest goals is helping people feel more confident and capable in managing their nutrition long-term.

Rather than creating rigid rules, we aim to help clients:

  • Feel less confused about nutrition
  • Build trust in themselves around food
  • Develop practical problem-solving skills
  • Navigate challenges with flexibility
  • Feel empowered to make informed decisions
  • Experience more enjoyment, satisfaction, and confidence with eating

We believe nutrition support should leave people feeling more capable, not more dependent.

A Team That Cares Deeply About Its Community

At Optimum Intake Dietitians, we are proud to be part of the local community we serve.

Over the years, we have built strong relationships with healthcare providers, community organisations, aged care services, disability supports, schools, families, and local networks across the Central Coast and Newcastle regions.

Our team remains committed to advocating for the important role nutrition plays in health, wellbeing, independence, recovery, quality of life, and meaningful participation in everyday living.

Ready to Work With Us?

Whether you are looking for support with a specific health concern, navigating a complex diagnosis, improving your relationship with food, or simply wanting practical guidance that fits your life, we are here to help.

Our team is committed to providing thoughtful, personalised nutrition care that meets you where you are and supports where you want to go next.
Contact Optimum Intake Dietitians

Frequently Asked Questions:

What makes Optimum Intake different from other dietitians?

At Optimum Intake, we believe nutrition advice should be personalised, practical and sustainable. Rather than offering one-size-fits-all meal plans, we take time to understand your health goals, lifestyle, medical history and relationship with food before creating an individualised plan. Our team includes dietitians with a wide range of clinical interests, allowing us to carefully match you with the clinician best suited to your needs.

Do I need a referral to see a dietitian?

No. You can book directly with one of our Accredited Practising Dietitians without a referral. If you have a Medicare Care Plan, DVA referral, NDIS funding, private health insurance or another funding source, our Client Care Team can explain how these may apply to your appointments.

Where are your dietitian clinics located?

We have welcoming clinics in Tuggerah on the Central Coast and Broadmeadow in Newcastle. We also provide telehealth appointments Australia-wide, allowing you to access experienced dietitian support wherever you live.

Can you help if I'm not sure which dietitian I need?

Absolutely. Our Client Care Coordinators will take the time to understand your goals, concerns and preferences before recommending the most suitable dietitian from our team. We aim to make finding the right clinician simple and stress-free.

Do you offer telehealth dietitian appointments?

Yes. We offer secure telehealth appointments throughout Australia. Many clients enjoy the convenience of accessing evidence-based nutrition support from home while receiving the same personalised care as an in-person consultation.

What is your approach to nutrition?

Our team follows a compassionate, evidence-based and client-centred approach. Many of our dietitians work from a non-diet philosophy and incorporate Health at Every Size® (HAES®) principles where appropriate. We focus on building sustainable habits and improving health rather than relying on restrictive diets.

How do you match clients with the right dietitian?

Every member of our team has different experience, clinical interests and areas of expertise. Rather than asking you to choose from a long list of clinicians, we learn about your goals first and then recommend the dietitian we believe will be the best fit.

Can children, adults and older people all see your dietitians?

Yes. We support clients across every stage of life, from infants and children through to adolescents, adults and older Australians. We also provide specific services for residential aged care and in-home aged care programs.

Why should I choose an Accredited Practising Dietitian?

Accredited Practising Dietitians (APDs) are university-qualified nutrition experts who meet national professional standards and complete ongoing professional development. Choosing an APD means you are receiving evidence-based nutrition care from a regulated health professional.

How long has Optimum Intake been supporting the Central Coast and Newcastle community?

Since 2007, Optimum Intake has been helping individuals, families and organisations improve their health through practical, evidence-based nutrition care. Over nearly two decades, we have grown into one of the region’s largest teams of Accredited Practising Dietitians while remaining committed to compassionate, personalised care.

What conditions do your dietitians support?

Our team supports people across many areas of nutrition including eating disorders, child nutrition, gastrointestinal conditions, diabetes, disability nutrition, sports nutrition, women’s health, food allergies and intolerances, weight concerns, aged care, chronic disease management and more.