Hello there!
I'm Melissa, the founder of Inspired Forks and a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) who also has ADHD. I specialize in helping adults with ADHD implement nutrition strategies specifically tailored for their brains.
I understand firsthand how challenging it can be to manage eating with ADHD. Between impulsivity, decision fatigue, forgetfulness, dopamine-driven cravings, sensory differences, and the societal pressure to ‘eat clean,’ nourishing yourself can feel like a full-time job. But it doesn't have to be this way.
My approach leverages simple strategies tailored specifically for the ADHD brain. We can explore what feels good for your mind and body and build an ADHD nutrition toolkit designed specifically for you.
Nutrition for ADHD
Nutrition should be a tool for focus, not a source of stress (you've probably got enough stress in your life as it is). Using a framework that focuses on executive-function-friendly meal planning and identifying life and food triggers that are disruptive, I can help you build a supportive relationship with food that works with your neurodivergence, not against it.
Some Relevant Highlights
Registered Dietitian Certification
Lived ADHD Experience
Balanced Scientific Approach
My Story: Navigating the ADHD Brain
The Journey Behind Inspired Forks
Like many adults, my late ADHD diagnosis didn't come with an instruction manual—it came after a lifetime of wondering why the 'simple' task of feeding myself could be easy on some days and then so monumentally hard on other days.
For years I struggled with binge eating, which I now recognize as an effective dopamine seeking strategy, that left me feeling like a failure. As a dietitian, I felt like I should have 'known better,' so I would 'try harder,' which just meant another round on the shame spiral rollercoaster.
As I began approaching nutrition in a way that worked with my neurodivergent brain—and shifted my perspective—the pieces of my personal nutrition puzzle began to fall into place Working with ADHD's different hunger cues and fullness signals, the needs for strong flavors, balancing both the need for safe-food routines coupled with the need for variety as well as managing texture sensitivities are all things that I have personally experienced and things that I can help my clients with.
This lived experience is the heartbeat of Inspired Forks. I want to be the dietitian that I wish I'd had. My goal is to help you build a toolkit that works with your neurodivergence, transforming nutrition from a source of stress into a powerful tool.
Experience & Education
Experience
I have over 15 years of experience supporting individuals (and their families) with inborn errors of metabolism, which I consider to be the original nutrition and neurodiversity population.
Working with this group was a daily testament to the power of nutrition that I carry with me to this day.
ADHD Specialization
Advanced training in ADHD-focused nutrition strategies, executive function support, and sensory-friendly eating patterns for neurodivergent adults.
Credentials
Washington State Dietitian Credential DIET.DI.60031485
Registered with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Education
I have a Bachelor of Food and Nutrition Science from the University of Alberta.
I have a Master of Nutritional Sciences from the University of Washington.
In addition, I have a Master of Business Administration from the Foster School of Business which helps me bring a strategic and outcomes focus to my clients.