A person slicing a red and white radish on a wooden cutting board in a kitchen, with a colorful cloth and a white napkin nearby.

About Me

A woman in a cream sweater is slicing an onion at a kitchen counter. The kitchen has a white subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, and various cooking pots and ingredients on the counter, including a can of natural almond paste and fresh herbs.

My Journey from Kitchen to Clinic

My path to becoming a dietitian was a culinary adventure. I attended culinary school and cooked professionally in San Francisco, New York City, and Sacramento restaurants.

Wanting to understand the deeper connection between people and what they eat, I studied Cultural Anthropology at UC Berkeley. I opened my own cheese and wine class business, managed a wine bar, wrote about food for publications like the LA Times, Kinfolk, Edible East Bay, and published a book about American cheese called “It’s Not You, It’s Brie.”

A person sitting at a desk holding a ceramic mug with a textured, two-tone yellow and brown design. On the desk, there is a silver laptop, a black pen, a pair of glasses with black frames, and a black-and-white grid-patterned notebook labeled "GRAH RULER BOOK" for a compass projection. There is also a sheet of paper with text about a seminar or workshop. The person's right arm is visible, wearing a patterned shirt with geometric designs.

The Twist

While teaching cheesemaking classes, I fell in love with cheesemaking science. This evolved into a passion for food science and nutrition science.

Realizing that becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist would allow me to meld my love for food culture and science, cooking, nutrition, and working with people, I returned to school. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics and Master of Arts in Family and Consumer Sciences from San Francisco State University, completed a dietetic internship, and here I am today! When not counseling private clients, I work part time in San Francisco in community nutrition and continue to teach cheese and cooking classes.

When not working with private clients at Kirstin Jackson Nutrition, I work at a community nutrition non-profit in San Francisco, and teach cooking and cheesemaking classes. In my spare time I hang out in my kitchen, take and teach cooking classes, garden, travel, and hang out with my husband and Shih Tzu mix. I still love cheese and wine.

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Woman smiling, holding a glass of white wine in a kitchen with a white countertop, bowl of oranges and apples, and a plate of cheese, strawberries, and chocolate chocolates.