Choosing the best nutritionists in Christchurch depends on whether you want a registered dietitian or a clinical nutritionist, because the two train and register differently. A nutritionist Christchurch locals find online may specialise in gut health, functional testing or sport rather than general eating. Dietary Specialists and Embrace Nutrition sit on the dietetics side, while Nutri Viva works in functional nutrition.
1Dietary Specialists
Dietary Specialists has operated since 2007 from Stewart Street in the central city, with a team of New Zealand Registered Dietitians. Digestive health is the core of the practice, and they state they were the first in New Zealand to provide low FODMAP advice. Consultations are available in person, by video or by phone.
Services
- Digestive health, including IBS, reflux, SIBO and diverticular disease
- Food intolerance and allergy management, including low FODMAP
- Weight concerns and metabolic health
- Cardiovascular health and high cholesterol
- Women’s health, including perimenopause, PCOS and endometriosis
Highlights
- Established in 2007
- A team of New Zealand Registered Dietitians
- Dr Leigh O’Brien graduated from Otago in 2003 and completed a PhD in 2023
- Sarah Munn graduated from Otago in 1999 with more than twenty-five years of experience
- Virtual and telephone consultations available for all appointment types
Location & Contact
Name: Dietary Specialists
Address: Level 2, 40 Stewart Street, Christchurch 8011
Phone: 021 140 5137
Website: dietaryspecialists.co.nz
2Embrace Nutrition
Embrace Nutrition is Eva Meiklejohn, a New Zealand Registered Dietitian consulting from Dr Steven Ding’s rooms on Straven Road in Riccarton. Her work centres on gastrointestinal conditions and on managing specific diagnoses such as diabetes and high cholesterol, with virtual appointments available alongside in-clinic ones.
Services
- Initial and follow-up dietitian consultations
- Virtual and phone consultations
- Gut health, covering IBS, IBD, reflux and coeliac disease
- Prediabetes and type 1 and type 2 diabetes
- Cholesterol, blood pressure and nutritional deficiencies
Highlights
- New Zealand Registered Dietitian, registered with the Dietitians Board
- Bachelor of Science majoring in human nutrition and a Master of Dietetics, both from Otago
- Trained by Monash University in the low FODMAP diet for IBS
- Trained in the Crohn’s Disease Exclusion Diet
Location & Contact
Name: Embrace Nutrition
Address: 53 Straven Road, Riccarton, Christchurch
Phone: 027 218 4144
Website: embracenutrition.co.nz
3Nutri Viva
Nutri Viva is the practice of Claudia Oxford-Gonzalez, a Registered Clinical Nutritionist working from Wrights Road in Addington. The clinic works in functional nutrition, with laboratory testing available alongside consultations, and sees children as well as adults.
Services
- Initial and follow-up consultations
- Body composition consultations
- Telehealth consultations
- Children’s consultations
- Functional testing, including stool analysis, nutrigenomics and food intolerance testing
Highlights
- Registered Clinical Nutritionist
- Member of Clinical Nutritionists Aotearoa New Zealand
- More than ten years of functional nutrition experience
- Clinic in Addington with online consultations also available
Location & Contact
Name: Nutri Viva
Address: Upstairs, 4/107 Wrights Road, Addington, Christchurch
Phone: 021 737 591
Website: nutriviva.co.nz
4Jane Syme Functional Medicine Clinic
Jane Syme runs a functional medicine clinic from Kennaway Road in Woolston, describing herself as a Registered Clinical Nutritionist and an accredited member of the Clinical Nutrition Association New Zealand. The practice leans heavily on laboratory testing, and she states she works alongside GPs, specialists and clinical psychologists.
Services
- Initial comprehensive consultations
- Follow-up consultations
- DNA analysis and optimisation consultations
- Functional testing review consultations
- Functional testing through certified laboratories
Highlights
- States she is a Registered Clinical Nutritionist
- States accredited membership of the Clinical Nutrition Association New Zealand
- Undertakes annual continuing education
- Works alongside GPs, specialists and other practitioners
Location & Contact
Name: Jane Syme Functional Medicine Clinic
Address: 27D Kennaway Road, Woolston, Christchurch 8023
Phone: 027 308 0305
Website: janesyme.co.nz
5Conrad Goodhew Nutrition
Conrad Goodhew is an accredited sports dietitian consulting from Bealey Avenue, and works in professional sport including with the Crusaders and the Black Ferns hub. The practice covers fuelling for training and competition alongside team seminars and speaking, rather than general nutrition.
Services
- One-to-one consultations covering sport and general nutrition
- Team and workplace seminars
- Keynote speaking
Highlights
- New Zealand Registered Dietitian and accredited sports dietitian
- Master of Dietetics and Bachelor of Applied Science, studied at Otago and Massey
- Works in professional sport, including the Crusaders and the Black Ferns hub
- Named areas include fuelling for training and competition, low energy availability and injury rehabilitation
- In-clinic appointments on set days, or online
Location & Contact
Name: Conrad Goodhew Nutrition
Address: 156 Bealey Avenue, Christchurch 8013
Phone: 03 366 0660
Website: cgnutrition.co.nz
Nutritionists in Christchurch at a Glance
| Business | Based in | Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| Dietary Specialists | Christchurch | Established in 2007 |
| Embrace Nutrition | Riccarton | New Zealand Registered Dietitian, registered with the Dietitians Board |
| Nutri Viva | Addington | Registered Clinical Nutritionist |
| Jane Syme Functional Medicine Clinic | Woolston | States she is a Registered Clinical Nutritionist |
| Conrad Goodhew Nutrition | Christchurch | New Zealand Registered Dietitian and accredited sports dietitian |
How to Choose the Right Nutritionist in Christchurch
- Decide whether you need a registered dietitian or a clinical nutritionist, since the two register with different bodies and train through different routes
- Match the practitioner to your reason for going, because gut health, sports fuelling and functional testing are distinct areas of practice
- Ask what any recommended laboratory testing measures and what it costs before agreeing to it
- Check whether the clinic offers video consultations, which matters if you are outside the city or working set hours
- Ask whether your insurer recognises the practitioner’s registration, as cover differs between dietitians and nutritionists
Frequently Asked Questions About Christchurch Nutritionists
What is the difference between a nutritionist and a dietitian?
Dietitian is a protected title in New Zealand, regulated under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act, and practitioners must be registered with the Dietitians Board and hold a current annual practising certificate. Nutritionist is not protected, so the title alone tells you less about the training behind it. Ask what someone studied and which organisation they belong to.
How do I check a practitioner is registered?
The Dietitians Board keeps a public register of dietitians. For nutritionists, the Nutrition Society of New Zealand runs a separate registration scheme with its own requirements, and some practitioners belong to other associations instead. Ask which register applies and look it up rather than assuming they are equivalent.
Which parts of Christchurch are these clinics in?
They are spread around the city rather than clustered centrally. Dietary Specialists is on Stewart Street in the central city, Embrace Nutrition on Straven Road in Riccarton, Nutri Viva on Wrights Road in Addington, Jane Syme on Kennaway Road in Woolston, and Conrad Goodhew on Bealey Avenue. Most also offer video appointments.
Do I need a referral to see a nutritionist?
Generally no. Private practices in Christchurch take direct enquiries and you can book without seeing a doctor first. If you are managing a diagnosed condition it is still sensible to tell your GP, so that dietary advice and any medication are considered together.
Is functional or laboratory testing necessary?
It depends on the practitioner and on what you are seeing them for. Some clinics use laboratory testing routinely, others rarely. Testing is usually an extra cost on top of the consultation, so ask what a given test measures, what it will cost, and what would change in your plan depending on the result.
Can I be seen online instead of in person?
Yes. Every practice on this page offers video or phone consultations as well as in-clinic appointments. Body composition measurements are the main thing that generally has to be done in person.
How We Chose the Best Nutritionists in Christchurch
Every business in this guide was found by searching for nutritionists in Christchurch, then checked against its own website. Names, addresses and phone numbers are taken from the business’s own site rather than a directory feed, so what you see here is what they publish themselves. We also check that each one is actually based in or genuinely serving Christchurch, rather than a national operator running a local landing page. A business with no website of its own is not listed, because there is no primary source to verify it against.