A career in nutrition

As a New Zealand registered dietitian and dietitian prescriber, Belinda will work with you and your whānau to adapt your dietary intake to ensure your nutritional requirements are met at every stage of your treatment journey to optimise recovery. 

Dietary treatment may include: 

  • Texture modification
  • Food fortification (adding micronutrients to food)
  • Oral nutritional supplements
  • Enteral nutrition (tube feeding) and parenteral nutrition (intravenous feeding)

Belinda is from Pongaroa, a town in the Tararua District between Hastings and Masterton. Working as a dietitian across public and private sectors since 2003, Belinda joined the team at MercyAscot in 2017. She is passionate about working with head and neck cancer patients, helping to optimise their treatment and recovery. Belinda enjoys doing pilates, swimming, adventure racing and spending time with her husband and two children.

Belinda provides both inpatient and outpatient consults, including comprehensive nutritional assessment and education. Belinda is currently the convenor for Dietitians New Zealand Head and Neck Cancer Special Interest Group. Alongside Lou Tjauw, Belinda founded and now co-manages, the MercyAscot Head & Neck Cancer Support Group.