RNutr (Public Health), FHEA, MA, MSc, BSc (Hons)
Email: georgine.leung.17@ucl.ac.uk
For a professional headshot, click: here
Personal Summary
I am a UK Registered Nutritionist and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. I have a keen interest in food and nutrition education, and helping people to understand food in the wider context of eating. I consult client work on a project basis that includes nutrition communications, menu design and recipe writing.
My professional experience spans the charitable, higher education and industry sectors, which is summarised in this interview here. Most recently, I have held lead nutritionist roles that include Kurami UK, the London-based meal delivery company, and The New Luncher, which provides school lunches in Hong Kong and Singapore.
As a career advisor to student nutritionists and new graduates, I have been featured in articles on Big Picture (Wellcome Trust), the Meat and Education programme and British Council’s Study in the UK Guide. I also hold advisory roles for Taste Education UK and the World Gastronomy Institute.
Alongside my professional practice, I am also a part-time PhD researcher at the Institute of Education at the University College London, studying the postpartum food practices of mothers, their families and caregivers in Chinese society.
I have been interviewed on BBC2’s Victoria Derbyshire show and Channel 4’s How to Lose Weight Well, and have spoken on BBC Merseyside and Radio Television Hong Kong. I have also been quoted on (with links) Madame Figaro, Financial Times’ FT Weekend, iNews, The Stylist UK, Good housekeeping UK, Sheerluxe UK.
I enjoy cooking and sharing food with friends and family.
Advisory Roles, Professional qualifications and Education
– Registered Nutritionist (Public Health), UKVRN
– Advisor, Taste Education
– Advisor, World Gastronomy Institute
– Member, Nutritionists in Industry
– Fellow, UK Higher Education Academy
– PhD (part-time research), Institute of Education (previously Institute for Global Health), University College London, expected to complete in 2026
– MA in Anthropology of Food, SOAS University of London (distinction), conferred 2017
– PG Cert in Academic Practice (Higher Education), St Mary’s University (distinction), conferred 2015
– MSc in Public Health Nutrition, Queen Margaret University Edinburgh (pass), conferred 2008
– BSc in Food and Nutritional Sciences (Hons), Chinese University of Hong Kong (pass), conferred 2006
Professional Experience
Nutrition Consultant and Food Educator, Lecturer, Freelance, Global
September 2016 – present
As a Nutritionist and Food Consultant, I advise clients on developing materials for various health and wellbeing projects, and run seminars and workshops, with a focus on diet and health. I provide technical advice on nutrition analysis for recipes that comply with current reformulation guidelines. My work has a global reach that includes the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore and Canada.
I manage and lead community group sessions for different target groups using available resources and ingredients, that include teaching Learners with Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities (LLDD). I also run workshops on easy family cooking.
I continue to teach about topical food and nutrition issues, including the sociological and cultural aspects of food and eating at different universities that include University College London, St Mary’s University Twickenham, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Between 2017 to 2019, I was the Nutrition columnist for the UK’s parenting digital magazine, ‘Back to School‘, and have had seasonal columns with Sing Tao Daily, the UK-based Chinese newspaper. Samples of this work could be found here.
Nutritionist, VieChi Foods, Toronto, Canada (consultant)
August 2020 – January 2023
VieChi Foods (https://viechi.com) is a premium frozen meal brand based in the Greater Toronto Area. As part of their culinary team, I work closely with the consultant chef to develop offerings which are Asian-inspired, based on Canada’s nutritional recommendations and food guide.
Lead Nutritionist, Kurami UK, London, UK (consultant)
August 2019 – January 2022
Kurami UK (https://kurami.co.uk/) is a premium meal delivery business which serves clients in London. As their consultant nutritionist, I work with the kitchen team to develop and design menus based on seasonal offerings, write weekly nutrition newsletters, articles and Q&A’s on the company’s blog page and provide nutrition inputs to mainstream press that have included The Stylist UK, Good housekeeping UK, Sheerluxe UK. I have also hosted Instagram Lives on behalf of Kurami UK to speak to colleagues working in the health and nutrition sector, an example can be found here.
Head of Nutrition, The New Luncher, Hong Kong and Singapore (consultant)
March 2019 – April 2020
The New Luncher (https://thenewluncher.com/en-sg/) caters to schools in Hong Kong and Singapore. As Head of Nutrition, I oversee all food initiatives and with our team, develop healthy and delicious recipes for early to secondary years. I ensure these are compliant with strict standards of provision, upholding the ethos to educate and nurture a healthy relationship with food in young people and their families. My articles could be found on their blog page.
Lecturer in Nutrition, School of Sports, Health and Applied Science, St Mary’s University, London
September 2014 – September 2016
During this teaching post, I designed and delivered lectures and seminars on both undergraduate and postgraduate levels with an emphasis on public health and health promotion. I also led a research study to explore cultural considerations in dietary choices and infant feeding practices of new Chinese mothers in London featured on the blog for the Oxford Food Symposium.
Nutrition Scientist, Education Group, British Nutrition Foundation (BNF)
September 2008 – September 2014
As the appointed Nutrition Scientist in Education, I presented video podcasts on BNF’s Youtube page, delivered nutrition updates at annual regional conferences in the UK (each up to 200+ teachers) and conducted regular eSeminars on topical nutrition issues to different audiences.
I co-authored and secured grants to implement, and wrote materials for, UK and EU-wide initiatives to educate young people on healthy eating and where food comes from, including the UK’s first national Healthy Eating Week, reaching over 1 million young people. Print and digital interactive educational resources that I led on developing on BNF’s education site Food – a Fact of Life included a nutrition analysis application and lifestyle assessment tool. I also piloted and created course materials for BNF’s online nutrition training platform, and led to ensure its optimal functionality.
During this time, I also conducted and published research on the consumption of ethnic foods and the diets of minority ethnic groups in the UK in academic journals and newsletters by partner charities and the industry.
I was the Liaison Link for BNF’s member companies and advisor to the London Schools Nutritionists Network.
Research Assistant, Food and Nutritional Sciences Programme, Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)
January 2007 – August 2007
As an early career researcher and teaching assistant, I managed the data collection and analysis of Hong Kong’s first Food Consumption Survey and supported other nutrition research projects. I also taught and assessed undergraduate students on community nutrition and nutrition policy.
Writing commissions
The Market: Naples, London and Hong Kong (16 October, 2020) for Vittles. Available at: https://vittles.substack.com/p/the-market-naples-london-and-hong
A Big Bag of Cans: Making use of tinned fish and meats (8 April, 2020) for Vittles. Available at: https://vittles.substack.com/p/vittles-24
Guest writing
Starting well the new school year? Q&A with our nutritionist (2019) for The New Luncher. Available at:
https://blog.thenewluncher.com/nourishing-for-the-new-school-year-q-and-a-with-our-nutritionist/
Top eight tips to eat and live well with your family (2019) for The New Luncher. Available at:
https://blog.thenewluncher.com/top-eight-tips-to-eat-and-live-well-with-your-family/
What should I feed my fussy eater (2019) for The New Luncher. Available at:
https://blog.thenewluncher.com/what-should-i-feed-my-fussy-eater/
Do superfoods really exist? (2019) for The New Luncher. Available at:
https://blog.thenewluncher.com/superfoods/
Postpartum practices in China – reflection for global health studies (2019) for UCL Institute for Global Health. Available at:
Postpartum practices in China – reflections for global health studies
Mid-autumn and mooncakes (2018)for World Gastronomy Institute. Available at:
https://www.worldgastronomy.org/post/mid-autumn-festival-and-mooncakes
‘Sitting the month’: Postpartum confinement practices in China (2016) for the Oxford Food Symposium. Available at:
‘Sitting the month’: Post-partum Confinement Practices in China
Academic publications
Leung and Law (2018) Postnatal practices and health beliefs by the Chinese community in the UK. Available here
Leung (2017) Cultural considerations in postnatal dietary and infant feeding practices amongst Chinese mothers in London. British Journal of Midwifery. 25: 1-7.
Leung (2013) Health impact of diet in minority ethnic groups. Practice Nurse 43 (12): 26-29
Leung and Stanner (2012) Is diet to blame for poor health of minority ethnic groups in the UK? Nutrition Society: Your nutrition
Leung and Stanner (2011) Diets of minority ethnic groups in the UK: influence on chronic disease risk and implications for prevention. Nutrition Bulletin 36 (2): 161-198 (summary published in Network Health Dietitians)
Leung (2010) Understanding Halal Food Supply Chain. Nutrition Bulletin 35 (4): 371-372
Leung (2010) Ethnic foods in the UK. Nutrition Bulletin. 35 (3):226-234
Leung (2009) Functional Food Centre, Oxford Brookes University. Nutrition Bulletin. 34 (3): 324-326
Leung (2009) National Obesity Forum 6th Annual Conference. Nutrition Bulletin. 34 (1): 97-102