We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelsey Leland and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelsey, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My thought process was something a good friend told me, “do the weirdest thing possible.” What he meant was, start with the most ambitious, least reasonable career path, then refine from there if needed. For me that meant quitting my job and moving to New York to attend culinary school, then start a food business. My first attempt was a vegan dessert business that was super fun, but extremely difficult to make profitable. I decided to transition into personal cheffing to create more work/life balance. Not to mention, it’s much more health supportive than moonlighting to bake cakes every night!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Working in food and nutrition is not always easy, but it is extremely rewarding. Most people understand that healthy food is important, but if it doesn’t taste good or look appealing on the plate–or if it’s too inconvenient to prepare–it won’t be eaten. My company Pretty Healthy Foods exists to help people get that good nutrition. As a nutrition coach, I’m always thinking about how to make food & lifestyle interventions realistic, so they truly make an impact. We have a health crisis in the western world, with more than 50% of people dealing with chronic disease. The vast majority of these conditions are driven by diet and lifestyle. That really keeps me going.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Pirate’s Cove beach in Malibu Hiking in Topanga
Stroll down Abbot Kinney
Gjusta
Beach yoga
Santa Monica Farmer’s Market
Mullholland Drive & overlooks
Sapp Coffee Shop in Thai Town
Grand Central Market
The Last Bookstore
Bavel or Bestia in the Arts District
Magpies
Cookbook LA
Griffith observatory

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My culinary school, the Natural Gourmet Institute (now the Natural Gourmet Center at ICE)

Website: prettyhealthyfoods.com

Instagram: @prettyhealthyfoods

Image Credits
Food photos: Skandia Shafer Portrait: Michelle Lanning

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSocal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.