About Gena Hamshaw

I’m a dynamic, dedicated New York City registered dietitian nutritionist with a unique blend of clinical and counseling experience. By day, I work in outpatient dialysis care at a major academic medical center in New York City. By morning and night, I run a private practice dedicated to supporting the nutritional well-being of adults and teens. 

As a longtime vegan, I offer a deep understanding of plant-based nutrition to those who are curious about becoming vegan or vegetarian or optimizing their experiences with these eating styles.  

Nutrition Philosophy

I believe that dietary patterns and habits affect our health more than any single ingredient or food choice. I encourage a big-picture perspective in which how we eat gets as much focus as what we eat. 

I work with clients and patients on dietary changes that are approachable, realistic, and sustainable. My goal is to help others rekindle a sense of joy and confidence in how they relate to food. 

I believe in an evidence-based approach and aim to be a reliable, trusted resource for clients and readers. I remain engaged with emerging nutrition research and pursue continuing education that broadens my understanding of the science.

Education and Credentials

  • Columbia University: BA in English Literature
  • Georgetown University: Pre-Medical, Post-baccalaureate certificate
  • Teacher’s College, Columbia University: MS in Nutrition
  • Registered Dietitian, Commission on Dietetic Registration
  • Certified Dietitian Nutritionist, New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions

Training and Experience

  • Teacher’s College, Columbia University: Dietetic Internship (rotations completed at Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center, the John Theurer Cancer Center, East River Gastroenterology, and the Institute for Family Health)
  • The Mount Sinai Hospital Kidney Center: Outpatient Clinical Nutrition Coordinator

Recipe Development and Food Writing

I’m the author of five cookbooks, including Power Plates (2018), The Vegan Week (2022), and A Grain, a Green, a Bean (2025). The Vegan Week was an Amazon Editor’s Pick.

My recipes have been featured in Food52 and The New York Times. I was formerly a Food52 columnist and authored the recipes in Food52 Vegan (2015).

My Food Story

My work is rooted in a personal, transformative, and hopeful food journey. I struggled with an eating disorder on and off during my teen years and early twenties. In committing to a lasting recovery, I became attuned to the suffering of animals within our food system and adopted a vegan diet. For me, veganism offers an opportunity to put compassion into practice and to create a gentler world.

My early years as a vegan were marked by dietary rigidity, a vestige of my eating disorder. With time, and as a result of my nutrition education, my approach to plant-based eating became truly healthful. Today I embrace food as a source of both pleasure and nourishment, and I create vegan recipes with these priorities in mind.