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Deanna Cook, APD

Adult and Paediatric Dietitian | Accredited Sports Dietitian | Clinical Director

Deanna studied dietetics at Sydney University, with a placement in Wangaratta that led her to put down roots in the region. Her career has spanned across hospital and community health work in regional Victoria, followed by close to a decade in Calgary, Canada, working across women's health, paediatric care, eating disorders, complex primary care, as well as throughout the hospital system. Her training reflects that breadth: RCH paediatric nutrition courses, Responsive Feeding and SOS Feeding Therapy, extensive eating disorder training (Inside Out, ANZAED), Maudsley Model for eating disorders, Accredited Sports Dietitian, perimenopause and menopause care, Monash's low FODMAP program for IBS, and specialist aged care nutrition.

In 2022, Deanna returned home to Northeast Victoria with her family and saw the same gap she'd noticed years earlier had only widened - specialist dietetic support, especially in residential aged care, still meant leaving the region or bringing in someone from the city. In 2023 she founded High Country Nutrition and Dietetics to close that gap. Today, she leads a growing team of dietitians while still working directly with clients and aged care facilities across the region.

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Brydie Pendergast, APD

Hi, I’m Brydie! I hold a Bachelor of Food and Nutrition Science and a Master of Dietetics from Deakin University, and I live locally with my partner, two Border Collies, and a baby on the way. Since graduating I've worked across hospital, community health, NDIS and private practice settings, building formal training in paediatric nutrition, Responsive Feeding Therapy and Emotionally Aware Feeding, inclusive approaches for neurodivergent children, eating disorders, home enteral nutrition, disability nutrition and size-inclusive health.

I love working with families to find creative, judgement-free solutions that sit in the grey area between evidence-based practice and what actually works for your household, which takes a lot of listening and a good relationship. I welcome referrals for any food-related challenge, connect well with local and metro multidisciplinary teams, and can see you at home or via telehealth.

Paediatric and Adult Dietitian

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Hi, I'm Swaeds! I hold a Bachelor of Health Science and Master of Dietetics from Deakin University and I'm an Accredited Practising Dietitian who believes nutrition should be practical and tailored, not built on strict rules. I support adult clients with chronic disease, digestive health, and specialised diets for conditions like kidney disease, unintentional weight loss and nutrient deficiencies, always with an eye toward sustainable, everyday habits.

I take a compassionate, personalised approach, working with each client's lifestyle and goals to find small, achievable steps rather than overwhelming change, creating a supportive space to build a healthier relationship with food. Outside the clinic, I'm usually outside with friends, travelling, doing Pilates or walking my border collie. I offer residential aged care, 1:1 clinic and telehealth appointments, and I'd love to help you reach your goals.

Adult and Aged Care Dietitian

Swaeden Knight, APD

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Hi, I'm Maddi! I hold a Bachelor of Nutrition Science from Deakin University and a Master of Dietetics from Swinburne, and I grew up in Wangaratta, so it's a privilege to support the community that shaped me. I've worked across inpatient hospital and community health settings, with a special interest in responsive feeding therapy, feeding challenges in neurodivergent children and adults, eating disorders and gut health, backed by additional ANZAED training.

With lived experience of neurodivergence and feeding challenges myself, I bring a neurodiversity-affirming, compassionate approach that respects individual sensory needs and preferences. My style is holistic, evidence-based and non-judgemental, focused on realistic goals that fit everyday life, and creating a space where you feel heard and empowered. Outside work, I'm a mad Western Bulldogs supporter who loves staying active and spending time with friends and family.

Maddi Dalby, APD

Adult and Paediatric Dietitian