Jean Bienfang, MS, RDN, LD

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Owner at Close to the Vine

Jean Bienfang is a passionate advocate of healthy living. She is a nationally registered dietitian nutritionist, licensed in the state of Iowa, and a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In this capacity, Jean engages with individuals and families to identify and implement tailored health-enhancing lifestyles that include nutritional, physical, and psychological aspects. Within a structure that considers the whole person, and their environment, Jean assists clients in building a life of health and wellness. Her private practice is Close to the Vine.

Jean is a military veteran who served honorably in the United States Air Force for more than a decade. As a member of the medical nutrition therapy team, she provided nutrition assessments and counseling to numerous clients, each with their own unique set of health goals and needs. In addition, she worked in the Health and Wellness Centers providing group nutrition education, as well as, individualized nutrition and exercise plans to military members, their families’ and retirees.

In the community, Jean served as a nutrition educator and group fitness leader for a local health promoting initiative: Move U. As a volunteer team member, she planned, organized, and hosted local and regional health fairs. These public events showcased environmentally and nutritionally sound foods and other products from businesses engaging in sustainable agriculture. An educator at heart, she teaches science to children in grades 3-6 as part of her membership in a local educational cooperative.

Jean holds a Master of Science degree in Human Nutrition from Colorado State University, where her research focused on nutrition education for an aging population. Her undergraduate work was accomplished at Purdue University, where she double majored in Dietetics, and Nutrition, Fitness, and Health for a Bachelor of Science degree. While at Purdue, she was involved in interdepartmental honors research involving adolescent female athletes, specific markers of their nutritional status, and how those markers relate to performance, and individual ratings of perceived exertion.

A living example of the healthful lifestyle she promotes, Jean also enjoys organic gardening, cooking healthy meals for her family of five, exercising, and hobby farming.