Jill Eckart, C.H.H.C.

Jill Eckart, C.H.H.C., is nutrition program manager at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting preventive medicine, especially better nutrition, and higher standards in research.

As part of the nutrition team, Ms. Eckart manages a variety of programs, including the launch of PCRM’s online 21-Day Vegan Kickstart program that more than 200,000 people have participated in since 2009.

Ms. Eckart also teaches a variety of cooking classes for PCRM and its clinical research department, the Washington Center for Clinical Research. Class topics include using plant foods for cancer prevention and survival, diabetes management, and general cooking instruction to PCRM clinical research participants. Her specialty is making it easy and fun for class attendees to enjoy incredible flavor while following a low-fat vegan diet. She has taught classes at the D.C. Department of Transportation, the United States Postal Service, GEICO, the Rayburn House Office Building, local diabetes support groups, and Whole Foods Market. She also takes research participants on grocery store tours.

Lead author on a school lunch study published in 2010, Student’s Willingness to Purchase Vegan Menu Items in the National School Lunch Program, Ms. Eckart led a team of PCRM researchers to study three Florida area school cafeteria’s testing whether children would purchase vegan menu items. The study showed that kids do like vegan foods and they will purchase them in the lunch line.

She is also a health coach specializing in helping people transition to a plant-based diet and offers coaching to accomplish her clients’ long-term goals.

Ms. Eckart received her Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and service leadership from Loyola University in Maryland. She received her certification in holistic health counseling from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City.