A registered dietitian is the recognized food and nutrition expert in the food and healthcare industry. They are a part of your healthcare team alongside your doctor, physical therapist, chiropractor or mental health counselor. You may not know what to expect if you’re contemplating working with a dietitian, so here are three things a dietitian will and won’t do for you.
What does a dietitian do?
1. A dietitian WILL consider your busy lifestyle with their recommendations.
Too much going on right now? More on your “plate” than what you think you can handle? If you’re frantic about the idea of improving your diet amid the craziness of your life, a dietitian will adapt their recommendations so any advice accommodates your lifestyle. After all, what good would it do to advise you to make elaborate meals, spend hours at the grocery store or sift through a library of cookbooks, if it’s not something you (or anyone else!) can tuck into your active schedule?
Let your dietitian find corners that are all right to cut in order to save time and energy, all while eating food you enjoy that also gives your body exactly what it needs.
2. A dietitian WILL want to hear all about your experiences with food.
This is your opportunity to share your feelings, reactions and behaviors surrounding food to a health professional who is all ears. We are eager to hear your struggles and triumphs in your journey with food and excited to find ways (together!) to find solutions that will improve your eating habits.
A dietitian will want to hear your story without interruption so we can find spots in your recent eating history that can be explored further. Dietitians are trained to listen and learn about what has worked and not worked in your past, along with what you are willing (and not willing) to do with your diet.
3. A dietitian WILL make eating simpler.
There is a lot of confusion out there on what is healthy and what is not. A dietitian can cut through clutter like a knife to demystify nutrition and make it understandable. This may mean navigating the basics of good nutrition, debunking some nutrition myths or providing straightforward direction on how to eat following a new diagnosis like diabetes or kidney disease. A dietitian can translate the science behind a medical condition into practical food choices.
What are some things a dietitian won’t do?
1. A dietitian WON’T expect you to make major changes overnight.
You may have big dreams of one day mastering the art of meal prepping, losing 100 pounds, running a marathon or having a perfectly curated shopping list. Certainly, these are all things a dietitian can and will support if it’s your desire to do so; but, many of us are looking out for the more subtle (AKA non-overwhelming) changes we can help you to make.
Research tells us that many little changes add up to big changes, and this is what leads to long-term success. So, starting small is actually the best first step toward lasting change.
2. A dietitian WON’T be the food police.
Maybe you aren’t especially pleased with the foods you’ve gotten into the habit of eating time and time again. Poor decisions about food may have landed you into a vicious cycle of guilt and shame in the past. A dietitian wants to change that narrative for you. A dietitian acts not only as a nutrition mentor, but also an accountability partner. As your partner, a dietitian will not place judgment on your food decisions, but rather help you learn from them and make adjustments that will get you on a path to success.
3. A dietitian WON’T assume you know how to cook.
A dietitian can work with you even if you are unsure how to boil water, rocky on how to toast bread or don’t own measuring cups. A dietitian also gives you permission to take advantage of nutritious convenience foods! Let us shower you with easy food, meal and product ideas that work toward meeting your health goals. Or, if you are interested in improving your cooking skills or attempting some beginner recipes, a dietitian would be thrilled to share pointers or trustworthy resources to improve your competency in the kitchen.
Hopefully this helps paint a picture of how it looks and feels to work with a dietitian. Connect with a dietitian at: www.krogerhealth.com/telenutrition if you are ready to move forward with your healthy eating goals.