It has been said that raising a child requires a village. Parents quickly acknowledge that they may not know everything needed for their children to grow up healthy and strong. Accordingly, they seek expert advice to help them guide their children’s health. 

Nutritionists can be expert consultants who provide information, guidance, and peace of mind. Our telehealth counseling makes it easy to contact a nutrition expert for personalized pediatric nutritional advice, which is covered by many insurance companies.

Not sure if a pediatric nutritionist is right for your family? In this article, we’ll cover how a nutritionist can help your family.

What Is a Pediatric Nutritionist?

A Pediatric Nutritionist is a specially trained nutritionist who works with families. Our practice focuses on helping families with children – from babies to adolescents – get the nutrition they need to grow, develop, be healthy, and achieve their full potential. 

We know that good nutrition requires the whole family’s involvement, so we work as a team with parents to ensure that the recommendations are achievable and fit into the family’s busy schedule.

We can also help children with complex medical conditions, including:

• Celiac disease
• Food allergies or intolerances
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
• Picky eating
• Diabetes

What Does a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) Do?

While many people think of nutritionists and dietitians as the same thing, there are important differences. The term “nutritionist” is a general term anyone can use — there are no formal training requirements for someone to call themselves a “nutritionist.” Nutritionist training can vary widely from someone reading a few books, to attending seminars or trainings to receiving specialized certifications.

A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) is a medical degree that requires extensive training. An RDN must complete coursework in nutrition, including a graduate degree and a 1,000-hour internship of supervised practice. Finally, they must pass a national certification exam and complete any requirements of the state they’re licensed in. RDNs also have to complete 75 continuing education credits every 5 years.

Many dietitians then take further training and certifications to provide additional support for their clients. Those working in pediatrics will focus their additional education and certifications on nutrition for babies through adolescents.

Is It Important for My Child to See a Nutritionist?

Many parents feel that their children’s eating habits may not provide what they need to grow, support their activities, and keep them healthy. They may also wonder if their family’s, especially their children’s, eating behaviors are normal.

This is where a pediatric nutritionist comes in. If you want to ensure your child gets the nutrition they need, a pediatric nutritionist can provide that impartial and educated analysis. Reviewing this with an expert gives parents peace of mind that their child is on the right path nutritionally. Additionally, expert advice can help guide a family when helping their child through complex medical issues.

What Is the Importance of Good Nutrition for Kids?

What children eat largely determines their energy level, brain health, and body development. A good diet can also help prevent chronic diseases. Teaching healthy eating habits to children at a young age can help engrain those habits for life. 

Understanding all the ins and outs of healthy eating can be confusing or overwhelming for parents. That’s why we focus on helping families provide achievable nutrition options for their children.

Stable Energy

You want your child to have plenty of energy to be successful in school and their after-school activities. This means ensuring they get enough nutritious food to give them the fuel they need to not only survive the day but thrive. Often during a school day, children have limited eating windows. We can help them maximize each of these opportunities to keep their bodies fueled and their minds sharp. 

Strong Bones and Teeth

When children are growing, especially during their adolescent years, they’re building the bones and teeth that need to last a lifetime. There’s a limited window for making this happen. We can help you ensure your child gets all the nutrients they need to build strong bones and teeth. Did you know strong bones and teeth require more than just calcium?

Improved Mental Health

People don’t often realize that there is a link between the quality of what you eat and mental health and well-being. However, studies show that a diet high in fruits and vegetables, and the micronutrients they provide can improve mental health in children and adolescents. In contrast, diets high in processed foods, sugar, and fat are linked to emotional and behavioral problems. 

Often, children are hesitant to eat foods that will improve their mental health. Our pediatric dietitians can help provide ideas on making these food options tasty and enjoyable. 

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Understanding what a “healthy weight” is for your child can be confusing. Working with a pediatric nutritionist can help you understand your child’s weight and develop a plan for maintaining their weight in a healthy range.

Prevent Chronic Diseases

Teaching children how to eat healthily can set them up for long-term success. Proper eating, starting as a child or teen, can help prevent diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Why Should My Child See a Nutritionist?

In addition to the peace of mind that your child is eating properly, we provide nutrition education to you and your child to set you up for long-term success. We can also help with more complex medical conditions and eating issues.

Food Allergies and Intolerances

If your child has a food allergy or intolerance or is suspected of having one, seeing a pediatric RDN can help you determine the cause and develop a plan for ongoing management.

Digestive Issues

Your child may be eating all the “right” things, but if their digestive tract isn’t working properly, they’re not going to absorb all the nutrients from the food they’re eating. If your child becomes constipated, getting them to go to the bathroom because of the discomfort and pain they experience becomes another challenge. An RDN can help you assess your child’s digestive health and ensure your child is benefiting from the foods they’re eating.

Weight Management

An RDN can help you understand the best measures of health for your child. While there is constant societal pressure to be thin, weight isn’t the only important determinant of health, and restrictive eating and calorie cutting are not always appropriate for children. We can help you understand your child’s weight as part of the whole picture of their health and make appropriate adjustments if needed.

Abnormal Lab Values

If your child has lab values that are outside of the normal range, a pediatric nutritionist can help you figure out what’s going on and what to do about it. Lab values like iron, calcium, glucose, and thyroid function can all be impacted by your child’s nutrition. Connecting the dots between what your child is eating and lab values can help us improve them over time and reduce your child’s risk of developing a chronic disease.

Picky Eaters

Sometimes, picky eating may seem to last longer than you think it should, or you may be wondering if your child has moved from picky eating to an eating disorder.

Maybe you’re tired of the mealtime battles at the table that a picky eater can bring, or you feel lost when it comes to effective ways to introduce new foods to your child. Don’t lose hope – we’re here to help! 

Healthy Meal Planning

Your family is busy! Planning, shopping, and cooking at home can often seem impossible to fit into your busy life. Having meal plans and grocery lists ready to go can relieve the stress of knowing what’s for dinner.

What Can a Nutritionist Do?

A nutritionist examines families’ lifestyles, foods they like (and dislike), and specific health needs and helps you make improvements. They don’t just provide a diet; they provide a nutritional framework that empowers your family to eat healthy, sustainable meals. 

Create Tailored Nutrition Plans

Meal planning is more than just choosing recipes. It’s also about choosing the best ingredients, which can be tricky and time-consuming.

That’s why, when we work as a team with you to develop a meal plan, we not only tailor it to meet your family’s needs but also guide you on reading food labels so you can choose the best ingredients for your family. 

Helps Children Reestablish Their Hunger Cues

Many people struggle to listen to their body’s hunger cues, and children are no different. We can help your child learn what their body feels like when it’s hungry and full so they can choose to eat when they’re experiencing body hunger and stop eating at the appropriate time.

Assists with Food Allergies and Intolerances

A nutritionist can help you understand whether or not your child may have food allergies or intolerances. We work with you to decide if testing is appropriate or, if you’ve already had testing completed, create plans so your child can have meals that won’t aggravate their immune system.

Provides Nutrition Support to Kids with Eating Disorders

If you think your child is dealing with or developing an eating disorder, a nutritionist with specialized training in eating disorders can help your family navigate back to normal eating. If your child is receiving treatment for an eating disorder, we can be the nutrition partner on the treatment team.

Collaborates with Healthcare Professionals

We collaborate with other healthcare professionals, including your pediatrician, as part of your healthcare team. We also accept medical referrals from pediatricians.