What Do Registered Dietitians and Nutritionists Do?

A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist is a food and nutrition expert and part of a medical team. Registered dietitians have completed a master’s degree, a supervised practice internship, and passed a national exam that provides their certification. Their education focuses on understanding food and how it impacts the body and health. 

Many dietitians have advanced training in diabetes, cardiovascular health, kidney disease, gastrointestinal conditions, functional medicine, or other specialized areas. 

Registered dietitians teach their clients about how healthy eating affects their overall health. They will work with clients to create meal plans and provide suggestions for making more nutritious choices in their daily lives. Dietitians offer Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT). MNT is for those with medical conditions such as diabetes or kidney disease and for the prevention of chronic disease. 

Some of the places dietitians work include doctors’ offices, hospitals, or private practice. Nutrition services a dietitian provides are often covered by insurance and may require a referral from the patient’s primary care provider. More information about insurance coverage is included below.

The term “nutritionist” is a general term that anyone can use regardless of the extent of their nutrition training. Services provided by a nutritionist are generally not covered by insurance. 

Reasons to See a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Registered dietitians provide individual counseling to help clients achieve their health goals. Here are just a few ways a registered dietitian can help.

• Food Allergy and Food Sensitivity Testing: Help identify foods that may be causing inflammation or gastrointestinal or other symptoms. 
• Digestive Issues: Uncover the reason behind digestive problems, including gas, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation. Dietitians also work with those who have IBS, IBD, Celiac, and Crohn’s Disease.
• Weight Management: Assist with setting appropriate weight management goals and developing and adjusting meal plans to achieve those goals.
• Abnormal Lab Values: Develop plans to address abnormal lab values such as low nutrient levels or abnormal blood sugar values. 
• Mood Disorders: Identify foods that can be added to meals or limited in the diet to help improve mood.
• Women’s Health: Address any food-related issues that may impact fertility, including assisting those during pregnancy or dealing with PCOS 
• Eating disorders and disordered eating: Help those with eating disorders or disordered eating with their recovery journey.
• Meal planning: Provide meal plans that include the patient’s likes and dislikes and are appropriate for the client’s cooking experience; teach the patient how to meal plan so they can be self-sufficient in the future.
• Athletic performance: Work with athletes to help them fuel for their training and competitive events.
• Improve Current Healthy Eating Habits: Fine-tune eating habits to optimize health and prevent chronic disease. 

Does Medical Nutrition Therapy and Nutrition Counseling Work?

The benefits of MNT and nutrition counseling have been thoroughly researched and shown to improve health outcomes for those with chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular, and kidney disease, as well as preventing the development of chronic diseases. Dietitians help their clients manage the food and nutrition-related aspects of their disease.

What Happens During Nutrition Counseling?

Dietitians are also experts at helping their clients set and prioritize their goals and make mindful food choices that help them achieve their goals. 

When a dietitian starts working with a new client, they begin by completing a thorough assessment that includes information about the patient’s goals, health conditions, family history, eating patterns, food likes and dislikes, cultural needs, and any other considerations that impact their health and eating. Other factors, such as physical activity, stress management, and sleep, are also addressed. 

The registered dietitian and patient work together to establish short and long-term goals. The dietitian then creates personalized nutrition plans designed to improve the client’s health and well-being while helping them achieve their long-term goals.

During the nutrition counseling sessions, the dietitian explains the basics of good nutrition and how to apply them to improve the client’s eating. This helps their patients understand the “why” behind the recommendations and plans. 

Do You Need a Referral to See a Registered Dietitian or Nutritionist?

Many patients’ insurance companies partially of fully cover visits to a registered dietitian. Sometimes, a referral from a doctor is required. You can check your insurance company’s website or call the member service number to learn if your insurance provider covers nutrition counseling. 

If seeing a dietitian is not included in your insurance coverage, you can still self-refer and pay out of pocket.

A nutritionist referral is not required because most insurance companies do not cover visits with nutritionists. Patients can self-refer and pay out of pocket.

How to Get a Dietitian Referral?

To get a referral to see a dietitian, the patient should discuss their needs with their primary care physician. If the patient sees a dietitian in private practice, the dietitian or their website can provide information about the referral process. 

What to Expect at Your First Dietitian Appointment

During the patient’s first visit, the dietitian will review any completed pre-appointment forms. They will then discuss the patient’s health history, food habits, and nutrition needs. The patient and dietitian will discuss short and long-term goals.

The goal of this first appointment is for the dietitian to gather enough information to develop a clear plan of action for the patient to achieve their goals and to provide the best initial dietary recommendations for the client. Some dietitians will provide a meal plan for the patient to follow until their next appointment.

The first appointment usually lasts 60 to 90 minutes.  Follow-up appointments are set as needed to check in on goal progress, and to provide nutritional guidance and education.