What Do Dietitians Do?

Nutrition and fitness are two key pillars of a healthier lifestyle. Joining a gym starts your health journey, but it’s important to take that extra step to include nutritious foods in your daily life. A dietitian can help you navigate the quagmire of fad diet trends to find what works for your lifestyle and overall health goals. But what does a dietitian do?

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What Is a Dietitian?

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of nutrition advice and diet crazes. A dietitian is a trained expert in nutrition and diet. While their role centers around finding the right foods for your weight loss goals, they won’t suggest a flashy name-brand diet like Paleo or the DASH diet. Instead, dietitians offer a more personalized experience.

True dietitians have a master’s degree and have passed a national exam, earning them the registered dietitian (RD) title. To stay on top of the ever-evolving nature of nutrition, dietitians complete 75 hours of continuing education credits every five years.

What Can a Dietitian Do for Me?

Registered dietitians work with clients one-on-one. They examine your current diet and help you find healthier choices per your food preferences, budget and any health conditions you struggle with. They can also help you in other important ways:

• Answer questions about food or nutrient needs
• Design meal plans
• Help manage conditions that impact diet, such as diabetes and Crohn’s disease
• Provide food ideas and recipes

Why Should I See a Dietitian?

Food is essential to our existence. Yet, many people have a poor relationship with what they eat. Dietitians are not the food police. Instead, they use their expertise to help clients find healthier choices.

Here are just a few reasons why you should see a dietician:

• You wish to shed unwanted pounds.
• You want to fuel your athletic performance.
• You have a chronic condition like high cholesterol, diabetes or high blood pressure.
• You struggle with digestive issues like stomachaches, gas or heartburn.
• You’re always hungry.
• You’re never hungry.
• You have food allergies or sensitivities.
• You need help with meal planning.

What to Expect When Seeing a Dietician

Dietitians are nutrition professionals who want to help you — not judge you. At your first meeting, you can expect many questions about your eating habits and patterns. These specific details enable your dietician to give you personal and practical information you can use.

In this partnership, the goal is to offer knowledge and skills so that you can make the most out of your food choices. Your dietician can turn the information you provide into actionable steps that work for your lifestyle, including:

• Sample meal plans.
• Healthy portion sizes.
• Wholesome recipes.
• Grocery shopping list templates.

Schedule an Appointment With Our Registered Dietitian

If you’re wondering when to see a dietitian, there’s no time like the present. Schedule your appointment with our registered dietitian at 5 Bridges Health & Fitness. We work with people from all walks of life to help you meet your health and nutrition goals.