At your first visit, the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) will learn from you what you would like to focus on in the nutrition counseling sessions. The RDN will learn about the experiences you’ve had with health and nutrition in the past as well as your vision for your future. You can work together to set nutrition goals and create strategies, ask any questions you may have, or if you are completely unsure, your RDN will guide you through the session.

Registered Dietitians Nutritionists are the nutrition experts. The term “nutritionist” is used loosely compared with Registered Dietitians Nutritionists who are required to have a degree in nutrition and complete a nutrition residency program providing them with years of nutrition experience and expertise.

We recommend one hour for the first appointment. If you do not have quite that much time, just let your Registered Dietitian Nutritionist know at the start of your appointment.

Family Food makes scheduling an appointment easy – we come directly to you! Your Family Food Registered Dietitian can meet you at any location that is convenient for you: home, virtually, office, coffee shop, library, etc.

Insurance plans can vary on their coverage of nutrition counseling. Check with your Dietitian at the start of your visit for more information on how many visits will be covered.

Yes! You are more than welcome to bring a spouse or other family member to the nutrition counseling appointment with you so they can receive the nutrition information as well. However, we limit this to family members and those under the same household. If you have a friend interested in their own appointment, we would be happy to meet with them as well in a separate visit.

• • You have diabetes, cardiovascular problems or high blood pressure. A Family Food Registered Dietitian serves as an integral part of your health care team by helping you safely change your eating plan without compromising taste or nutrition.
  • You are thinking of having or have had gastric bypass surgery. Since your stomach can only manage small servings, it’s a challenge to get the right amount of nutrients in your body. A Family Food Registered Dietitian will work with you and your physician to develop an eating plan for your new needs
  • You have digestive problems. A Family Food Registered Dietitian will work with your physician to help fine-tune your diet so you are not aggravating your condition with fried foods, too much caffeine or carbonation.
  • You’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant. A Family Food Registered Dietitian can help make sure you get nutrients like folate, especially during the first three months of pregnancy, lowering your newborn’s risk for neural tube or spinal cord defects.
  • You have a food sensitivity or allergy. A Family Food Registered Dietitian will help you identify which ingredients and foods you should avoid and which foods are still safe for you to eat and enjoy.
  • You are concerned about your child or teenagers’ eating and health. A Family Food Registered Dietitian can advise you on getting your child to eat healthfully.
  • You need to gain or lose weight. A Family Food Registered Dietitian can suggest additional calorie sources for healthy weight gain or a restricted-calorie eating plan plus regular physical activity for weight loss while allowing you to still eat all your favorite foods.
  • You’re caring for an aging parent. A Family Food Registered Dietitian can help with food or drug interaction, proper hydration, special diets for hypertension and changing taste buds for aging parents.
  • You want to eat smarter. A Family Food Registered Dietitian can help you sort through misinformation; learn how to read labels at the supermarket; discover that healthy cooking is inexpensive; and learn how to eat out without ruining your eating plan and how to resist workplace temptations.
  • You want to improve your performance in sports. A Family Food Registered Dietitian can help you set goals to achieve results — whether you’re running a marathon, skiing or jogging with your dog.