Our pediatric dietitians can support your family's unique needs, helping your little ones grow strong, healthy, and happy through evidence-based, compassionate care.
It was so easy to find and meet with my dietitian. After just two sessions I am already feeling such a huge difference in my energy, mood and performance in the gym. Thank you Online Nutrition!
Feeding children can be hard, and it is common for families and caregivers to want or need expert support to ensure their child is able to eat all the food and drink that they need for their growth and development.
A pediatric dietitian, with their specialized knowledge and skills, can be a great resource and partner in fostering healthy eating habits in your child.
We'll explore the role of a pediatric dietitian, how they can help your child, and how to find the right professional for your family's needs.
Pediatric dietitians play a pivotal role in helping children develop healthier eating habits from an early age. Their guidance can help promote the growth and development of the child as well as confidence for caregivers and parents through supportive nutrition counselling.
Children's eating behaviours and nutritional needs change substantially as they grow and develop from infants, to toddlers, to pre-school children, school-aged children and adolescents. Pediatric dietitians provide support and guidance aimed to help caregivers successfully feed their kiddos through the different stages as they grow.
From infancy to adolescence, dietitians can help guide parents on various topics including: division of responsibility, food environment, food safety, healthy eating habits and manners, menu planning, and where needed, nutritional plans to accommodate growth spurts, activity levels, and developmental milestones.
Pediatric dietitians have specialized training in the unique nutritional needs of children, which makes them well-equipped to offer expert guidance on a variety of topics, from breastfeeding and lactation support, introducing solid foods, and managing food allergies and intolerances.
Pediatric dietitians can offer guidance on breastfeeding and formula feeding, as well as appropriate timing for introducing solid foods (also called complementary feeding) according to developmental readiness, which food and drink to start with and when, and how to assess for tolerance.
If you are caring for a child with a food allergy or intolerance, a pediatric dietitian can help you navigate the challenges of creating a balanced and enjoyable diet or meal plan while avoiding allergens. They can also provide guidance on identifying allergens, reading food labels, organizing your kitchen, and creating a nutrition care plan that meet your child's nutritional needs.
For children with special needs, diseases or conditions, a pediatric dietitian can provide tailored nutrition guidance to address specific challenges, including difficulty swallowing, limited food preferences, or medication interactions.
As children enter their teenage years, they experience rapid growth (puberty), increased energy needs, hormonal changes, and increasing awareness of body image.
A pediatric dietitian will engage with adolescents along with their families with a focus on energy, vitality, feeling good, and the adolescent's self-identified goals.
Pediatric dietitians can have a positive and lasting impact on children's health and well-being, setting the foundation for lifelong healthier eating habits. Some long-term benefits include:
Prevention of chronic diseases: establishing healthy eating habits early in life can reduce the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions later in life.
Improved mental health: a balanced diet and healthy relationship with food can positively impact children's mental health, including their mood, cognitive function, and overall well-being.
Stronger immune system: good nutrition can help boost children's immune systems, helping them fight off infections and illnesses more effectively.
Promoting a healthy relationship with food: balanced and flexible eating habits and a positive relationship with food to last throughout their life.
Pediatric dietitians help babies, children, and adolescents meet their nutrition needs. They work closely with families and other healthcare providers wherever nutrition can play a supportive role to promote growth, development and overall health. Pediatric dietitians play an important role as a member of the medical team in treatment of allergies, nutrient deficiencies, food aversions and picky eating, and other medical conditions.
Pediatric dietitians can offer a wide range of support to parents to help you meet your child's nutritional needs, including:
Helping parents navigate mealtimes including what to do and say to support your child as they are building their relationship with food.
Addressing picky eating through food exposure activities and guidance for parents.
Monitoring growth and development, ensuring your child is meeting age-appropriate milestones while addressing any sensory, behavioural, or mechanical concerns that may arise.
Conducting nutrition assessments to evaluate your child's dietary intake, identifying any possible nutrient deficiencies or imbalances and recommending adjustments to promote optimal health.
Meal planning for specialized diets including food allergies and intolerances.
Finding the right pediatric dietitian for your child involves a few key steps:
Ask for recommendations: Start by asking your child's pediatrician, other healthcare providers, or friends and family members for recommendations.
Verify credentials: Ensure that the dietitian is a registered dietitian (RD) or registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) and has specialized training in pediatric nutrition.
Research their experience and expertise: Look for a pediatric dietitian who has experience with your child's specific needs, such as food allergies, special diets, or medical conditions.
Consider location and availability: Decide whether you prefer a dietitian who is local or one who offers remote consultations via telehealth. Also, consider their availability and whether their schedule aligns with yours.
Schedule an initial consultation: Once you've narrowed down your options, schedule an initial consultation to discuss your child's needs and determine if the dietitian is a good fit for your family.
In Canada, there is sometimes a difference between the terms Dietitian and nutritionist. While both titles can be use interchangeably in some provinces, this is not the case in others.
The title ‘Dietitian’ is protected by law across Canada in every province. The term ‘nutritionist’ however, is only a protected title in Alberta, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
Only nutrition professionals who are regulated and have protected titles have a legal scope of practice which includes: providing individualized nutrition counselling, medical nutrition therapy, and nutrition education to individuals with specific health concerns.
That said, while the term "nutritionist" is sometimes used on this website, it is important to note that we only work with licensed Registered Dietitians in good standing with their provincial regulatory bodies. That means you can be assured that all of our partners providing nutrition counselling meet the education and ethical standards set by all of the provincial regulatory bodies across Canada.
We strongly recommend that you consult with a Registered Dietitian (or other recognized healthcare professional such as a doctor) when you are considering making any significant dietary changes.
Rest assured that on Online Nutrition, every nutrition professional is vetted to confirm they are a Registered Dietitian in good standing with their provincial regulatory body.
Individuals report feeling more confident in their food choices after working with a registered dietitian.
4 out of 5 Canadian adults possess a chronic disease risk factor, such as smoking, inactivity, poor diet, or alcohol misuse.
2.7M Canadians with diabetes benefit more from dietitian-led interventions than non-dietitian ones, as evidenced by lower A1C levels.
It was so easy to find and meet with my dietitian. After just two sessions I am already feeling such a huge difference in my energy, mood and performance in the gym. Thank you Online Nutrition!
