What Questions to Ask a Nutritionist?

Meeting with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist is an excellent first step in working towards your personal health and wellness goals. Registered Dietitians are experts in the field of nutrition and provide a wealth of knowledge when it comes to tailoring your specific needs with an individualized and unique approach. If you have never met with a Dietitian before then you may be wondering about expectations regarding your first session and more importantly specific questions to ask a nutritionist that can assist you in finding the best match for your goals. In this article, we will explore commonly asked nutritionist questions and assist in preparing you for your first session with a Dietitian. 

Meeting with a Dietitian  

Congratulations! You booked your first session with a Dietitian… now what? Meeting with a Dietitian for the first time can seem very intimidating at first. It is important to remember that Dietitians are not the “Food Police.” When you talk to a nutritionist, the provider will work to create a comforting and welcoming space free of judgment so that you can talk as open and freely about nutrition and your goals as possible. 

Dietitians work one on one with patients in order to learn more about your current lifestyle, dietary preferences, past or current barriers to nutrition, and short and long term goals. Dietitians tailor recommendations to be individualized and unique to every single patient they see. 

A huge component when working with a Dietitian is collaboration. A Dietitian works with you to build a plan that is not only realistic but sustainable to meet your current needs. You as the patient are the driver of change and the Dietitian is ultimately your co-pilot to help guide and navigate you on your journey with better nutrition habits. While you may have many nutrition questions to ask in session one, it is important to be aware of expectations in the first appointment. 

What to Expect at First Nutritionist Appointment? 

As the patient, it is to be expected that you will likely have many questions about diets, questions about food and nutrition, and lots of dietitian questions to be answered. Rest assured, these questions will be answered if not in the first session then subsequent follow up appointments in weekly meetings with your Dietitian. 

During an initial consultation with a Dietitian, the Dietitian will likely be asking many of their own questions to garner a better understanding of the type of nutrition counseling you are seeking for your goals. In your first appointment, the Dietitian will be asking questions such as: 

• Have you ever worked with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist before? If so, how was the experience? 
• Can you tell me more about what brings you in to work with a Dietitian? 
• What are some past or current challenges with nutrition that you have been working on or thinking about making? 
• What is a typical day of nutrition like for you at home vs at work? 
• How do you define success and progress? Is there a certain method you prefer for learning and implementing new goals and habits? 

In addition to the above questions, the Dietitian will also be looking for more detailed information on current medical history, medication and supplement usage, learning more about members on your care team as well as diving deeper into any symptoms you may currently be experiencing. Your Dietitian will also look to answer questions regarding appetite, digestion, and bowel habits. Additionally, the Dietitian will ask questions regarding your level of activity and movement routine. 

The first appointment with a Dietitian is really about information gathering and rapport building between the patient and the Dietitian. The first session is a wonderful time to establish expectations regarding short and long term goals and learn more about your Dietitian’s approach to care. 

After the initial session with a Dietitian, you will likely be starting to think about goals and next steps which will lead to your own questions about diet and nutritional questions to be answered in the follow up meetings. 

Questions to Ask About Nutrition? 

Below is a list of common questions about nutrition to think about as the patient and potential questions to ask about food that may be helpful to ask your Dietitian during your follow up sessions. Asking questions and staying curious during sessions with your Dietitian is a great way to continue collaborating with the provider to ensure all of your needs are being met in relation to progress towards your goals.  

1. Are there certain types of foods I should focus on to better meet my needs and health goals? 
2. Do you recommend any meal planning resources for planning meals when traveling or during busy weeks at home or work? 
3. How can I create a balanced meal plan?
4. Are there specific nutrients that are important for my health and current medical diagnosis? 
5. What are some strategies for grocery shopping that I can utilize? 
6. Can you help me better understand what to look for when reading nutrition facts labels? 
7. How can I better manage food cravings and emotional eating when I feel stressed? 
8. Do you recommend any supplements that may benefit my overall health? 
9. How much fluid should I be drinking to meet my needs? 
10. Are there certain dietary habits that may improve my energy or sleep quality? 
11. Are there certain foods that can improve my digestion and gut health? 
12. What are ways that I can better balance and manage my blood sugars? 

While the above is not an extensive list of questions, it can help you get started during your initial sessions with your Dietitian. 

Questions to Ask a Dietitian

In addition to the questions regarding nutrition listed above, you may also have specific questions for your Dietitian to be answered either during the initial consultation or follow up appointments to ensure you find a provider that is the best match for your goals. Below are questions to ask your nutritionist. 

1. What are your thoughts on popular diets or trends in social media currently? 
2. As a provider, do you focus on weight loss, a weight neutral approach, or health at every size (HAES)? 
3. Do you have experience working with my particular condition or diagnosis? 
4. What are some of your approaches to sustainable lifestyle changes? 
5. What are ways that you define, track, or measure success with your patients? 
6. Is there a diet or approach or certain nutrients that you often recommend for my diagnosis and goals? 
7. What kind of populations or diagnosis do you most often work with? 
8. If I am struggling to meet goals, what are some of your strategies for motivation and accountability? 
9. Can you assist me in planning meals with my current lifestyle and dietary preferences? 

These are just a few of the questions that may be helpful to ask a Dietitian when getting to know your provider and starting your nutrition journey. 

Questions about Diets 

In addition to getting to know more about your provider and general nutrition questions listed above, you may also want to consider more specific questions to ask about food and questions about diet to further guide your sessions with the Dietitian. Please keep in mind, there is no such thing as good nutrition questions or bad questions to be asked as each session is uniquely specific to you and your needs. However, you may consider the following questions when thinking about your next session and goals. 

1. Should I be following a particular diet for my diagnosis? (ex: Mediterranean, Low FODMAP, High Fiber, etc.) 
2. What is the current research on “XYZ” diet that may be beneficial for me to know? 
3. Is this diet suitable for my needs and sustainable for my lifestyle? How can I implement this diet approach when traveling? 
4. What are macronutrients? What are micronutrients? Should I be paying attention to specific numbers at this time? 
5. What kind of tools or resources can I use for portion sizes? 
6. Do you have suggestions on ways that I can better manage my appetite, hunger, and fullness cues while following this diet? 
7. What are ways that I can increase fruits and vegetables while making these dietary changes? 
8. My doctor recommended the “XYZ” diet, can you tell me more about this approach and if you think it would be beneficial? 

Questions About Diet for Weight Management: 

1. What are good and bad foods for weight loss?
2. Do I have to give up sugar?
3. I do not eat meat – can I reach my protein needs without animal based proteins?
4. What are my macros, and do I need to start tracking my food?
5. Can you tell me more about evidence based research regarding weight loss medications?
6. How will I know I am losing weight?
7. I am usually not hungry for breakfast – will this delay my weight loss goal?
8. I cook for multiple people and we all have different food preferences – can you help me create ideas that everyone will like and still fits my goals? 
9. How can you help with unintentional weight loss? 
10. I am unsure if I am at the right weight – can you help me determine what that might be for me? 

Questions For Nutrition about Gastrointestinal Issues: 

1. Is it normal for me to have these symptoms – gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting, cramping, pain or indigestion?
   2. I have not been diagnosed with a condition but I have the above symptoms – do you have any recommendations on how to seek treatment or diagnosis? 
2. What does bloating feel like and how do I know if I should be concerned? 
3. I find I can not tolerate xyz foods – can you help me create a plan to avoid or eliminate these foods to help with symptoms?
4. How often should I be using the bathroom? 
5. I have been tested and diagnosed with xyz conditions- can you help me manage my symptoms?

Some common GI conditions include:

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• Irritable Bowel Disease – Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn’s Disease
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)  
• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
• Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) 
• Diverticulitis 
• Gastroparesis 

Questions about Mindful Eating or Intuitive Eating: 

1. How do I know if I am eating enough to nourish my body?
2. Is intuitive eating letting myself eat whatever I want, whenever I want? Or is there more you can teach me about in regards to that? 
3. Am I eating too quickly or too slowly?
4. How do I increase my awareness of hunger and fullness cues specific for me?
5. My emotions sometimes push me towards sweets and desserts – is this normal, and can you help me find a way that I can better find a copy mechanism besides food? 
6. Can you help me build up my body image?
7. I have always tried to follow diets – can you help me break away from diet culture and help me learn more about what is evidence based nutrition recommendations? 
8. Can you help me control my cravings for specific foods? Can you help me control my sweet tooth? 

Questions About Eating Disorders or Disordered Eating: 

1. How do I know if I may be struggling with my relationship with food?
2. Is there a difference between an eating disorder and disordered eating?
3. What does a dietitian play a role in eating disorder recovery? 
4. Will you help me evaluate my recent  lab results and assist with my nutrition plan?
5. I am currently seeing a therapist- will you plan to connect with them?
6. What type of treatments do you offer for help with my eating disorder? 
7. How do I know if I am appropriate for outpatient treatment? 
8. I am always thinking about food – does this mean I have an eating disorder? 

Conclusions 

As you can see, establishing care with a Registered Dietitian is extremely beneficial when working through these more specific nutritional questions as a Dietitian can help you to better understand which approach is best for you and your goals. 

It is important to remember that there is no one perfect diet to follow and working with a Registered Dietitian is the best way to create sustainable habits that are individualized to your specific needs. In preparing for your first session with a Dietitian, you will now be equipped with several nutritionist questions to be asked and answered.  Please remember, it is key to be open to the process, collaborate with the Dietitian, and most importantly, be excited as this is the start of your nutrition journey. If you are interested in learning more and getting started on sustainable lifestyle changes then please consider setting up a consultation with a Registered Dietitian from Health Loft.