Seeing the Dietitian: What to Expect

by | Last updated Jan 3, 2024 | Family Meal Times, Feeding Kids

If you’re like many of our new clients, you probably have NO idea what to expect at your first consultation. Finding the right Dietitian for your child and family is like finding the right family doctor or hairdresser. It’s not a “one size fits all” kinda thing. Even Mums and Dads who have seen a Dietitian previously might find our style and approach unique. We really hope so… in a good way of course!

So here it is in black and white, so that we can be kindred spirits at that first appointment. And if what you read here isn’t quite what you’re looking for, that’s SO OK! We wish you luck in finding the right fit dietitian for you. There are plenty of us out there… so don’t stop looking.

What is our philosophy?

Firstly, your Kids Dig Food Dietitian will ask you to leave any nutrition should have’s, regrets and guilt at the door. We believe in supporting all our client families to build a healthy relationship with food in their own unique way. We use Ellyn Satter’s Division of Responsibility in Feeding as the “foundation” for all the nutrition “work” we do with families. Think of it as the blueprint upon which all your nutrition hopes and dreams for your family can be built. Ultimately, when you have a good foundation, mealtimes become easier.

We walk with families, we don’t “fix” individuals

We use a family approach to nutrition. Humans (usually) don’t eat alone and our eating is influenced by others around us. Regardless of who the appointment was made to support, we will always take a family-based approach. This might mean asking some tricky questions and looking down some interesting rabbit holes, but will always be relevant to the “big picture” of improving nutrition for your family.

We support kids with complex feeding concerns

When you have complex nutrition concerns, we wnat to be able to understand what is going on for you and your child fully and deeply. Expect that we will take time to do that with you. For more complex feeding and eating concerns, we may need to spend 2 or more sessions in “Assessment” phase to really understand the complexities of your situation. We will communicate with you along the way, as we get to know you and your child. After the first few sessions, we will have a planning session where together we map out the supports you need moving forwards. At any time, if you have questions, please do ask your Dietitian. We want you to feel at all times that you know where we are headed.

We value all Bodies

We believe that bodies are meant to come in all shapes and sizes and that weight is a poor predictor of health. We take a non-diet or weight-neutral approach to working with families who are experiencing weight concern. Did you know that a person’s health cannot be measured by their weight alone? We believe that society’s fear of weight gain and “fatness” has paralysed us into striving to uphold impossible food rules that don’t help anyone. We do not prescribe weight loss diets for kids, and we support Mums and Dads to build a healthy relationship with food too.

We support Mums, Dads, kids (read: people) to grow to get the right bodies for them. What this means is that we don’t buy into diet culture that has infiltrated nearly every aspect of our lives and society. The reality is that diets (of any kind) rarely “work”. Even if people are “successful” at losing weight with a dieting program, statistics tell us that most will regain the weight lost plus more within 5 years. It’s why the diet industry is so powerful – they keep getting repeat customers. And most of all, dieting behaviours are THE WORST kind of nutrition “knowledge” we can possibly pass down to our kids.

What we will ask you to do before your appointment?

We ask all new clients to complete a pre-appointment form to help us understand aspects of your child’s history and development, and to find out what prompted you to make the appointment in the first place. You also may be asked to complete a food diary for 4 days. We then use this rich information at your consultations to help us to support you more quickly.

So, what are you waiting for? When are we meeting?

Eat happy!

The Kids Dig Food team

About the Author

green scroll divider lines
Deb Blakley, Accredited Practising Dietitian
Kids Dig Food ®
Deb Blakley, Founder, Director and Lead Accredited Practising Dietitian of Kids Dig Food®, is a Paediatric Dietitian with 25+ years of diverse experience and is recognised for her expertise in providing neurodiversity affirming, weight neutral and trauma-informed care for children with complex needs and their families. Deb is passionate about supporting parents, carers and educators to positively & joyfully connect or reconnect with food & eating and share this with the children in their care.
More articles by the author
image of unhappy kid faceplanting on the sandwich on his plate

Get feeding tips from the
Kids Dig Food team
sent directly to your inbox.

Sign up for our newsletter!

Thanks for signing up!

Optimized with PageSpeed Ninja