4 Myths About Working with a Dietitian

Written by: Mairead, Registered Dietitian

Not everyone knows what it’s like to work with a Registered Dietitian. Not knowing what to expect from an experience can make it harder to reach out, even if you know you would benefit!

Let’s break down a few myths about working with a dietitian so you know what to expect and decide if it’s right for you!

Myth #1: You’re going to be told to only eat rabbit food.

While most people can benefit from increasing how much vegetables and fruit they eat, we can’t live on them alone. The phrase “rabbit food” also usually comes across as pretty restrictive – we’re aiming to make changes you can maintain for the long term, so they can’t be overly restrictive. If you need to work on vegetables and fruit, we’ll be focusing on ways to include them that will you actually enjoy.

Myth #2: You have to make nutrition the main priority all the time.

At Degree, we’re very realistic about the fact that your health and fitness goals are one piece of your life, and meant to enhance the rest of your life, and won’t be the main priority all the time. When we’re focusing on nutrition goals, we’ll find ways to make healthier choices that fit with the rest of your life, whether that means as part of family meals, on the go, or traveling often. There’s always options to be found that won’t take away from the rest of your life.

Myth #3: You’ll be following a strict meal plan.

Meal plans can often be a great source of ideas when you’re looking to improve or change up your diet. But most people can’t follow a strict meal plan day-in and day-out – life gets in the way (see Myth #2) and sometimes plans change. At Degree, we focus on setting actionable nutrition goals that will improve your health, and come up with ways to meet them that can be adapted to different situations. It’s way easier to stay consistent if your goal is to eat a half plate of veggies at lunch most days than it is if the goal is to eat 2 cups of broccoli at lunch every Tuesday.

Myth #4: You’ll have to give up your favourite foods.

We’re not giving up favourite foods. The only foods you absolutely have to cut out are ones that you are allergic to or have another serious condition that means you absolutely can’t have them ever. For everyone else and every other food, we can still keep your favourite foods in your diet. What we may need to figure out is how much of those foods will be satisfying without compromising your health goals, and that part is going to vary person to person. No blanket statement restrictions around here!

Do you have other questions about working with a dietitian? Let’s chat!

Email [email protected] for more information about our Nutrition Programs or CLICK HERE to book your FREE Bite-Sized Nutrition Chat!