Nutrition Services
Provided by Christine St. Ours
Hello and welcome!
My role at Dundalk Pediatrics is to provide health and nutrition education and counseling. My approach is to partner with you to promote your child’s health and well-being. I provide both individual counseling and group classes to promote nutrition and fitness, and to teach children healthy strategies for managing stress. Classes are offered at DPA throughout the year; dates are posted on the DPA Facebook site and our website. You can also call our office to find out what classes are being offered.
Individual Nutrition Counselling
What you can expect when you make an initial nutrition counseling appointment: You will receive a packet in the mail approximately one to two weeks prior to your appointment date. The packet includes questionnaires about your child’s current diet, activity and other food-related behaviors. The first appointment is generally scheduled for 1 hour.
During the first appointment
Your child will have vital signs taken, including: BP, height, weight and waist measurement. We will talk about your child’s current eating and activities. In order to develop an appropriate teaching plan, I will assess what your child already knows about healthy eating and determine what you and your child’s goals are. Basic nutrition concepts are taught to create a foundation we can build on. A personalized, nourishing eating plan will be provided based on your child’s individual needs, as well as recommendations for physical activity.
Follow up appointments
Follow up appointments, based on individual needs, are generally scheduled for 30-45 minutes and may include the following topics:
- Creating a healthy plate
- Nutrient-dense versus energy dense food
- Nutrition label reading skill development
- Physical activity recommendations
- Strategies for eating away from home/shopping/meal preparation
- Other relevant topics