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Engaging Nutrition Activities for Groups and Events

The opportunity to share your expertise with a group can be both exciting and create apprehension. What will I present about? How will I keep the group engaged? Do I have time to put the needed resources together?

From corporate/workplace wellness, schools, community groups, health fairs and events, registered dietitians provide group nutrition education in many settings.

This article provides tips and resource recommendations for group nutrition education. From links to presentations, activity guides and complete toolkits, you’ll find inspiration and confidence for your next group event.

Nutrition Presentations for Groups

Getting asked to speak to a group about nutrition means creating an outline for your presentation as well as pulling together resources.

Before choosing a topic or creating content, take time to gather information.

Will you have access to audio visual equipment? What types of activities or topics have been successful with this group before? What is the age and demographics of the group?

Gathering information about the audience will help you to create a presentation that is valuable and relevant.

If you do utilize a slide-based presentation, build in interactive elements.

• Use a quiz to ask the audience their thoughts before covering a specific topic.
• Consider creating a worksheet that attendees complete during the presentation with key points and their takeaways.
• Include stories or other real-world examples that help to keep the topic relevant.

Instant Download Presentations on RD2RD

There are many presentations available from RD2RD. These “done-for-you” tools can be used as is, or modified to fit your specific needs. Many include interactive elements.

Browse all presentations for even more options to fit your needs.

Cover the basics of nutrition with a Nutrition 101-style presentation. This modifiable 17-slide presentation includes essential nutrients as well as how to identify reputable information. It includes a goal sheet to help attendees set intentions during the presentation.

For a more comprehensive look at nutrition that would be well suited for a health-conscious group, consider Beyond Broccoli: Best Foods for Health presentation. It includes details about the new food label, gluten and more.

Is your audience keen to learn basics of meal planning and meal prep to save both time and money? Introduce the basics and more with this 64-slide presentation, Getting Started with Meal Planning and Meal Prep. Also a great tool if you offer paid meal plans to communicate the value of the service.

Take a deep dive into the topic of reading food labels. The current food label and claims made on packaging are complex. This 55-slide presentation, Nutrition Labeling: What You Really Need to Know, dispels myths and provides clear information to understand the food label and use it effectively for informed choices.

Looking for a trendy topic? What’s the Big Deal About Gluten is a 38-slide presentation that also includes a quiz to go over with attendees to ensure understanding of key concepts. For a highly visually appealing presentation, this 16-slide presentation, Gluten Friend or Foe is a perfect fit.

For a fitness focused group, this 30-slide general nutrition presentation, Nutrition Basics for Peak Performance covers the essentials. If you want to go beyond nutrition and utilize your fitness credential, the Fitness Myths and Training Truths is engaging, interactive and includes a comprehensive presenter’s guide.

Need a basic presentation about pediatric nutrition? Balanced Eating for Children and Nutrient Needs for Growth is a 33-slide presentation that discusses portion sizes, cutting back on sugar as well as nutrient deficiencies and supplements.

Schools and Community Groups

An engaging, learning activity for children can provide valuable nutrition education. Using a hands-on approach with an age-appropriate concept is key to success.

There are many ready-made tools and guides available. You don’t need to develop your own curriculum from scratch. Browse the resources available and choose a tool suited to the age and location of your event.

Preschool and Young Children

The Kid’s Corner is part of Nutrition.gov, a USDA-sponsored website. You’ll find an array of credible resources as well as activity ideas and downloads. Some excellent options are food critic and grocery store bingo.

For a family-friendly activity, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has the Go, Slow, Whoa curriculum. It focuses on helping families recognize foods that are better choices for a healthy body. A complete 70 minute activity with handouts, songs and activities is included.

Even a simple coloring page for young children can be a valuable tool to engage and talk about good for my body nutrients.

These printable characters of fruits and vegetables ABCs are also an excellent teaching tool. From playing a simple game of identifying letters and colors to naming the pictured food, these visually-appealing printables provide a variety of options for nutrition activities. Also available as posters.

Engage in a discussion about the five senses with this worksheet. Use a small assortment of foods and help kids make guesses about foods using sensory elements such as taste, smell and vision. Use blindfold or boxes to make this activity have even more appeal for curious young minds.

For Elementary and Middle School Aged Children

For some inspiration for fun events and activities, the Food and Nutrition Service of the USDA has a booklet of ideas. From a food scavenger hunt to a cooking competition, this booklet contains ideas and printable resources needed for the event.

The Eat Like a Superhero toolkit teaches kids to power their bodies with healthy choices. This comprehensive 35-page education kit includes all the tools you need from table tents to handouts and food picture cards.

Looking for a garden-friendly activity for use at school or farmer’s market? This Children’s Harvest activity includes 8 different vegetables, fruits and herbs. The focus is on nutrients each provides, taste, smell and how each can be used in recipes.

Teach kids and parents how to pack a healthy lunch with Lunchbox Lessons. This activity is perfect for groups that require a kid-friendly activity. Kids get involved with cutting and pasting items to create a healthy lunchbox. The included lunchbox checklist is a perfect takeaway for parents.

For a creative approach, this doodle note combines education with an artistic element. Teach about the various edible parts of a plant while kids color the parts according to the lesson. Includes discussion points as well as an answer key.

For middle-schoolers (5-6^th grade), these nutrient knowledge flash cards can be a great classroom activity. Pair kids up or work in small groups to get the entire class participating.

High-School Aged

Tackle the topic of sugar-sweetened beverages. This Sugar Wars, Become a Sugar Jedi toolkit helps kids discover the amount of sugar in commonly consumed drinks. The education kit includes vocabulary cards, drink labels, estimation, calculation, and graphing activities. It also features a bonus, matching game.

Teach the 6 classes of nutrients with a twist. This doodle note allows learners to individualize their experience while gaining understanding of how nutrients work in the body. This doodle approach is a good fit for both kids and adults.

Sports Nutrition For the Student Athlete is a 25-slide presentation ideal for those that want to learn to fuel for the big game. Includes an icebreaker and is designed to foster conversation and questions, but also have a structure for learning. A handout is available to provide to students.

Community Events & Health Fairs

If you’ve decided to participate with a table or booth at a local event, including a nutrition activity is a smart choice. It draws traffic to your business and creates a fun environment to spark conversation and create potential leads.

Choose an activity that resonates with the target audience. From a cooking demo to an interactive, build a balanced plate display or guess the portion size, choose an activity that will appeal to attendees and match your expertise.

Be sure to have a convenient way for attendees to sign-up to receive more information from you after the event. This could be as simple as a paper signup sheet to receive your newsletter or a tablet for electronic entry.

This comprehensive Health Fair Toolkit includes all the tools you need for a successful table and event. Includes a test your knowledge activity to engage attendees. From a tip sheet to a supply checklist and email list signup sheet, you’ll be confident and organized.

Use this Visual Guide to Portion Sizes to engage attendees in conversation about making healthy choices. Have food and/or food labels available to use as part of the discussion.

Focus on encouraging plant-based nutrition with this visually appealing 2-page resource. Help attendees understand how to create a balanced plate with the Balance Your Plant-Based Diet Mini-Guide.

Use the Build a Healthy Salad resource to help attendees create well-balanced salad when using a salad bar. Pair with the Healthy Sandwich Tips and Recipes for a workplace lunch focus.

Summary

Group event and activities are an important way that Registered Dietitians communicate nutrition messages. It also is an excellent way to demonstrate our expertise.

RD2RD features a wide-variety of nutrition resources. Choose a done for you presentation, toolkit or use available tools to customize to meet your needs.

Learn more about RD2RD and how you could sell your client tools. Create your store and list products for free! Apply to be a vendor.

Be sure to grab a copy of my FREE e-book, “Leveraging Digital Goods: More Money, More Business” with a BONUS getting started checklist.  Enter your email below!

Choosing a Meal Planning Tool for Your Private Practice

Can you give me a meal plan? If you’re like most registered dietitians, you’re asked to provide meal plans by your clients. Of course, it’s friends and family, too!

This article features insight from RDs that use custom meal planning tools in their practice. They share why they chose the tool, how they monetize the meal plans, and what they’ve learned along the way.

Why Offer Meal Plans?

The truth is that clients often seek out our expertise with the goal that we will tell them what to eat. At a minimum, they want ample suggestions for recipes and meals.

However, meal plans are time consuming to create. Not to mention, balancing food allergies, preferences and nutrient prescriptions makes creating custom meal plans difficult.

Meal planning tools for professionals offer a solution. They streamline the process of creating meal plans by providing access to a database of recipes and tools like grocery lists to share with clients.

Having easy access to generating custom meal plans can add value for your clients as well as your business.

However, navigating the options can be difficult.  From the ability to customize plans based on lists of allergies and food preferences, to macronutrient prescriptions and available recipe nutrient analysis, it can feel dizzying when considering the options.

While a product demo and trial are valuable for making your decision, hearing insight from real users offers value you can’t obtain from the product’s website.

What About Teaching Meal Planning?

One common objection to providing meal plans is that clients don’t learn skills needed to independently plan meals.

However, from the insight provided, you will see that meal plans are a teaching tool. Clients struggle with where and how to get started. A structured tool can help them on their journey.

Recipe ideas provide a tangible example of how to incorporate more vegetables, or create a satisfying meal without an allergen.

A meal plan can provide insight on portion sizes and frequency of consuming specific foods or groups of foods.

As nutrition experts it’s easy to take our knowledge for granted. We forget how complex the task of choosing foods and planning meals can feel for clients.

Meal plans are a tool in our toolbox of resources to help our clients. 

Meet the Experts:

Amanda Sauceda, MS, RDN, CLT is a private practice owner specializing in food allergies/sensitivities and utilizes Living Plate Rx meal plans.

Natalia Stasenko, MS, RDN is virtual practice owner and online course creator specializing in feeding and pediatric nutrition.  She uses Meal Garden for meal plans.

Basheerah Enahora, MBA, MS, RDN, LDN is a private practice owner specializing in mindful and holistic nutrition for women. She utilizes Living Plate Rx meal plans.

Sarah Marjoram, MS, RDN, LD leads a digital content creation agency consulting with brands and businesses in the nutrition industry. She utilizes Living Plate Rx meal plans.

Melissa Groves, RDN, LD is a virtual (and in-person) practice owner specializing in PCOS and fertility. She utilizes That Clean Life and Living Plate Rx meal plans.

Chloe Schweinshaut RD, LDN, CLT is a private practice owner specializing in family friendly nutrition with a whole food and holistic approach. She utilizes That Clean Life for meal plans.

Theresa Montmorency MS, RDN is a consultant for gym. She utilizes EatLove meal plans.

Jenna Gorham, RD, LN works with food and wellness brands and offers Living Plate Rx meal plans.

Leanne Ray, MS, RDN is a virtual practice owner specializing in practical nutrition for busy professionals and utilizes Living Plate Rx meal plans.

Meal Planning Tools Utilized by Experts:

That Clean Life

Living Plate

EatLove

Meal Garden

Meal Planning Tool Interviews:

What meal planning tool do you currently use for your clients and how long have you been utilizing it? What (if any) other options did you consider?

Amanda Sauceda: I am currently using Living Plate Rx and have been using it in practice for over year.  Living Plate stood out to me compared to other programs out there is the fact their meal plans are created by a dietitian and not computer generated. This was something unique.  I also wanted something that was easy to use and visually appealing.

Natalia Stasenko: I have been using the Meal Garden planning tool for the last year as a bonus feature for my online class and occasionally for my private clients. I considered a few other resources but Meal Garden was running a special promotion for health providers so I decided to try it out.

Basheerah Enahora: I use Living Plate Rx and have been using it for about the past 6 months. Prior to Living Plate having its own platform, it was part of Gathered Table. I used that as well for about a year. The functionality was similar but not the same as the current platform.

I looked at EatLove or continuing to use Food Processor, which I have a current license for. EatLove wasn’t robust enough, lacked flexibility and had a very limited database of recipes. I looked at EatLove when it was first launching over a year ago. I’m not sure if that has changed.

Sarah Marjoram: Living Plate Rx and I have only recently started using it (6 months). I also looked at EatLove.

Melissa Groves: I’ve been using That Clean Life for about a year, and I recently added Living Plate Rx to my practice. I played around with EatLove Pro and Living Plate, but neither of them fully met my needs, so I decided to go with That Clean Life for recipes plus Living Plate for clients who want something more structured.

Chloe Schweinshaut: I use That Clean Life and have been using it for almost a year. I didn’t have an additional option that I was considering. I have a friend and fellow RD who had been using it (That Clean Life) and loved it and once she showed me all the features, I was sold.

Theresa Montmorency: I currently use EatLove and I have been an EatLove member for one year. I found that you can find meal plans online quite easily. However, my clients were expecting individualized plans that are unique to their lifestyle. At FNCE two years ago, I spoke with the EatLove team and was fascinated with what they had to offer to RDs.

Leanne Ray: I use Living Plate Rx and have been using it since May 2018 when I incorporated it into a 4-week cooking challenge that I hosted! I honestly didn’t do much research into other options. I was connected to Living Plate by a mutual friend of the founder and everything just kind of fell into place! I loved that it was created by RDs, for RDs (only dietitians can distribute the plans). I found it to be really user-friendly and functional and they are constantly adding new features.

Jenna Gorham: I use Living Plate meal plans and have been using them for about 1 year. At the time, Living Plate was the only meal planning tool I knew of. I found it very user friendly and was instantly hooked. Since then, other meal planning companies have reached out to me asking me to try their meal plans. I haven’t found any others that are as easy to use or have a layout that I like.

What was the most important aspect of the meal planning option you choose? (i.e. cost, ease of implementation, flexibility/functionality, customization, database)

Amanda Sauceda: There were a couple aspects that I felt were most important. The first one being the team at Living Plate Rx. They’re team is amazing and very responsive to suggestions and questions.  Secondly the cost couldn’t be beat. They are free to get started.

Natalia Stasenko: The database, ability to add my own recipes and compile family meals out of a few recipes. I mostly work with families and many are looking for meal ideas that can be served family style and have simple starch options for more selective kids. The Meal Garden seemed a perfect choice for me.

Basheerah Enahora: Ease of use, flexibility/functionality were most important for me in choosing a platform. I also wanted a platform that was supportive of its members and receptive of feedback for improvement. Living Plate still isn’t quite where I’d like it to be, but Jeanne continues to make improvements to the platform and provides resources and tools to members. She’s extremely responsive as well and I value that commitment to quality service.

Sarah Marjoram: I mainly chose Living Plate because of how it is structured. It offers RDNs white label meal plans that they can customize for their business. They provide marketing materials and tools that equip us to leverage them in our own businesses. And they can serve as a passive income source if our clients subscribe. It was also important to me that the meal plans are curated by dietitians – not by computers. I think that elevates the value of the product and is a selling point.

Melissa Groves: When it came down to it, I wanted a platform that had many recipes available for specific dietary considerations. I found with some of the other ones that once you removed dairy, gluten, or other allergens or intolerances, it didn’t leave many recipe options.

Chloe Schweinshaut: For me, I primarily love the ease of implementation and the customization.  I’m not a tech-savvy person and I find it incredibly user-friendly. The other thing that attracted me to this program were the foods that were offered.  I consider myself a “real food RD” and I loved the menus that were created and the ingredients used.

Theresa Montmorency: The ease of sending complete meal plans to clients and the flexibility to make a meal plan that is specific to each client. The nutrition prescription technology helps to decrease the amount of time I have to spend crunching numbers and are validated by dietitian experts for each medical condition. The speed of making meal plans is amazing. After I upload my client’s information in EatLove, it takes me less than 60 seconds to generate a perfect meal plan for them each week.

The quality and quantity of recipes was another highlight when choosing EatLove. Their culinary team is constantly adding new recipes to the database. They test each recipe in house and adapt recipes for different diseases, tastes, and diets to meet all needs, even the most esoteric!

Leanne Ray: The ease of use fits with my practice perfectly. My target market is busy professionals and because of this I strive to make everything as simple and convenient for the client as possible (i.e. e-forms, virtual sessions, communication via smartphone app, etc.). Living Plate has drag & drop capability and then you can easily print a shopping list based on your choices.

Jenna Gorham: Ease of use, quality of recipes, and the ability to customize it and search from a database of recipes were all important to me.

How do you utilize the meal planning tool in your practice?  What monetization strategy do you use?

Amanda Sauceda: I incorporate the meal plans into my packages and offer them a la carte on my website.  The best way to monetize them is to incorporate them into packages and offer them as an added on bonus to make their life easier and bring my recommendations to life. I also started offering a service where I give a quick session with me plus a meal plan to give them strategy on how to best use the meal plan for their health goals and concerns.

Natalia Stasenko: I do not monetize it at the moment but plan to at some point. Right now, I am offering a free meal plan for my online class participants and they have an option to join the paid version of the website in order to keep using it.

Basheerah Enahora: I include meal planning with my 12-session nutrition package. I technically eat the cost of the meal planning tool, but I’m also guaranteed that someone is going to work with me for 3 months, so it’s a worthwhile investment for me. For my insurance clients or self-pay clients who don’t sign up for my 12-session package, I still sign them up for a free trial and encourage them to use it for a few days to see how they like the platform. Most people like the platform and end up signing up.

Sarah Marjoram: I no longer see clients and now work as a nutrition communications and marketing consultant. Where possible, I leverage the meal plans as lead magnets for consulting projects. They are a powerful marketing tool and add value to my clients at no additional cost to me.

As a former private practice owner, I also love knowing that I can provide consumers with something that facilitates healthy eating habits. The meal plans allow me to have an impact on individuals even after I have shifted my business to a different model.

Melissa Groves: I use That Clean Life to provide recipes for my clients based on what we’re working on. For example, if we’re working on adding more protein at breakfast, I’ll send them 20 high-protein breakfast ideas. It takes me 5 minutes and makes me look like a rockstar to my clients. They really appreciate the extra support and the recipes are mostly quick and easy and taste delicious.

I do not charge clients for this service; it’s folded into the cost of my nutrition counseling packages. I find that most people are unwilling to follow a structured meal plan, but if I do have clients that want that guidance, I sign them up with Living Plate, which I am an affiliate for, meaning I get a small percentage from every client I refer.

I also recently made a lead magnet using a meal plan, which took me less than an hour, and grew my list by 200 people in just 6 days.

Chloe Schweinshaut: I find myself using this a lot with my food sensitivity clients.  I am also a CLT, so it has been an invaluable tool for my clients that did the MRT® test and are on an elimination diet.  With That Clean Life, I can filter out foods/ingredients not to be used and I get a database of recipes without them. I also offer a service where I will send a meal plan for a weekly fee.

Theresa Montmorency: I include personalized meal plans with my consultation packages. Sending custom meal plans increases the perceived and actual value for the client. Clients are thrilled with how personalized their plans are, the EatLove smart tools and their progress to their goals. Plus, they are willing to pay much more than what I was charging without EatLove.

Leanne Ray: I’ve found it to be most beneficial for clients who struggle with knowing where to start with meal planning, prepping, and cooking more. It’s just overwhelming in the beginning! For example, I got a client started with the plans and she cooked exclusively from them in the beginning of our time together. As we moved along, she became more confident and gradually started incorporating some of her own recipes. Now she feels confident enough to do it completely on her own which is such a win for me! The plans also bring in some affiliate income, but I’m more excited about having a streamlined meal planning solution for clients that doesn’t involve me spending hours creating them.

Jenna Gorham: I started by bundling them because everybody asks for recipes and I thought it was a great tool to allow them to access the database of healthy recipes. At one point I felt like not everyone was taking full advantage of the plans and not everyone wanted them so I started offering it as an add on tool – this method also worked well. I also had a few clients from other states find me because they were specifically looking for meal plans. I worked with these clients remotely and created a custom meal planning package. We did 1 nutrition assessment and then I customized the plans to meet their needs each week.

What is your primary reimbursement model (insurance vs cash pay) and type of practice (virtual or in person)?

Amanda Sauceda: I am cash-pay and am mostly in-person.

Natalia Stasenko: Cash pay, virtual private practice.

Basheerah Enahora: My business is about 60% insurance, 40% cash-pay, from packages, group programs or corporate wellness events. About 70% of my visits are virtual, 30% in person.

Sarah Marjoram: I work as a marketing and communications consultant with business clients.

Melissa Groves: I’m cash pay only and use a monthly billing structure. I see clients in person in Portsmouth, NH, 2 days a week and virtually the rest of the time.

Chloe Schweinshaut: I accept insurance, and although I have a physical office in Harvard Square, I see patients virtually as well.

Theresa Montmorency: Most of my clients come from my local gym. I work as a consultant for the gym and work closely with clients to meet their nutrition needs. I meet with the client at least twice. After that, our communication is mostly through email.

Leanne Ray: Because 1:1 coaching isn’t my main revenue stream at this time, I decided not to go all in with an office space and billing. My practice is 100% virtual and I only accept cash pay clients.

Jenna Gorham: I was cash pay and both in person and virtual. I gained more virtual clients from having the meal plan option.

What is one thing you wish you had known before selecting the option you choose? Anything else you wish to share on this topic?

Amanda Sauceda: One thing I wish I knew was maybe best practices.  I learned quickly the best way to sign up people for the meal plans is include it in their package. Living Plate Rx is more than just meal plans. They have also developed turnkey education programs that you can get custom branded. So much time saved! Plus they also have infographics and handouts that you can also purchase for your practice.

Natalia Stasenko: I am generally happy with my choice. I am using it only for a very specific audience and it works well for me.  I think we need more meal planning tools for families. Simple meals, easily deconstructed, flexible, taking minutes to put together, minimal cleanup. Most recipes and meal plans are too difficult to follow for families where one or more kids are picky eaters or there is a baby starting solids.

Basheerah Enahora: I really wanted to develop my own platform, and had reached out to Gathered Table to see if I could license their technology. However, Jeanne beat me to it. Ha! I love supporting other RDs and I’ve learned a lot from seeing Jeanne’s business grow. In hindsight, it would not have been smart to invest in building my own platform. I wasn’t at the right stage of business at the time and needed to invest more in marketing and advertising to ensure business growth. Living Plate RX is a great tool for RDs to generate incremental income and most of my clients love the platform.

Sarah Marjoram: Meal plans are a powerful marketing tool for RDNs. There are several dietitians in private practice that are leveraging them beautifully – adding value to their business while providing a great service to their clients.

When I started practicing almost 20 years ago, I didn’t incorporate meal plans into my business. I felt it was more important to educate clients on how to create them for themselves. Fast forward to today where so much has changed for consumers. In my opinion, advances in technology and consumers rising demand for personalized health services make offering meal plans almost a requirement.  If consumers demand them, I’d love to see RDNs be the professional that provide them.

Melissa Groves: I wish I had known that the recipes are not designed by dietitians. I often have to review recipes for special diets (such as low-FODMAP) to make sure they’re accurate before sending them to my clients. I also wish I knew how difficult it would be to add single foods or packaged foods to the plan – for example, if I wanted a client to have a RxBar for a snack, I’d have to manually add that information. Or if I wanted to add a side of roasted broccoli to dinner, I’d have to create a recipe for that before adding it. It’s somewhat integrated with the USDA database, but it’s difficult to find foods in there. Food tracking apps such as MyFitnessPal® and Fitbit® seem to have a much more updated database of packaged foods.

In my experience, everyone says they want a meal plan, but no one actually wants to follow one! I think we’re not quite there yet in terms of a vast library of recipes and healthy meals created by dietitians and sort able by nutrition info, dietary considerations, etc.

Chloe Schweinshaut: This program isn’t cheap, but it has absolutely paid for itself and I do really feel as though it has brought my practice to a higher level in that clients are very impressed with the software and menus.

Theresa Montmorency: I wish I would have known about the extensive support that EatLove provides. I would have signed up a lot sooner! Of course they were very helpful with answering questions about EatLove and the technology, but the business support that I received and continue to receive has been a blessing for my business.

I have spoken with the EatLove team through email, phone, and even FaceTime! Each time they answer my questions thoroughly and even talk me down when I feel overwhelmed with all the fun that comes with being an entrepreneur. The CEO actually helped me to focus and set up goals for where I want to be in the future. It is nice to know that I have a team in the business of healthy eating that I can bounce ideas off of and also give me constructive criticism. It really is a true partnership when you sign up for EatLove.

Leanne Ray: This isn’t really something I wish I knew before, but something I like to share with anyone who is considering using a meal planning tool in their practice moving forward. They can be great for generating leads in addition to just offering them to existing clients. Living Plate offers a free 3-day trial and the RD gets notified when someone signs up. It’s a great, natural opportunity to reach out and offer extra support without being salesy, so I would recommend taking full advantage of that and coming up with creative ways to promote it.

In full transparency, I do some social media contract work for Living Plate and wanted to disclose this.

Jenna Gorham:  Nothing! I also really like that Living Plate offers plans for different types of diets – plant-based, and even Low-FODMAP and PCOS now!

Summary:

The process of choosing a custom meal planning tool for your practice can feel complex. Considering your population, strategy for monetization and need for specific features will streamline the process.

The insight from RD users of popular platforms presented offers a window into challenges as well as successes of offering custom meal plans.

RD2RD Features Many Tools for Teaching Meal Planning Skills

From lists of meal/snack ideas, pantry organizers, portion guides and plate-based teaching tools, RD2RD has tools for use with clients.

Grocery Shopping and Pantry Organization

Supermarket Guide and Pantry Makeover

Menu Plan and Grocery List

The Nourished Living Grocery Guide

The Grocery Store Tour Toolkit

Meal Planning and Meal Prep

Getting Started with Meal Planning and Meal Prep

Meal Prep Made Easy Complete Workbook

Step-by-Step Guide: Low FODMAP Meal Planning

Portions and Creating a Meal

Mini-Guide: Balance Your Plant-Based Diet

Balanced Diabetes Plate Educational Handouts

Low Potassium Plate Guide

Bariatric Portion Plate

Visual Portion Control Guide

Meal and Snack Ideas

Wholesome Snack Ideas

On the Go Snack/Fueling Ideas for Athletes

Easy Peasy Simple Snacking Guide

Healthy Meal and Snack Ideas

Building Healthy Salads

Vegetarian Meal Ideas for Renal Diet

Gluten-Free Meal and Snack Ideas

Learn more about RD2RD and how you could sell your client tools. Create your store and list products for free! Apply to be a vendor.

Be sure to grab a copy of my FREE e-book, “Leveraging Digital Goods: More Money, More Business” with a BONUS getting started checklist.  Enter your email below!

8 Essentials for Nutrition Private Practice

Launching an in-person or virtual nutrition practice can feel overwhelming. Finding the tools and resources you need can leave you running in circles searching for answers.

From creating a business plan, to website design, client education materials and marketing, a successful nutrition private practice requires a set of tools and skills.

This article features eight essential elements that every nutrition private practice owner must consider.  In addition, it provides suggested resources and features insight from private practice owners.

Getting a Nutrition Private Practice Started

Before you jump in, have you taken a moment to consider if private practice is right for you?

Many dietitians have chronicled their experience launching a private practice. Links to these posts are included throughout this article.  You can benefit greatly by reading these and considering how you will navigate a similar experience.

A checklist can make it easier to keep track of the tasks you need to complete. It can also create motivation and provide clarity on your private practice launch journey.

For a more comprehensive resource, this 2-part book series details the 10 Steps to Start Your Own Business and the  10 Steps to Grow Your Own Business.

Private Practice Essentials for Registered Dietitians

1. Branding and Design

Your brand is more than just a logo or a name. Branding and design include essentials like business cards, social media graphics, stock photography or professional photos to elements such as colors, fonts, and your style.

Decisions about branding will be influenced by your target audience as well as your personal style.  Your brand should feel both authentic but also be unique and memorable.

Hiring a graphic designer or branding specialist to create essential brand elements is one approach.  You can also take a DIY approach and leverage design tools such as Canva to create branded materials for your business.

To get top quality results, you will want to learn how to think like a designer and understands the basics of graphic design.  You can learn to create gorgeous graphics for your business including social media banners, business cards as well as flyers and handouts for your clients.

In this article by Jenna Gorham, RD, she gives great insight into the value of having clarity about your brand and how it helped her grow her business.

2. Practice Management and Reimbursement

Practice Management

How are you going to run the day-to-day aspects of your practice?  Perhaps you’ll utilize a comprehensive electronic health record (EHR) complete with scheduling, online client paperwork, messaging and payments.  Will you also offer virtual visits?

There are several EHR platforms that are built specifically for dietitians.  The features and functionality vary, as well as the pricing.  Most offer a free trial period where you can give various features a test drive.

In this article, virtual practice owner Kristi Coughlin, MS, RD provides detailed recommendations for how to select a platform for running your telehealth practice.

When trying out various options, do more than just browse around the platform.  Embed the scheduler tool on your website and see how easy the booking process it.  Create a client account and test out sending electronic paperwork. Test the program from both the client and practice owner perspective.

One key way to set yourself apart and efficiently run day-to-day tasks is to have a solid process for booking, paperwork, documentation and billing.  Having a practice management tool that makes these elements easier can save you a great deal of time.

If you do opt not to use an all-in-one practice management tool or EHR, be sure to test out the tools and process you decide on from the customer perspective.  Make sure that the process is clear and as easy-to-complete as possible.   This tool, Getting Started with Nutrition Coaching is a helpful overview of what your process might look like.

Reimbursement

Reimbursement for your services is an essential consideration.  Will you be cash-pay only or accept insurance? If you plan to accept insurance, it can feel overwhelming to figure out the steps in the process. Leveraging the expertise of colleagues with experience can help to make the process easier. This toolkit offers a comprehensive set of tools and videos on reimbursement.

Determining how to price your services, track your expenses as well as forecast revenue can help you to better manage your cash flow. Having a comprehensive and easy to use spreadsheet can help you stay on target with your business goals.

For some insight from an experienced practice owner, this article from Felicia Porrazza, MD, RD, LDN gives an overview of the steps to starting your private practice including steps in the process if you plan to accept insurance.

3. Legal Services to Start a Nutrition Private Practice

Getting your business off the ground will mean that you need to consider a few legal elements.  This is not legal advice and you should consult a lawyer for specific details.

If you have a website, you will need a privacy policy, terms of use and disclaimer.  Paperwork that you provide to your clients describing their financial responsibility should be considered a legal document.  How you set-up your business such as an LLC or S corp are also legal considerations.

Working with clients will mean that you need some official paperwork.  There are a few different terms used to describe this document, but it is often called a client agreement.  This document can include a variety of elements including your cancellation policy, fees for no-show, billing information and more.  If you accept insurance, you will also need to be compliant with any HIPAA requirements and have appropriate documentation.

There are templates for key documents available which you can customize. Hiring an attorney to create custom forms or reviewing and revising a template can help to ensure that your forms are specific to your needs.  If you accept insurance and bill directly for your services, you will need to be sure you’re compliant with any regulations.

4. Client Forms and Handouts

Your private practice will require forms such as a new client intake form to gather health history and other information such as insurance information or a diet history or 3-day food record.

Some options to provide these to your clients are to have them available for download from your website or send via email.

Many electronic health records allow your clients to complete these forms electronically and securely.  If you are utilizing email to send and receive health information about your clients, remember to keep HIPAA compliance in mind and be compliant with any privacy laws you may be subject to.

For client education handouts, you can create your own or purchase from sites like RD2RD or the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic’s, store.  It is also common to provide electronic copies of education materials via email or electronic health record.

Other popular tools include a documentation template for client visits, referral forms to provide to providers and visit summary to provide to client or provider.

5. Business Services

Your new business will need essentials like phone (and perhaps fax), email and if you offer virtual visits, web conferencing. Remember that if you are subject to HIPAA requirements that you need to ensure that services you choose meet the necessary requirements and can provide you with a Business Associates Agreement.

You should also consider how you will keep records of your business expenses and if you will need the services of an accountant or bookkeeper. Tools to track and predict your expenses can help keep you organized for taxes.

In this article by Erica Julson, MS, RD, CLT she gives a comprehensive overview of all the business essentials including a timeline and costs.

6. Website Design and Hosting

Your website is an important tool for both attracting new clients as well as may function as a store to sell your products/services and a blog.

Most registered dietitians spend a great deal of time on the design and appearance of their website.  You can build your own website utilizing DIY-friendly website builders like Squarespace or Wix. WordPress.org has a steeper learning curve, but more customization and features for bloggers.

If you choose to hire a professional, there are a variety of options from full-service design firms to freelancers. Be sure that you carefully review the work portfolio prior to making your selection.

Another consideration with website design is if you will maintain your own website or if you will need to hire a professional to make ongoing edits to your site. Be sure that you have a plan for how this will work, so you don’t have a website that is a “black box” that you don’t know how to update.

In this article by Whitney Bateson, MPH, RD, she gives insight into how to decide if hiring a professional to design your website is right for you.

7. Marketing Your Nutrition Practice

To get clients for your nutrition practice, you will need a marketing plan. This may include both local, in-person marketing as well as online via social media.

For in-person marketing, you might need to design flyers to distribute to local physician offices, referral pads and business cards.

For online marketing, you can utilize social media to share blog posts you have written, articles by others or video (live or recorded).  You can leverage advanced tools such as a webinar or a free download to attract new leads.

One strategy is to create an email list that people can join to receive updates such as a regular newsletter, blog post updates, recipes, tips and more.  Once people have joined your email list, they can decide to work with you or purchase your services.  If you offer in-person events, you can utilize this a way to add new subscribers or using digital content such as blog posts, social media posts or videos.

In this article by Samara Abbott, MSEd, RD, LDN, she gives insight into how to choose marketing strategies for your private practice. She has many articles on her experience starting a private practice.

8. Mentoring or Coaching

Starting a nutrition private practice is a big task. Keeping motivated as well as staying focused on the most important priorities can be difficult.

There are many options to get expert advice including masterminds, local small business groups, paid individual mentors and group programs.

Creating a network of both mentors and colleagues is valuable to help answer questions that arise as well as ensure that you are making decisions that are best for your business and will lead to a successful practice.

While nothing can take the place of an experienced mentor or coach, it can be incredibly helpful to learn from the journey of others. These RDs have chronicled their experience starting a private practice into a detailed article with advice, humor and a fresh perspective on being a business owner.

Jenna Gorham, RD, LN – Things I Learned My First Year in Business

Samara Abbott, MSEd, RD, LDN – Starting a Private Practice

Erica Julson, MS, RD, CLT – How to Start a Nutrition Private Practice

Leanne Ray, MS, RD – My First 3 Months In Business

Kristi Coughlin, MS, RD – Telehealth Tools for Virtual Dietitians

Felicia Porrazza, MDA, RD, LDN – First 10 Steps to Starting Your Private Practice

Conclusion

Starting a private practice and becoming a business owner is exciting and intimidating. There are essential resources that your practice needs to get off the ground and run efficiently.

RD2RD is your one-stop for tools needed for your practice.  Choose from a selection of tried and true resources from Registered Dietitians business owners.  From forms, toolkits, handouts, video lessons and more, save yourself time by not spending time recreating the wheel for business essentials.

Nutrition Private Practice Resources – Get Organized!

This convenient, 2-page guide lists the 8 essential resources your nutrition practice needs to get off the ground.  From branding and design to practice management and marketing, this guide outlines the basics.

Grab your copy below!