As a registered dietitian, the opportunity to share your expertise with a group can be both exciting and create apprehension. Being tasked with the creation of engaging nutrition activities for adults in the office, students in school, not to mention community members at health fairs and events might stop some dietitians in their tracks.
What will I present about?
How will I keep the group engaged?
Do I have time to put the needed resources together?
But not you: with this article you’re armed with the tools and strategies to lead creative events both in-person and online.
This article provides abundant tips and resource recommendations for registered dietitians like you to host group nutrition education activities. From links to presentations, activity guides and complete toolkits, you’ll find inspiration and confidence for your next group event.
(And if you’re just thinking about transforming your love of teaching into your own small business, The Dietitian’s Guide to Starting an Online Nutrition Business is a great resource to bookmark for later).
For now, let’s start with what most dietitians probably think about for group activities: nutrition presentations.
Nutrition Presentations for Groups
Tell me the truth: do you have a favorite nutrient?
No matter how much Vitamin D or fiber thrills you as a dietitian, your audience is going to need more than a bone-dry slide deck presentation to capture their attention.
If you do use 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.
With an informative and engaging presentation, not only do you have the opportunity to get hired to speak, the event can also be a chance to connect with your future clients!
Practice pearl: when doing nutrition presentations in person, get your participants to sign a release for images. With their permission, share the photos on your social media channels. Give your participants an easy way to share what they learned and tag you. One of their friends might be your next client!
As the savvy CEO of your blossoming nutrition practice, you know that you do not have to create every little thing from scratch – that’s why you’re an WellResourced fan!
Here are a few of our favorite presentations available.
Instant Download Presentations on WellResourced
There are many presentations available from our vendors. These “done-for-you” tools can be used as is, or modified to fit your specific needs. Many include interactive elements, so your audience will be engaged and learning – just what you want!
On WellResourced, there are many, many presentations available. You can start by browsing the presentations, but a few of our most popular topics are listed next. Some are geared towards a very specific audience…you may get a few ideas for who your next clients might be!
Begin with the basics
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.
Is it getting hot in here?
Firefighters are required to push their bodies to the limit on a regular basis. With the right nutrition and hydration strategies, firefighters are able to perform better and stay safer. Here’s one just for them: Performance Nutrition for Firefighting: Customizable PowerPoint Presentation.
Meal planning
Is your audience keen to learn the 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. This is an especially great tool if you offer paid meal plans to communicate the value of the service.
Intuitive Eating
More and more we are understanding that health isn’t just what you eat, it is how you eat and your relationship with food. Surprise your audience and introduce them to Intuitive Eating: Intuitive Eating: Learning to Honor Your Hunger Presentation. If you’re new to Intuitive Eating – welcome – our blog post What Does an Intuitive Eating Dietitian Actually Do? gives you foundational knowledge about this powerful niche in nutrition.
Diabetes meal planning
What if your practice has been in person…and lately has been virtual, but might end up being hybrid long term? Than this article is for you: Adapting to a Hybrid Model: Virtual and in Person Patient Education Handouts for the Busy Diabetes Educator. In this article, you’ll learn how to use Diabetes Teaching Tools for your Virtual Practice to provide effective and engaging lessons to your clients with diabetes.
Download our Create a Plate Plan for Diabetes, Activity and Leader Guide. This is a quick but effective activity using only a simple paper plate and designed to be used with the Diabetes Food Group lists. Perfect for in-person or virtual. (Did we mention it is free?)
Performance nutrition
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 presentation Fitness Myths and Training Truths is engaging, interactive and includes a comprehensive presenter’s guide.
Don’t forget the kids
What’s for lunch? No worries about this question when you have the Pack a Healthy School Lunch Presentation and Activity Worksheet. It provides a flexible framework that suits adventurous and picky eaters alike and answers common questions around how much food is enough and how much processed food is too much.
While you’re browsing, don’t forget to snag our FREE School Lunch Cheat Sheet
Create your own
There are so many presentations to choose from on WellResourced today, but you might have a new idea!
Use our Build a Perfect Workshop guide to ensure that your presentation is engaging and fun for your participants. This three-page workbook from The Teaching Dietitian coaches you through the 4E method of designing an effective and creative presentation.
Once you’ve put the final polish on your new presentation, you’re invited to set up your own store and begin making passive income…even while you’re sleeping!
Nutrition activities for adults
These days, adults are following an enormous variety of eating plans – from keto to vegan, Mediterranean to gluten-free. It can be a challenge to come up with topics that will appeal to a wide range of eating preferences…but fear not, we have several great ideas for you right here (and even more in the blogs linked below).
More plants, please
When is more, better? So often nutrition messages are focused on less. Less sugar, less processing and less fast food. Would your audience enjoy a nudge for more? Grab the 30-Day Plant Foods Per Week Goal Tracker Sheets – Bundle of Three Handouts and use them to coach your audience towards a greater number and variety of plant foods each week. Thirty, to be exact!
Eat for ease
As a dietitian, you know that the foods that you eat can have a huge impact on your mental health. But for the average adult, this is news! Who better than you to guide them through nutrition to reduce anxiety?
These are just a few of our nutrition activities for adults. We have even more on our blog post: The Ultimate Guide to Workplace Wellness Challenges.
And, whether you’re celebrating National Nutrition Month or honoring healthy habits year-round, we have The Absolute Best National Nutrition Month Ideas – No Matter Where You Work in this blog post.
Next stop: school!
Preschool and Young Children
Preschoolers and young children are sponges for new information…if you can keep them sitting still long enough to listen! Here are our tips and tools to engage young kiddos:
Learn from an expert
For words of wisdom from an RD doing group nutrition classes with kids, check out this Live Show episode with Katie Shepherd, founder of Food Explorers. Her programming went viral during the pandemic!
Better lunches
The right guidance and template can empower even young students to successfully take charge of packing their own lunch. They’ll even be more likely to eat it! The Lunch Box Planner is an easy-to-use tool to create healthy, delicious mix-and-match packed lunches.
Let’s color
These printable characters of fruit and vegetable alphabet cards 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. They are also available as posters.
Engage all five senses
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 blindfolds or boxes to make this activity even more appealing for curious young minds.
Ready for even more activities for preschoolers? Check out our recent blog post: 12 Healthy Food Activities for Preschoolers That Everyone Will Enjoy.
For Elementary and Middle School-Aged Children
Older kids are ready for a bigger challenge…and more fun! Here are our favorite ways to engage elementary and middle school-aged kids in nutrition activities.
Name that spice
Being unfamiliar with a food makes it seem scarier. Have fun getting to know smells with this simple game: Guess The Spice!
Channel your inner superhero
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.
Perfect your plate
The MyPlate Activity Bundle contains a bingo game, a scavenger hunt and even an activity related to pizza. The only thing you’ll love more is the price!
Exercising with video games
This handout is perfect for your clients who love to play video games. Screen time and activity can go hand-in-hand!
What is the perfect nutrition game?
Jeopardy, of course! Nutrition Jeopardy is geared towards students in grades 3-6. All you need is a projector and powerpoint…let the games begin!
Practice packing
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.
Art class
For an artistic 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.
Nutrition in a flash
For middle-schoolers (5th-6th grade), these nutrient knowledge flashcards can be a great classroom activity. Pair kids up or work in small groups to get the entire class participating.
Working with older students? Let’s talk about high-schoolers next.
Support sports
Sports Nutrition For the Student Athlete is ideal for those students who 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.
Whew! That was a huge brainstorming session for students of all ages. Next stop: let’s talk about ways you can engage and educate people in your own community, outside of the classroom.
Community Events
Special events can be a great way to connect with your local community members in a less formal setting. Our two favorites are health fairs and in the retail setting.
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. Fun games and activities draw traffic to your business. Having a playful activity also 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.
Retail settings
More and more grocery stores are recognizing the value of having a registered dietitian in-house to support the health and wellness of their customers. This is a win-win! Here are two ideas to try in your favorite grocery store.
Make it plant-based
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.
Build a smarter salad
Use the Build a Healthy Salad resource to help attendees create well-balanced salads when using a salad bar. Pair with the Healthy Sandwich Tips and Recipes resource for a workplace lunch focus.
Before you wrap up any nutrition activity, it is important to set goals. We have a ton of templates and resources to help.
Goal setting
No matter the audience or topic, taking the time to verbalize and document goals helps to cement the topics taught in nutrition classes. No need to create your own; we have a wide assortment of Goal-Setting Worksheets Your Clients Will Absolutely Love (and Use!) right here on WellResourced!
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Summary: Nutrition Activities for Adults, Groups and Events
Group events and activities are an important way that Registered Dietitians communicate nutrition messages. It is also a chance for us to shine: not only are we the nutrition experts, we are able to engage and delight our audiences so that they learn better as well.
Our marketplace features a wide-variety of nutrition resources. Choose a done-for-you presentation, toolkit, or resource, or use available tools that are customizable to meet your needs.
Learn more about WellResourced and how you could sell your client tools. Create your store and list products for free! Apply to be a vendor today.
