What is the role of a pediatric RD? How do you help parents and kids?

My role as a pediatric dietitian is to assess and provide strategies for parents/caregivers and children to encourage healthy feeding behaviours and food choices. As part of my role as a Registered Dietitian, I assess and monitor children to ensure that their growth is adequate – not too much and not too little.

What does it mean when someone says Failure-to-Thrive (FTT)? Is this term still used?

Failure-to-thrive is a broad term used to describe children who are unable to gain weight (and/or height/length) at a rate than other children of his/her age and gender. Looking at FTT, we consider things such as age, gender, medical complexity, genetics, under-nutrition, etc.  Failure-to-thrive has evolved from simply looking at the growth chart. The term "Failure-to-Thrive" is being used less, as it has a very negative connotation. It is being replaced...

Like many of you during this crazy-time, I have been adjusting to working from home and balancing full-time life with my hungry kids. The days can feel long, and sometimes the next meal is the most exciting event on the agenda. My teens seem to finish their last bite of food at dinner and ask, “What’s for dinner tomorrow night?”. Yikes...no pressure.

Historically, as a mom, I’ve never been a meal-planner…I’m not one of those organized people that plans a week of meals in advance. I’m more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants chef, typically deciding on dinner based on what’s left in the fridge. This has changed significantly for me during this pandemic. Here’s why:

1. I don’t want to go to the grocery store any more than absolutely necessary. Honestly, I find the social-distancing, mask-wearing grocery shopping experience to be very stressful. I always seem to be going down the aisles in the wrong direction.
2. Many of us...