Annual Meeting Sessions
Food IS Medicine: RDNs Needed!!
Melissa Bernstein, PhD, RDN, LD, FAND, DipACLM, FACLM, FNAP
Description
Diet has been identified as the most important risk factor for morbidity and mortality in the United States. Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) regularly treat patients with one or more chronic diseases, many of which have a strong relationship to diet and nutritional health. Disease prevention, treatment and reversal is possible with Food is Medicine (FIM). To provide the best possible care to individuals and patients, RDNs are needed to lead the FIM initiatives and support the entire interprofessional team in ensuring nutritional needs are best addressed. As food and nutrition experts, RDNs are in a unique position to educate, inspire and guide patients to use FIM to be an active and empowered participant in their own health care.
Learning objectives
- Appraise the evidence supporting the benefits of a Food Is Medicine diet prescription, in promoting health and for the treatment and reversal of chronic diseases
- Describe the role of RDNs as Food Is Medicine experts as part of the interprofessional healthcare time in educating and empowering patients to adopt healthy dietary patterns
- Communicate the nutrition-specific competencies of the field of lifestyle medicine to other members of the healthcare team.
- Confidently apply Food Is Medicine to enhance the overall wellness of patients, clients, and community.
Food Allergy Prevention in Action: Empowering Dietitians with Early Feeding Strategies
Malina Malkani, MS, RDN, CDN
Description
Food allergy development is an increasing concern, especially for vulnerable groups such as those served by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). This presentation will explore the landscape of food allergy prevention, delving into the disparities in allergy prevalence and the barriers to implementing early infant feeding of allergenic foods as a preventive measure, highlighting the need for focused interventions.
The latest research on allergy prevention will be discussed, emphasizing the benefits of introducing allergenic foods early and the role of eczema as a risk factor.
Attendees will gain practical insights for supporting the families they serve, as well as actionable guidance that makes early and consistent allergen introduction doable and stress-free, and techniques for protecting infants’ skin. Guidance will be provided on when to refer families for further evaluation versus continuing with preventive strategies to help build caregivers' confidence. The presentation will also address the risks associated with delaying the introduction of allergenic foods.
This session will call dietetics professionals to action, encouraging them to adopt these evidence-based strategies to help reduce the incidence of food allergies, ultimately leading to healthier outcomes for children in their communities.
Learning objectives
- Incorporate the latest recommendations for introducing commonly allergenic foods to infant diets to prevent food allergies for clients.
- Respond with evidence-based guidance to overcome common barriers to early introduction of commonly allergenic foods.
- Assess clients for referral to pediatrician and allergist based on best practice and evidence.
- Communicate up-to-date, evidence-based guidance for caregivers and parents and translate it into practical, actionable infant feeding recommendations.
Nutrition for Precision Health, powered by the All of Us Research Program
Holly Nicastro, PhD, MPH
Description
This presentation will provide an overview of the NIH’s Office of Nutrition Research and the NIH Common Fund program “Nutrition for Precision Health, powered by the All of Us Research Program” (NPH). The role of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists in the design, implementation, and analysis of NPH will be discussed.
Learning objectives
- Identify the mission, vision, and goals of the NIH Office of Nutrition Research
- Understand the rationale for precision nutrition approaches
- Engage with the All of Us Researcher Workbench to facilitate future interaction with Nutrition for Precision Health data
Transforming School Lunches: Strategies for Success
Travertine Garcia, MPH, RDN, Taylor Coleman, RD and Jackie Wincek, RD
Description
School meal programs provide a unique opportunity to influence short- and long-term nutrition outcomes, strengthen local economies, and promote environmental sustainability. Federal, state, and local Child Nutrition Program regulations focus on ensuring safety and nutritional adequacy of meals; however, dietitians and other food service professionals engage in a range of other activities to maximize the holistic benefits of these programs. In this session, we will discuss best practices and lessons learned from DC Central Kitchen’s award-winning Healthy School Foods Program, from farm to tray.
First, Jackie Wincek, Procurement Manager will discuss strategies for local food procurement including purchasing direct from farms, through food hubs, and through traditional suppliers. Second, Travertine Garcia, Manager of Nutrition Programming & Compliance, will discuss strategies for recipe and menu development to facilitate large-scale scratch cooking. Finally, Taylor Coleman, Nutrition Specialist will discuss methods for implementing and evaluating student engagement in school meal programs.
Learning objectives
- Describe one approach to local food procurement for school meal programs
- Identify 2-3 recipe and menu development strategies to facilitate large-scale cooking.
- List 2-3 strategies for student engagement in school meal programs
Closing the Gap Between Food Apartheid & Food Security: A Pilot Model
Tessa Nguyen, MEd, RDN
Description
Join acclaimed author and farmer, Kamal Bell of Sankofa Farms, and culinary-trained dietitian, Tessa Nguyen of TN Media, for an immersive discussion on how they developed community wellness hubs to provide underserved populations with access to healthy foods, nutrition education, and cooking skills. This is based upon the foundation of inclusive cultural food recommendations including all food groups of animal proteins, dairy, fruits, vegetables, and grains. What started as a pilot program in the Triangle region of North Carolina has now successfully grown and rolled out in its second stage of evelopment in Detroit, Michigan. Kamal and Tessa will walk through the steps on how they were able to incorporate sustainable community-based solutions while collaborating with fellow healthcare practitioners, farmers, food producers, and related agencies to ensure the sustainability of each hub’s specific needs and nuances. Attendees will learn how to replicate this programming in their communities or how to work in tandem by providing culturally inclusive nutrition education sessions, counseling services or cooking classes.
Learning Objectives:
- Collaborate across industries to provide resources for diverse populations with limited access to food.
- Develop inclusive culinary and nutrition tips for clients based on their cultural backgrounds and food preferences.
- Implement a sustainable mini food-system to serve local communities.
Motivational Interviewing: Help Your Clients Go From I Can't to I Am
Karen Smith, MS, RDN, CDCES, DipACLM
Description
This session will provide an overview of motivational interviewing, a practice that can help people find their own reasons for change and discover how and why they might change for themselves. It will review the 4 key strategies of motivational interviewing and provide examples of how to put them into practice. Regardless of the nutrition interventions dietitians are utilizing, motivational interviewing can be an evidence-based tool to help clients take action and make progress toward their unique health goals.
Learning objectives
- Understand the goal of motivational interviewing and its 4 key strategies
- Provide examples of how to use each strategy of motivational interviewing to help clients take action
- Identify how to help clients create energizing goals as their vision for making dietary changes