What is your favorite method to deliver a meal plan to your clients (or meal plan suggestions)?
Hi Beth,
As a personal trainer, providing clients with specific meal plans is out of our scope of practice. Like Harris, if a client wants specific meal plans I refer them to a Registered Dietician.
I do however, educate my clients about the basics of nutrition. I encourage them to eat whole foods and read labels, and I also share articles and recipes.
Christine
Thank you. I’m just amending this to add that I have additional certification and a degree that allows me to consult to a point in meal planning. However, for specific medical and dietary needs, I do not hesitate to refer to a RD. I rarely give someone a meal plan and say – “stick to this”, but more of a guidance on healthy eating for their training and nutritional needs.
Goodness. I didn’t mean to open a can of beans and think I’ve stated my reasonings & purpose wrong.
Sam – I am a Certified Athletic Trainer (NATABOC) with a degree in Human Performance and Sport. I am also a certified personal trainer (AFPA) and a Pre/Post Natal Health Coach (Dr. Sears LEAN). I also have about 15 hours of additional nutrition and sports nutrition continuing education. Under the scope of my ATC credentials, I can give a bit more personalized nutritional advice than as just a CPT do to the scope outlined in that accredited program and certification. That being said, I do not prescribe meal plans to my clients. That is truly under the direction of a RD, and I’ve worked with them and still do, for clients who have specific dietary needs. In addition, I am currently in a holistic nutrition program (IIN), and even upon graduating I still won’t be creating person-specific meal plans.
If anyone has suggestions on how they education their client on nutrition and meal plan examples, I would love to hear. In the meantime, I will also follow up with the RD’s that I work with, although I am hoping to find something that is easy and user-friendly.