What to Expect in Your First Session With a Dietitian
If you’re thinking about booking a first session with a dietitian and you have questions, that’s totally normal. A lot of “nutrition coaching” out there is built on shame, judgment, and perfection. And honestly, talking about food can feel pretty vulnerable!
Here’s a quick rundown of what you can expect in your first nutrition consultation.
First session with a dietitian: What actually happens?
It’s mostly conversation.
We’ll start with why you reached out. What feels stuck, what you’ve tried, and what you want to be different. If you’re still figuring out your goals, that’s completely fine, we’ll help you clarify them.
Then we’ll talk through your usual routine: work/school schedule, sleep, stress, movement, appetite patterns, and anything else that affects your food intake. This is usually where the initial goal-setting starts to click.
We’ll also explore your relationship with food (without moralizing it). That might include a typical day of eating, meal timing, skipped meals, nighttime eating, grazing, digestion symptoms, and any “loud” food rules. If dieting has been a big part of your history or certain foods feel stressful, we’ll talk through what that looks like and how it’s affecting you now.
We’ll review relevant background info too—things like medications/supplements, symptoms you’ve noticed, and labs if you have them available.
By the end of the session, you should leave with a few simple, realistic goals to start implementing as we build a solid foundation.
Before your appointment:
You really just need to show up as yourself. If you have any of these, they can be helpful:
Recent labs (optional)
A meds/supplement list (even a photo)
Your general schedule
A couple examples of a typical day of eating
What happens after the first session:
After session one, we’ll decide on a follow-up frequency (weekly, biweekly, or monthly) based on what you need. Follow-ups are where we adjust the plan to your real life (busy weeks, travel, stress spikes, appetite changes) so you can see real change over time.
If insurance is part of your situation, we can also talk through the general process and what to expect with coverage.
The main point: if food is taking up too much mental space, you don’t have to wait until it’s “bad enough.” A first session with a dietitian is just a starting conversation that turns “I’m overwhelmed” into a plan you can actually follow.
The content of this blog does not serve as medical advice.
