Part 3 Introduction

Patients and their caregivers rely on pediatricians to provide credible, up-to-date nutrition guidance. Part 3, Nutritional Counseling, focuses on providing clinicians with the knowledge and tools to help patients and families adopt healthy eating patterns. This includes training in health behavior change theories and communication strategies that can be applied to help patients successfully plan and make dietary and health changes.

Chapter 11, Dietary Guidelines and Principles of Healthy Eating, provides a detailed overview of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and evidence-informed principles of healthy eating, and Chapter 12, Healthy Eating Plans, highlights several well-studied healthy eating plans, such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan, the healthy vegetarian eating plan, and the healthy Mediterranean-style eating plan. Chapter 13, Culinary Medicine and Strategies for Healthy Eating, helps translate information about healthy eating and healthy eating plans into action with culinary medicine and implemented key strategies for healthy eating. Chapter 14, Theories of Behavior Change and Motivational Interviewing, introduces clinicians to the stages of change model of behavior change and motivational interviewing communication approach as tools to help support patients and their families in making nutritional changes. Chapter 15, SMART Goals and Action Plans, details how to help patients set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time bound) goals and develop action plans to turn intentions to change nutrition practices into action.