Employer Wellness : Nutrition Education
A nutrition education program must include a nutritional needs assessment, education counseling, and referral as necessary.
Educational sessions and materials should include the following information:
• The relationship of nutrition and chronic diseases
• Improving eating patterns
• Relationship of diet and proper weight maintenance
• Exercise
• Stress
• Blood Pressure (BP)
• Cholesterol
• Diabetes and other chronic diseases.
• Nutritionally accurate information regarding the relationship of health to diet, including cholesterol, fats, fiber, alcohol, carbohydrates, salt, sugar, and vitamin/mineral supplementation.
Methods for identifying healthier foods and incorporating low-calorie, high nutrient foods into eating habits. Guidelines for working on eating habits ought to be based on or consistent with national recommendations such as The Food Guide Pyramid.
Instructor ought to be a registered dietitian, registered nurse, or have a baccalaureate degree or higher in health education with training in diet. If an allied health professional instructs the program, a consultation and review of the program design by a registered dietitian is recommended.