All Dietitians are Nutritionists (but not all Nutritionists are Dietitians).  

Registered Dietitians (RDs) are the only regulated and licensed health professionals in the field of nutrition in Canada, we are held to ethical standards of practice.  In some provinces, the word Nutritionist is also a protected title.  To be sure you are accessing advice from the most qualified nutrition professional, look for the initials RD or PDt (DtP in French) after a health professional’s name.

Seeing a Registered Dietitian is one way you can be assured the nutrition education you are receiving is credible.  You wouldn’t ask a celebrity interested in home construction how to wire your basement, you’d ask an electrician. You wouldn’t ask your child’s soccer coach who has an interest in health to provide you with medical treatment.  Apply this same thinking when it comes to nutrition advice.

Just like electricians, engineers and medical doctors, Dietitians are accountable to provincial regulatory bodies for the highest standards of education and ethical practice. Provincial regulatory bodies protect the public and serve as a point of contact for consumer complaints and malpractice.

Titles such as Registered Holistic Nutritionist, Certified Nutritional Practitioner, RONP, RNCP, ROHP, RHN, CNP are not the same as a Registered Dietitian and do not indicate the person is a provincially regulated health professional. These are often used by those who have completed much less intensive privately owned training programs that vary in length and rigor.

To ensure your nutrition care provider is a Dietitian, look for RD or PDt (DtP in French) behind their name. Dietitian is a protected title across Canada, just like physician, nurse and pharmacist.  Nutritionist is a protected title in Alberta, Quebec and Nova Scotia.

A doctor’s referral is not required to book an appointment with a dietitian in Vancouver. If you have complex medical issues it is ideal to have your doctor provide us with a referral note to update us on your medical situation so we can best take care of your needs. With your permission (signed) we can collaborate with your doctor, psychologist, coach or other health professional to ensure we are all working well as a team.

Many private medical insurance plans and health spending accounts cover nutrition counselling by a Registered Dietitian in Vancouver. Check your plan to see what is covered for you. Since every insurance company has different policies, please be sure to check with them regarding coverage per session, per year and per family member.

In private insurance and health benefits plans, dietitians are typically listed under the paramedical section. They might have a separate category for nutrition services or registered dietitian services.

If dietitian services aren’t covered under standard benefits, clients can often use a health spending account to get reimbursed.

In many provinces in Canada, Dietitians are classified as an “Authorized Medical Practitioner” as shown on the Canada Revenue Agency website. What this means is that you can save your receipts and supply them to your accountant for medical expense tax credit.

We do not direct bill to insurance companies, but upon request after your session, we will provide you with a detailed receipt that includes our Registered Dietitian practice permit number, description of service, dates of counselling sessions and consulting fee breakdown per hour.

Thousands of our clients successfully get reimbursed this way.

Yes! We use a paid version of Zoom known as Zoom Healthcare for telehealth videoconferencing. It’s stable, private and a highly secure HIPAA and PIPEDA/PHIPA compliant type of technology used by hospitals and healthcare workers.

Even if you are inexperienced with computer technology you will be surprised how easy it is to use. All you need is a web camera on your computer. At the beginning of your appointment, all you will need to do is click on the website link we’ve provided you with to access our private Zoom room. Then at the start of your appointment your nutrition educator will permit access to begin the videoconference. We can provide you with a demo to show you how easy it is to use. You’ll love that you can see us on video and that we can share notes resources just like you were in our office.

• Professional & Established:  As one of the most established Registered Dietitian practices in Canada, we have pioneered the industry since year 2000. We are located in Calgary as well as serve the global community online. Our top referral source for nutrition counselling is by referrals from respected physicians, psychologists and health professionals that value our approach, professionalism and results. We have a spacious, confidential consulting office that will make you feel comfortable when discussing personal goals and concerns. Our office is centrally located with free parking. Our HIPAA and PIPEDA/PHIPA compliant virtual nutrition counseling services, online education resources, and online nutrition courses allow you to learn globally and seamlessly.
• Customization and Follow-Up: Our services specialize in personalizing plans just for you. Since there are a million and one ways to eat, following a book, internet plan or a group program often will likely not address your own preferences and needs. We believe working one-on-one with each person is the best way to achieve success and ideas you can sustain for the long term.  We also know that in order for you to achieve results a single nutrition counselling session won’t work. Since we have worked with hundreds of people since the year 2000 we have set up our three programs to address your needs.
• Qualified Nutrition Experts: All of our nutrition experts are experienced, credible, and university-trained. As Registered Dietitians (the only regulated and licensed health professionals in the nutrition field in Canada), we are held to ethical standards of practice). We make sure you are getting advice that is current, credible, and scientifically based. 
• Added Value! Not only do we provide you with personalized nutrition counselling, you can count on us for many other added resources and tools we have developed over the years to facilitate learning. We are constantly updating our resource bank as well as subscriptions to research updates and databases to make sure you have the most current up-to-date information.  We work in a team environment to share best practices, experience and solutions.

Before booking an appointment with a Vancouver Dietician on our team, we like to learn more about you in a free consultation so we can match you with the best-fit dietitian on our team, answer all your questions, and from there, book your first session!

To book your free discovery call, you can call us at 1-800-268-9487, or use our contact us form.

In your first session with your Dietitian, we’ll take the time to get to know you – your health history, lifestyle, eating habits, and any specific concerns you’d like support with. From there, we’ll create a personalized nutrition plan that meets you where you’re at, with realistic strategies you can actually stick with.

You might also wish to check out our roadmap, which describes our 3-phased approach to nutrition during your dietitian sessions.

Our friendly Dietitian team can give you a hand.  To ask a question drop us an email or phone our office.