OVERVIEW
In this “On Your Own” task, you will analyze your client’s nutritional needs and risks and create a Healthy Eating Guide based on the information you gathered during your recent client interview.

Remember that you should complete the “On Your Own” tasks in parallel with the corresponding West Side Clinic story-based task. Refer to the rotation schedule for details.

Assess your Client’s Needs and Risks
In On Your Own C, you had an opportunity to conduct a nutritional interview. Now you will use that information to analyze your client’s needs and risks. Remember, accurately identifying the client’s needs and risks is a critical step that enables dietitians to recommend a nutritional plan that is appropriate for a client’s lifestyle. As you assess your client’s needs and risks, think about all aspects of their nutrition. What outside influences may be affecting his or her eating habits? How much does the client exercise? Is the client’s diet history representative of a balanced diet?

Submit the attached Client Assessment Template to your mentor after you fill it out.

Create a Healthy Eating Guide
Once a dietitian analyzes a client’s needs and risks, the next step is to put a plan in place that will allow the client to meet their nutritional goals and maintain a healthy lifestyle. An important tool that helps a client get the most out of their nutritional plan is a Healthy Eating Guide (like the one Paula Jansen gave to Suzie Kim in Task 2). It complements the meal plan by giving a client more flexibility and choice in selecting their food choices. The guide includes a list of food suggestions that can serve as substitutions for the foods on a nutritional plan and recommendations for how much of each food group the client should eat each day.

In this task, you will create a Healthy Eating Guide for your client that should address the issues you identified earlier related to their needs and risks. You will also provide a rationale for your suggestions on the guide. Ask yourself some important questions as you begin to create the guide: Is the guide tailored to the client’s needs? Is it something the client can live with? Does the guide provide flexibility so that the client can make healthy choices about what to eat that will fit with their lifestyle?

When you have completed the attached Healthy Eating Guide, submit it to your mentor for feedback.