The Best Pediatric Nutritionists in Houston at Your Fingertips
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Find the Best Pediatric Nutritionists & Dietitians in Houston
Just like adults, children need nutrition support from time to time. Whether you're seeking help for a premature baby who needs to gain weight, an infant struggling with solid food, a picky toddler, or a teenager with weight control issues, our pediatric nutrition specialists have the experience and dedication to help your child grow and thrive.
Dana Kearney
Registered Dietitian
Dana has helped young people address their nutrition challenges for nearly 20 years. Her vast experience includes newborns, weaning, solid food, picky eating habits, food sensitivities, and pediatric weight management. As a registered dietitian, she has expertise in pregnancy nutrition, disease prevention, diabetes, heart disease, and general wellness. Dana has a bachelor's degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Penn State and a master's degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Marywood University.
Rachel Gargano
Registered Dietitian
As a licensed dietitian, Rachel is particularly passionate about health and nutrition issues affecting babies, children, adolescents, pregnant women, and new mothers. A specialist in sports nutrition who has worked with many athletes during her 15-year career, Rachel earned her bachelor's degree in exercise science from Skidmore College and her master's degree in Nutrition Communications from Tufts University. She also holds certifications in breastfeeding support, maternal and infant nutrition, and sports dietetics.
Katie Wengryniuk
Registered Dietitian
Katie is a registered dietitian specializing in pediatrics, gastrointestinal disorders, weight management, and general wellness. She earned a bachelor's degree in Dietetics from the Ohio State University and a master's degree in Clinical Nutrition from Rush University. For nearly a decade, Katie worked and trained at the Cleveland Clinic, developing her specialty in pediatric nutrition at the Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital.
Annie McKenna
Registered Dietitian
A mother of 6, Annie uniquely caters to the pediatrics space, where she’s spent a decade of her 15-plus year career as a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist. She specializes in many lifecycle stages, such as infancy, childhood, and adolescence. Annie’s education includes a Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition from Rush University.
Callie Miller
Registered Dietitian
A Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist with 7-plus years of experience counseling clients, Callie has worked 2-plus years in pediatric nutrition. Callie expertly applies the knowledge obtained from her Master of Health Science in Nutrition at Western Carolina University, improving her pediatric clients’ lifelong relationship with food.
Crystal Scott
Registered Dietitian
For the entirety of Crystal’s 14-plus years in medical nutrition counseling, she’s worked in the pediatric space. Crystal is a Registered-Dietitian and earned a certified Specialization in Pediatric nutrition. Speaking further to Crystal’s nutrition-based expertise, she attended Washington State University to receive her Master’s degree in Dietetics, Nutrition, & Exercise Physiology.
Dima Salhoobi
Registered Dietitian
During the decade-plus Dima spent as a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist counseling across multicultural, diverse patient populations, she’s been in pediatrics the whole time. Nurturing Dima’s focus in this particular space is her Certificate of Training in Obesity for Pediatrics and Adults. Dina also went to Lehman College to earn her Master’s and Bachelor’s Degrees in Clinical Nutrition.
Danielle Smith
Registered Dietitian
Danielle’s been a Registered Dietitian in various settings for the past 8-plus years, including experience in the pediatric space. Among her many accreditations, Danielle successfully completed a Dietetic Internship at the University of Nevada and is certified as a Weight Loss Coach. She focuses on weight management, disordered eating, and chronic illnesses (e.g., SIBO/IBS).
Maria Elizabeth
Registered Dietitian
With 17 of her 20 years as a Registered Dietician-Nutritionist spent in pediatrics, Maria specializes in helping clients from infancy to adolescence. Her passion is for working one-on-one with people to improve their lifelong relationships with nutrition. Maria’s educational accreditations include a Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Science from Marywood University.
Ashley Paleocostas
Registered Dietitian
13 of Ashley’s 15 years of counseling experience as a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist have been spent in pediatrics. It’s the ideal avenue for her education at Long Island University, where Ashley earned her Bachelor's in Nutrition and certification in Pediatric and Adolescent Weight Management. Her primary area of focus is improving picky eating and helping manage the weight of pediatric clients.
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Help Your Child Thrive with Support from a Pediatric Nutrition Expert
Take our holistic health assessment
The first step is to provide answers to a few questions about your child's health and nutritional profile in our quick online assessment.
Free 15-minute nutrition consultation
One of our nutrition specialists will contact you for a complimentary 15-minute nutrition consultation. You'll explain what you're hoping to achieve from pediatric nutritional counseling, delve into the details of your child's dietary challenges, and discuss specific background and lifestyle factors.
Get matched to the right nutritionist
Based on your consultation, the nutrition specialist will compare your child's immediate goals and needs with the pediatric nutrition experts on our team. They'll choose the nutritionist with the most relevant skills, training, and experience to help your child reach their wellness objectives.
Work with a pediatric nutritionist in Houston to help your child develop sustainable healthy eating habits for life
Free matching service that finds you the right nutritionist
Based on your nutrition consultation and overall wellness objectives, we'll pair you with the ideal nutritionist for your child's unique health and nutrition needs.
Virtual consultations with your expert, at your pace
We'll support your child's progress by providing virtual nutrition counseling sessions at times that fit with your family's schedule.
Personalized nutrition and lifestyle plans
Even if you've tried to guide your child towards a healthy, varied diet and a positive relationship with food, numerous factors beyond your control can contribute to nutrition struggles, ranging from genetics to peer pressure to social media influences to busy schedules. Pediatric nutritionists are familiar with why young people struggle with their diet and overall wellness and can draw on their experiences to help children and adolescents with problems such as picky eating, weight management issues, and disordered eating. One-size-fits-all approaches rarely work for nutrition challenges, and you'll have far more success with an individualized strategy. A pediatric nutritionist will create a personalized plan for your child and equip you with the knowledge to encourage and demonstrate healthy habits at home.
Intro call with your nutritionist
During your introductory call, you'll get acquainted with your pediatric nutritionist. They'll present an overview of the personalized nutrition plan they have created for your child, allowing you to ensure that their approach and personality are a good fit for you and your child.
Benefits of Working with a Pediatric Nutritionist vs. Going It Alone
Trying to resolve your child's nutrition struggles can be a frustrating and demoralizing experience for parents. Without the proper nutrition training, you may not have the necessary tools to set your child on the path to a healthy diet and lifestyle, especially in serious cases involving food allergies, eating disorders, or excessive weight gain. On the other hand, our health professionals have helped hundreds of clients cultivate healthy relationships with food and find ways to work through their nutrition issues. Here are a few of the key benefits of working with a pediatric dietitian.
Infant Nutrition Support
Raising a baby is a beautiful, life-changing experience, but it's not always an easy journey. Due to stress, latching issues, limited milk supply, or infant health complications, many mothers struggle with breastfeeding. In other instances, babies with milk protein sensitivities may reject a series of nutritionally complete infant formulas. Feeding challenges can be utterly terrifying for new parents who want to ensure that their little one gets the essential nutrients they need to thrive in their earliest days. Our pediatric nutritionists (many of whom are certified breastfeeding specialists) can give detailed advice about the best way to feed your baby based on your particular circumstances – exclusive breastfeeding, combination feeding, or formula feeding. No matter how complicated the situation, they'll ensure that your little one receives the nourishment they need for a healthy start in life.
Early Detection of Food Allergies and Sensitivities
Some children have food intolerances that can go undetected for months or even years, potentially putting their safety at risk if they happen to get exposed to an unexpected allergen. Food allergies are particularly scary in young children who don't have the ability to verbalize how they feel around certain foods. Even in less dramatic cases, children may have an intolerance that causes them discomfort and would be easily detected by a pediatric nutritionist. Pediatric nutritionists have the training and experience to screen children for food allergies and sensitivities before these issues become serious problems, whether cow's milk protein allergy, lactose intolerance, celiac disease, or an egg or shellfish allergy. Our pediatric allergy experts can analyze both nutritional and behavioral clues to identify the potential problems in your child's diet.
Developing a Healthy Relationship with Food
Even if you've tried to guide your child towards a healthy, varied diet and a positive relationship with food, numerous factors beyond your control can contribute to nutrition struggles, ranging from genetics to peer pressure to social media influences to busy schedules. Pediatric nutritionists are familiar with why young people struggle with their diet and overall wellness and can draw on their experiences to help children and adolescents with problems such as picky eating, weight management issues, and disordered eating. One-size-fits-all approaches rarely work for nutrition challenges, and you'll have far more success with an individualized strategy. A pediatric nutritionist will create a personalized plan for your child and equip you with the knowledge to encourage and demonstrate healthy habits at home.
Our client outcomes
98%
Clients with IBS symptoms
reduced severity & frequency of IBS symptoms
89%
Clients wanting weight loss
sustained target weight for longer than 12 months
96%
Clients with diabetes
lowered their hb1ac levels and lost weight
87%
Clients with kidney disease
improved symptoms of kidney disease
Your Personal Nutritionist in Houston Is Just a Click Away
We want you to feel good about the decisions you make for your family. By choosing Top Nutrition Coaching, you're giving your child access to leading pediatric nutrition experts who have successfully guided hundreds of kids of all ages to positive health outcomes and a good relationship with food.
Availability
By choosing a telehealth platform like Top Nutrition Coaching, you can connect with pediatric nutritionists based all over the country, rather than just those in the Houston area. After your nutrition consultation, our nutrition specialist will match you with a licensed dietitian with relevant training and experience and immediate availability, so you won't have to wait to start your virtual nutrition counseling sessions. You'll choose either two or four sessions per month, at times that suit your schedule, and you'll attend all appointments from your own home – all you need is a device with an internet connection. Feel free to use our unlimited messaging service to contact your nutritionist whenever you have questions, day or night.
Qualifications
With Top Nutrition Coaching, you can feel confident that you'll be working with a highly qualified professional. Our nutritionists are registered dietitians with current licensure who have earned a bachelor's degree in dietetics, nutrition science, or a closely related subject. Most of them also have master's degrees and additional certifications in specializations like pediatrics, pregnancy nutrition, weight loss, diabetes, sports nutrition, oncology, and renal issues. They have all passed the Commission on Dietetic Registration exam to become registered dietitians. Our pediatric nutritionists have completed further studies to become experts on various topics such as breastfeeding, infant feeding issues, weaning, starting solid foods, food allergies, adolescent weight control, and more. Our nutritionists constantly expand their interests and update their skill sets through continuing professional education.
Reputation
Our mission is to match our clients with nutritionists who have the relevant knowledge, training, and experience to create personalized, easy-to-follow nutrition plans. Our rigorous, highly selective hiring process means that we invite fewer than 3% of the nutritionists who apply to work with us. Working with children and adolescents requires a nuanced approach, so we only hire pediatric nutritionists who have the empathy, professionalism, and creativity to work with families. Our pediatric nutritionists always consider the complex interplay of factors contributing to a child's nutrition challenges.
Experience
In addition to their academic qualifications, our licensed dietitians have substantial experience working with clients of all ages and backgrounds. They have worked in private practices, hospitals, clinics, university medical centers, sports clubs, nonprofit organizations, and many other healthcare settings. We expect our nutritionists to be able to show that they helped their previous clients achieve their nutrition objectives and find success on their wellness journey.
About Houston Specific Registered Dietitians
There are several steps that all registered dietitians must complete to earn that title. Registered dietitians who practice in the Houston area must also fulfill the requirements set out by the state of Texas.
- According to the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) requirements, all registered dietitians in Texas must complete a degree program in nutrition science (either a bachelor's or a master's) that has been accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).
- After completing the accredited degree program, the candidate must undergo a dietetic internship consisting of 1,200 hands-on hours in a clinical setting.
- After completing the dietetic internship, applicants must pass the CDR exam to become registered dietitians. They must also pass the Texas Jurisprudence Exam to practice in Texas.
- Registered dietitians in Texas must renew their registration every five years. During that time, they must complete 75 units of continuing professional education. Many registered dietitians use this requirement to develop their expertise in specializations like pediatrics, prenatal and postpartum, renal, disordered eating, or medical nutrition therapy. Registered dietitians must retake the Texas Jurisprudence Exam every two years to continue practicing in Texas.
Get Over the Houston Hurdles and Get Back to Health
Houston can be a wonderful place to raise a family, but living in the city can also be a challenge, especially for young people's health.
Pediatric obesity in Harris County
Pediatric obesity is one of the most significant health issues in both Houston and Harris County (and in the state of Texas). According to the Houston Department of Health and Human Services, 34% of Houston's kids aged 12 and over are overweight or obese. Many factors contribute to these alarming statistics, including a lack of physical activity, limited fresh food choices, genetics, and lifestyle challenges.
Sedentary habits and lack of physical activity
Many children don't get the amount of exercise needed to maintain a healthy weight. Unfortunately, today's kids often prefer sedentary activities like video games to sports and other outdoor activities. These habits can lead to excess weight gain in childhood and obesity in adulthood, and even lifelong complications such as asthma, heart disease, and diabetes.
Busy families and limited access to fresh, high-quality food
For parents juggling the demands of work, family, and other commitments, it's not always easy to prepare nutritious meals that everyone can enjoy. With picky eaters, various dietary requirements, distant supermarkets, and limited time, many families rely on the same food options because they are simpler and more accessible. Fast food and processed frozen dinners offer a quick way to get everyone fed, but these meal choices are usually high in calories and lack the nutrients children need for a balanced diet.
A nutritionist can help you get to grips with everyone's unique nutritional needs and assist you in finding ways to naturally incorporate healthy eating and sufficient physical activity into your family's usual routine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes an expert nutritionist?
An expert pediatric nutritionist will have the training and experience to customize a nutrition plan around your child's unique needs. In addition to completing the educational and professional requirements to become a registered dietitian, they will have the knowledge and flexibility to create an overall wellness strategy for your child that is easy to put into practice and enjoyable to maintain.
How much does a pediatric nutritionist cost in Houston?
The cost of a pediatric nutritionist in Houston can vary significantly based on education, experience, specializations, and type of practice. Many Houston nutritionists charge at least $90 for a one-hour session, although initial consultations frequently cost much more. The nutritionists at Top Nutrition Coaching set their own rates, which are very competitive compared to the pediatric dietitians in the Houston area.
What does a two-week risk-free trial mean?
We offer our clients two weeks to try out our services. After this initial period, if you feel that our virtual nutritional counseling sessions aren't beneficial for your child, you can cancel your participation and receive a full refund, entirely risk-free.
What does the nutrition specialist help with?
Our nutrition specialists have extensive training and know which questions to ask to find out about your child's specific nutrition needs. Based on your consultation, they'll decide which of our pediatric dietitians has the ideal training, specializations, experience, and approach to work with your child.
What if I don't like the recommendations the nutrition specialist provides?
Although our nutrition specialists are excellent at pairing clients with nutritionists, incompatibilities or other issues can sometimes arise during your initial consultation. If you aren't happy with your pediatric dietitian, please let us know, and we will find you a different specialist who is a better fit.
Full Transparency Pros and Cons
We firmly believe that Top Nutrition Coaching's personalized nutrition counseling sessions are an incredible way to facilitate your child's development. Still, there are other options available when it comes to nutrition guidance. Here are some of the pros and cons of alternative resources.
In-Person Pediatric Nutritionists
Pros
- In-person nutritionists may be able to perform specific exams and diagnostic tests that aren't possible with a virtual consultation.
- If your child has a serious medical condition, your insurance provider may cover the cost of in-person nutritionist visits, as long as the nutritionist is in your network.
Cons
- By limiting yourself to in-person nutritionists, you'll have to find one with availability in the Houston area or go on a waiting list.
- Rather than attending a virtual consultation at a convenient time from the comfort of your own home, you and your child will need to travel to meet with your in-person nutritionist. This can be incredibly challenging if you need to fit your appointments around work and caregiving commitments.
- Very few in-person nutritionists have the technology or inclination to offer live out-of-hours advice and messaging services.
Online Meal Plans
Pros
- Some online meal plans offer special meals for individuals with specific diets such as vegan, dairy-free, or gluten-free.
- Online meal plans may save you time by eliminating the need for meal planning and grocery shopping.
Cons
- Online meal plans usually don't factor in your child's health profile, including age, activity level, food sensitivities, and medical conditions.
- With trendy buzzwords like "clean eating" and "real foods," online meal plans are almost always designed for adults and don't cater to the precise nutritional needs of children and adolescents.
- Some online meal plans are marketed to customers with a special interest in weight loss. Severely limiting calories is an unsustainable way to lose weight and is harmful to young people and their developing bodies.
Online Nutrition Resources
Pros
- If you have the time, you can find a significant amount of nutrition information online, from government agencies with a nutrition focus, such as the CDC, and nonprofit medical organizations like the Mayo Clinic.
Cons
- Although many reputable sites offer useful and accurate information written by health professionals, there are numerous biased and misleading sites that promote an agenda or try to sell a product.
- Even if you conduct your own nutrition research, you won't have the formal training or experience to design a nutrition plan for your child, especially if they have complex health needs.
- Becoming a nutrition expert on your own is a very time-consuming endeavor, and most parents don't have the opportunity to devote several hours a day to reading online textbooks and nutrition science journals.
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