Who We Are

Nutrition Services are provided by Registered Dietitians. Dietitians are University trained, healthcare professionals who are regulated by Provincial College standards, much like Registered Nurses, Physicians or Pharmacists. The Dietitian is a member of your Family Health Team and is knowledgeable about many different diseases and conditions for ALL ages. Dietitians spend a lot of time keeping up with the latest research and nutrition news to ensure you have accurate information you can understand. Dietitians will help you to enjoy a variety of foods and lasting good health wherever you live, work and play!

Service Overview

Many people associate Dietitians with ‘dieting’, this is far from the truth! Dietitians love to promote healthy lifestyle changes that include great tasting foods that are also very good for you! When you come to see us, we will listen to your concerns and provide you with the information you need to properly self-manage your specific health conditions and concerns. We can also help you set goals to improve your overall health.

The Barrie and Community Family Health Team Registered Dietitian’s are here to support and work with you through the changes you will make, providing guidance and little tips to make things easier! Here are just some of the areas that a Registered Dietitian can help with:

• Healthy eating and balanced nutrition
• Improving daily energy levels
• Weight management
• Lowering cholesterol
• Reducing blood pressure
• Managing blood sugars
• Heartburn, kidney stones, and gout
• Celiac Disease, IBS, Crohn’s, Colitis
• Nutrition for healthy pregnancy
• Reviewing your vitamin/mineral supplements
• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCAS)
• Food allergies
• Anemia
• Vegetarian and vegan diets
• Pediatric nutrition (picky eaters, growth failure)
• Diabetes Management

If you are interested in seeing one of our skilled Registered Dietitians, please speak with your Physician or Nurse Practitioner.

Appointment Information

To schedule an appointment with one of our Register, please have your Physician or Nurse Practitioner. forward us a referral. Once the referral has been received, we will call you to schedule your first appointment. You are welcome to bring a family member or support person with you to your visit. The initial visit will take approximately 1 hour and the follow-up sessions are 20 to 30 minutes in length. Both in-person and telephone appointments are available. The Dietitian will work with you to develop a healthier lifestyle plan for your specific health or nutrition concern.

During your appointment, the Registered Dietitian will:

• Review your personal health history
• Discuss your current eating habits
• Answer any questions you have about your health condition, proper nutrition, and supplements
• Work with you to set realistic goals so that you can achieve the best results for your health
• Depending on the reason for your referral, you may also be encouraged to attend a group Information Session.

Please download and complete the 3-day food record prior to your initial visit.  This food record will help the dietitian assess your daily food choices and provide you with individual recommendations that are suited to your likes and lifestyle.

In some cases, you may be offered a group session with the Registered Dietitian prior to your 1-on-1 visit. Group information sessions are taught in person or on Zoom with ample time for questions and discussion with the group and dietitian. Please note, you will not be asked to share personal information.

Educational Group Sessions

All visits to the Registered Dietitian are covered by OHIP. To help us better manage the large volume of referrals we receive, group information sessions are offered to patients with common health concerns such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. In the group sessions, you will get the same (and sometimes more) information that you would get in a one-on-one visit. These sessions are led by our Registered Dietitians in collaboration with other health care professionals and provide opportunity for discussion and questions. After attending the session, one-on-one follow-up visits are also available to further support you in reaching your health goals.

Group sessions are currently available in-person and virtually via Zoom. To view the list of upcoming sessions, please select the ‘Info Sessions’ heading at the top of the page or call 705-721-0370 x2907.

Nutrition Screening Tool for Children

NutriStep is a fast and simple way to screen for eating habits and identify nutrition issues in children. Speak to your health care provider if you are interested in having your child assessed. In less than 10 minutes, parents or caregivers can complete the online questionnaire, receive immediate feedback on “What is Going Well” and “What to Work On”, and be linked to healthy eating resources and community services.   

Virtual Nutrition

Click here to access our Virtual Nutrition information page.