Registered Dietitian in St. Albert & Edmonton. Nutrition counselling for children, teens, & adults

A registered dietitian (RD) is a regulated health professional and food-and-nutrition expert who turns the science of nutrition into practical, personalized advice you can actually use. Rather than handing out a generic meal plan, a dietitian looks at your full picture — your health history, eating patterns, lab results, lifestyle, and goals — and builds a realistic plan around them.

At Ruby Therapy, our registered dietitian provides medical nutrition therapy for things like managing a chronic condition, supporting a child's growth and feeding, navigating allergies or digestive issues, weight management, and prenatal or seniors' nutrition. Sessions are one-on-one and tailored to your stage of life — we work with children, teens, adults, and seniors.

Across most of Canada, "dietitian" is a protected title that requires a university degree, supervised practical training, a national exam, and ongoing professional regulation. The title "nutritionist," by contrast, means different things in different provinces — in many places it isn't regulated at all.

Alberta is one of the few provinces where "nutritionist" is also a protected title. Here, a Registered Dietitian and a Registered Nutritionist are held to the same standard and are both regulated by the College of Dietitians of Alberta. The practical takeaway: in Alberta, look for the words "Registered Dietitian" or "Registered Nutritionist" to be confident your provider is qualified and accountable. Titles like "holistic nutritionist" are not regulated. Every dietitian at Ruby Therapy is fully registered.

At Ruby Therapy, dietitian sessions start at $103 for a 40-minute appointment or $155 for a full hour. Each session includes direct time with your dietitian plus indirect time for reviewing your history, planning, and documentation, so the plan you leave with is built specifically for you.

Fees at other Alberta clinics vary by session length and by whether you are seeing a Registered Dietitian. Many people find the investment worthwhile because individualized nutrition advice cuts down on trial-and-error, supports a medical treatment plan, and can help prevent costly complications later. To book or ask about fees, contact our team.

Dietitian services are not covered by Alberta Health Care, but most extended health insurance plans include coverage for a Registered Dietitian. Check your plan for a "registered dietitian" benefit and note any annual maximum.

Ruby Therapy does not direct bill, so you pay at the time of your appointment and receive a detailed receipt to submit to your insurer for reimbursement. Families of children with disabilities may also be able to access funding through FSCD (Family Support for Children with Disabilities). If you're not sure what applies to you, contact us and we'll help you sort out your options.

No — you do not need a doctor's referral to see a dietitian in Alberta. You can self-refer and book directly with Ruby Therapy.

The one thing worth checking: some extended health plans ask for a physician's referral before they will reimburse you, even though it isn't required to access care. If you plan to claim the cost through insurance, confirm your policy's requirements first so your sessions are eligible.

Yes. Ruby Therapy's Registered Dietitian serves families throughout Edmonton, St. Albert, and the surrounding communities — including Sherwood Park, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Morinville, and Fort Saskatchewan. Our clinic is located at 7 St Anne St #104 in St. Albert, just minutes from northwest Edmonton.

Whether you're in central Edmonton or a nearby town, you can book an in-person appointment at our St. Albert office or choose a virtual session. Contact us to find a time that works for your family.

Yes — we offer secure virtual (online) dietitian appointments to anyone located anywhere in Alberta. For most nutrition goals, virtual counselling can be just as effective as meeting in person, and it removes travel time so sessions fit more easily around work, school, and family life.

All you need is a private space and an internet connection. That means whether you live in Edmonton, St. Albert, Red Deer, Calgary, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge, or a rural community, you can work with our dietitian. Contact us to book a virtual visit.

It can be worth seeing a dietitian when a child has feeding or growth concerns that day-to-day strategies aren't resolving. Common reasons families come in include very selective or "picky" eating, slow weight gain or growth, food allergies and intolerances, constipation or other digestive troubles, iron or other nutrient concerns, and managing nutrition around a medical diagnosis.

A pediatric dietitian can reassure you when things are on track and step in with a practical plan when they're not. For everyday guidance, the Canadian Paediatric Society's advice on healthy eating for children is a helpful starting point, and our dietitian services are here when you'd like individualized support.

A pediatric dietitian specializes in the nutrition needs of babies, children, and teens — a stage when eating habits and growth set the foundation for lifelong health. They assess a child's growth, eating patterns, and any medical or developmental factors, then coach families with realistic, low-pressure strategies.

Typical areas include introducing solids, expanding a limited diet, supporting healthy growth, managing allergies, and easing mealtime stress. A key principle is the division of responsibility: caregivers decide what and when food is offered, while the child decides whether and how much to eat. When feeding challenges overlap with sensory or oral-motor difficulties, our dietitian can work alongside occupational therapy.

Yes. Most young children go through phases of selective eating, and a dietitian can help you tell the difference between typical picky eating and a pattern that needs more support. For everyday pickiness, the focus is on reducing mealtime pressure, offering new foods repeatedly without forcing, and keeping meals calm and social.

ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) is more intense — a very limited range of foods, strong reactions to textures or smells, or eating so restricted that growth or nutrition is affected. This benefits from a coordinated approach. Our dietitian addresses the nutrition side, while occupational therapy can help with the sensory and oral-motor pieces. The Cleveland Clinic explains how ARFID differs from ordinary picky eating.

Adolescence brings rapid growth, busy schedules, and a lot of outside influence on how teens eat, so it's a common time for nutrition questions. A dietitian can help with fuelling for sports, vegetarian or vegan eating done well, managing acne or energy levels, supporting a teen with a medical condition, and building independent cooking and grocery skills.

A dietitian is also valuable when food and body image become a source of stress. We provide steady, non-judgmental guidance and watch for early signs of disordered eating, coordinating with teen counselling when emotional support would help. For general direction, the American Academy of Pediatrics outlines a teenager's nutritional needs.

Yes — digestive health is one of the most common reasons people see a dietitian. For irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a dietitian can guide you through evidence-based approaches like a structured low-FODMAP trial and reintroduction, so you identify your triggers without cutting out foods unnecessarily.

For inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, nutrition plays an important supporting role in managing symptoms, preventing deficiencies, and eating well during both flares and remission. Crohn's and Colitis Canada emphasizes individualized dietary support, which is exactly what a Registered Dietitian provides. Reach out to get started.

Absolutely — this is one of the highest-impact reasons to see a dietitian. If you've been told you have prediabetes, nutrition and lifestyle changes are the most effective tools you have. Diabetes Canada notes that modest, sustained changes — including losing around 5% of body weight when appropriate — can substantially lower the risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes.

A dietitian helps you put that into practice without fad diets: balancing carbohydrates across the day, adding fibre and plant proteins, managing portions, and finding changes you can keep. For those already living with type 2 diabetes, we help fine-tune eating to support blood-sugar targets alongside your medical care. Book a session to build your plan.

Yes. Nutrition is a core part of managing many chronic conditions, and a Registered Dietitian provides medical nutrition therapy tailored to your diagnosis and the rest of your care. For inflammatory conditions like arthritis, that may mean an anti-inflammatory pattern of eating and support with healthy weight to reduce strain on joints.

For kidney disease, heart disease, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure, a dietitian helps you adjust things like sodium, protein, potassium, or saturated fat to the right level for your situation — safely, and without making food joyless. The goal is always a plan that fits your real life. Contact us to talk through your needs.

Nutrition needs shift with age. Appetite and the senses of taste and smell often decline, some nutrients become harder to absorb, and the body needs more protein to maintain muscle and prevent falls. As Dietitians of Canada notes, nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12 become harder to get enough of and deserve extra attention in later life, while protein, fibre, and fluids matter for maintaining strength and staying well.

A dietitian can help seniors address poor appetite or unplanned weight loss, prevent malnutrition, manage chronic conditions through food, work around chewing or swallowing changes, and review how medications interact with nutrition. We also support older adults through our senior screenings. The aim is to keep eating enjoyable while protecting strength and independence.

No. Dietitians do not prescribe medications — only a physician or nurse practitioner can prescribe Ozempic or similar medications. But a dietitian plays an important role for anyone taking or considering one.

Working with a dietitian helps you manage common side effects like nausea, preserve muscle mass while losing weight, get enough protein and key nutrients on a reduced appetite, and — most importantly — build eating habits that keep results sustainable if the medication is ever stopped. Medication and nutrition counselling work best together. Reach out to learn how we can support your goals.

5-2-1-0 is an easy-to-remember guideline for healthy daily habits in children:

• 5 — servings of vegetables and fruit
• 2 — hours or less of recreational screen time
• 1 — hour or more of active play
• 0 — sugary drinks (choose water and milk instead)

It's a simple frame for families, not a strict prescription. In line with the American Academy of Pediatrics' guidance on healthy, active living, the real goal is a consistent pattern of balanced meals, plenty of movement, and limited sugary drinks. If you'd like help tailoring this to a specific child, our dietitian can build a realistic plan.

Ruby Therapy Services is located at 7 St Anne St #104, St. Albert, AB, just minutes from northwest Edmonton. We provide in-person dietitian appointments here and virtual sessions across the province.

We proudly serve St. Albert, Edmonton, and the surrounding region — including Sherwood Park, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Morinville, and Fort Saskatchewan — as well as anyone anywhere in Alberta through secure online care. To book in person or virtually, contact us or call (587) 410-9791.