Healthcare Providers: Food and Nutrition Referral Resoures
Food and Nutrition for Black Female Adolescents
Nutrition is a significant part of managing our health and wellness as people. When managing obesity, access to nutritious food options is crucial for patient success.
In a 2017 Brief on Racial & Ethnic Health Disparities, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics states that:
It is essential to address the root causes of health inequality by looking at the Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) that play a role in obesity and its treatment. These root causes of health disparities must be addressed to achieve health equity.
Food Supports
Nutrition and Whole Body Wellness
making Food & Nutrition Choices
Plate-by-plate
The Plate-By-Plate-Approach
An easy recommendation for portion control to patients, created by a Registered Dietitian
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Key Components:
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50% Grains/Starches: Bread, rice, pasta, or potatoes.
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25% Protein: Meat, fish, tofu, beans, or eggs.
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25% Fruits/Vegetables: Raw or cooked.
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Add-ons: A serving of dairy (milk, yogurt) and healthy fats (avocado, oils, nuts) are included.​​
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Making Food & Nutrition Choice: Nutrition guide
​Nutrition and Health Guides for Teens
A guide created for teens from a division of the National Institute of Health. A helpful resource for patients which you can reference for review.
making Food & Nutrition Choices - choose my plate
​​Choose My Plate
​Patients can create a Personalised Plate based on their individual factors/background
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*REMEMBER these are estimates; please provide specifics discussed with your patients for adjustments as needed. ​
Black Girls eat
Black Girls Eat seeks to be a supportive space for Black adolescents and women of all body types and sizes.
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Black Girls Eat
It also Provides Plant-Based recipes, shopping ideas, and advice to help families transition to a healthier lifestyle.​
Why tangible food & nutrition support support matters:
Rember! The care that teens get is largely impressionable and also requires hand-on recomendations, and awareness.
Ferring teens to appropriate food and nutrition resources is important for their success in the weight loss journey.
1. Disparities in Access
Black families, including adolescent girls are impacted by a number of issues related to their Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), and often struggle with things such as:
1. Being able to financially afford foods being recommended
2. Being able to physically and conveniently access the food
3. Having access to knowledge of healthy nutritional habits or parents with them
2 . Risk of Developing Poor Nutritional Habits
Without genuine and informed support from their healthcare team, Black adolescent girls are at risk with having a higher level of scrutiny in the media, poor understanding of the connection between food and behavior; and and lack of knowledge about how to possibly adapt cultural foods to work in a balanced meal plan.
3 . Diet is a larger factor in weight
What we eat plays a large role in our weight. So for teens, having a balanced diet that is enjoyable, personal, and considers a person's available resources (particularly a teen who has limitations), is essential to making progress.