“It’s About Making Food More Accessible”
Hundreds of dietitians gather – and play – at Dietitians Unite. Photography by Mary Miller Media.
From a NutriBullet on the breakfast table to emotional support chicken nuggets, here’s what caught our attention at Dietitians Unite.
Flanked by Sydney’s Darling Harbour, Jones Bay Wharf’s Doltone House serves a delicious spread for conference attendees. This time, it was avocado and feta on toast, topped with a perfect poached egg, accompanied by fresh fruit. Some of which found its way into paediatric dietitian Kate Dehlsen’s NutriBullet.
Opening this year’s Dietitians Unite Conference with a breakfast session on ‘De-mystifying blenderised tube feeding’, after sliding her serve of avo, feta and eggs on toast into her blender – soaking the toast in milk first, for good measure – Kate demonstrated just how casual and uncomplicated this diet can be.
Kate Dehlsen with The Blend editor, Melanie Dimmitt.
She also introduced us to one of her clients, an almost-two-year-old boy she calls Mr A. Speaking at an event that attracts hundreds of dietitians from across the country – and a few international attendees – the gastroenterology nutrition-focused dietitian walked through her process, from referral onwards, of supporting this family to introduce blended feeds.
Kate shared that she watched Mr A go from flat, lethargic and vomiting several times a day to playful, engaged and, during their consults, pinching car keys out of her handbag. She also passed on this message from Mr A’s mother.
“She said parents – particularly mums – often feel like failures, desperate and broken when having a child that is different to what we’ve always dreamt about, and the children our friends have. Please go gently with us and acknowledge and allow us to have a voice in decision-making as we know our child best.”
Checking in for a day of learning, connection and a whole lot of food. Photography by Mary Miller Media.
The Blend was excited to be invited to attend this year’s conference, hosted by Dietitian Connection, a network offering education, support and camaraderie for more than 60,000 dietitians around the world. Unsurprisingly, as part of a packed agenda, we were especially interested in Kate’s contribution.
When asked what proportion of her clientele have blends as part of their enteral diet, she shared that at least half, if not two thirds, of the tube-fed kids she sees at Sydney Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Specialist Centre in Randwick are in this cohort.
“I think just a lot of parents want to do it – one, because it makes sense, we’re all supposed to eat a variety of food every day. And I think parents want to feel that they can provide something [non-medical] for their child in a very medicalised world.”
Playing out across various spaces on Sydney’s historic Finger Wharf, expert speakers explored both paediatric and adult dietetics in a wide range of contexts, from private-practice building to GLP-1s, pain management, eating disorders and dementia.
Hearing from chefs working in aged care, catering to people with conditions like dysphagia with an emphasis on dignity – right down to cute crockery – was another point of interest for The Blend. As was a session on supporting neurodivergent children and their families, led by dietitian Megan Jones – who arrived at the podium with her “emotional support chicken nuggets” plush toy in hand.
Megan Jones was not shy about her comfort item. Photography by Mary Miller Media.
“I feel like in a lot of dietetic training, there’s a lot of emphasis on the importance of family meals,” says Megan, founder of Quirky Dietetics, proud AuDHDer and parent to an 11-year-old neurodivergent child, herself.
“I actually spend a lot of time working with families to try to remove some of the shame that they might feel around family meals… It’s about making food more accessible and reducing pressure.”
Megan explained that, generally, neurotype is inheritable.
“Really inheritable. If you have ADHD, there’s about 80 or 90 per cent chance of your kids having it too,” she says.
“Sitting at the dinner table at night, when everybody’s ADHD medication is wearing off, it’s a sensory nightmare. So it’s important to reassess, what are we actually aiming for here? If it’s regulation, I’ve got some families that are very happy eating in individual bedrooms. We don’t put so much focus on the family meal and we look at other ways of connection.”
Exhibitors brought the energy and many, many samples for snacking. Photography by Mary Miller Media.
While it made sense that, at this particular event, food was enjoyed at every opportunity, it was, above all, a celebration of community. Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea were served amid a flurry of exhibitors, feeling more buzzing market than conference hall.
In a day bookended by compelling keynote speakers Michelle Bowden and Peter Merrett, with a cocktail party concluding the festivities, Dietitians Unite made something very clear. This is an industry moving toward more flexibility, more family voices – and more readiness to meet people where they are.
We’re already looking forward to next year.