Meal Plans & Personal Trainers

Let’s talk meal plans.
To no fault of the clients’, there’s a common misconception about personal trainers and their ability to prescribe/ distribute meal plans….probably because so many personal trainers choose to create and sell meal plans, despite this being ILLEGAL.
Unless your PT is also a registered dietitian, they should NOT be selling you prescribed meal plans. I’m talking the kind of meal plans that tell you what to eat, how much, & when to eat it.
So what CAN personal trainers do?
-Encourage clients to eat more lean protein and nutrient rich vegetables.
-Educate clients about the benefits of protein, healthy fats, and other macronutrients.
-Educate clients about the principles of good nutrition and provide them with coaching to improve their eating habits.
-Help clients choose the right foods to eat before and after workouts.
-Offer clients recipes or food prep skills.
-Let clients know about evidence-based nutritional supplements that might augment their healthy lifestyle.
(Above info found on precisionnutrition.com)
For example:
Trainers CANNOT prescribe a diet to treat someone’s obesity.
Trainers CAN share nutrition ideas to support the client’s healthy lifestyle.
See the difference?
I am happy to provide nutritional guidance to my clients and teach the basics of nutrition. BUT, if you are looking for specific meal plans, I will ALWAYS suggest you seek out a Registered Dietitian. Trainers DO NOT receive the same education on nutrition that RDs do!
Because I regularly receive meal plan requests, I wanted to write this post to inform more people about personal trainers’ role with this. I hope this helps!