Nutrition Classes & Seminars

All classes/seminars are presented by Heather Marko MS, RD, LD, CSSD. Not seeing a topic you’re interested in? Feel free to email us at nutrition@potomacpediatrics.com with any questions!

NOTE: These events are offered exclusively to the patients of Potomac Pediatrics

Disclaimer: Tickets are non-refundable. Your insurance will be billed for this seminar. If your child does not have nutritional benefits the ticket price will cover a portion of the cost of your attendance. Cost of attendance is $30 maximum if you do not have nutrition benefits through your insurance carrier. Any remaining balance beyond your ticket price will be charged to your credit card on file. If your insurance remits payment to Potomac Pediatrics your $10 ticket will be applied to your copay if applicable or credited back to your patient account. This varies by insurance carrier and policy. Should you miss the class your ticket is not refundable, and an additional fee will be due.

Peanut Butter Party

Are you having a stressful time with the thought of or actually introducing potentially allergenic foods to your baby? Rather than sitting in our parking lot and hoping for the best, we invite you to join us for our Peanut Butter Party! Just bring your baby, and feeding supplies (including food) with you and we will be on hand for guidance and support in the unlikely event that medical intervention is required.

This session will be lead by our very own dietitian Heather Marko, and one of our highly experienced triage and clinical team members; Nurse Nicole, who just so happens to also be a mother of a child with food allergies.

Please be advised that this session is geared towards infants and toddlers that are developmentally prepared to eat solid foods. If your baby has severe eczema and/or egg allergies please contact advicenurse@potomacpediatrics.com prior to registering for this event. Your child should have been introduced to 2-3 foods prior to attending this event.

While the name of the seminar implies it is solely for the introduction of peanuts, parents are welcome to introduce any of the major allergens they may be anxious about. Here are some ideas of what you could bring with you to introduce:

Potential Allergen Foods:

• Egg – Hardboiled egg, scrambled egg
• Milk – Pudding, dry milk powder mixed into a food of choice, yogurt
• Wheat Toast strip, small bits of cooked pasta
• Soy – Tofu, edamame cooked soft and mashed, soy flour mixed into a food of choice
• Peanuts – Peanut powder mixed into a food of choice, thin layer peanut butter on toast, peanut butter diluted with water until thin (1:1 ratio)
• Tree Nuts – Almond / Cashew butter diluted with water until thin (1:1 ratio), thin layer almond / cashew butter on toast

Please Remember: only one allergen is to be introduced at this workshop and your child should be eating a couple of other solid foods first.

Ideal Ages: 4 months – 9 months

Please reserve 1 ticket per parent/baby.

Oct 26th @ 2pm: Click here to register

Smart Supplementation

Tired of wasting your money and time on supplements that have no benefit? Join us to enhance your knowledge and debunk the misconceptions around supplements. During this time, you can expect to review:

Topics Covered:

1. How to identify quality and safe products
2. Who is a good candidate for supplementation
3. Common supplements during adolescence
4. Nutritional shakes, vitamins/minerals, & so much more!

Ages: 2+

Sports Nutrition Series

The Sports Nutrition Series is designed to cover key factors that should be considered when fueling young athletes. After engaging in this 4 part series you should feel confident in your ability to assist your child in achieving their performance goals.

Session 1: Carbohydrates

1. Simple Carbohydrates vs. Complex Carbohydrates
2. Carbohydrate Needs
3. Carbohydrate Periodization
4. Protein

Session 2: Proteins 

1. Complete Protein vs. Incomplete Protein
2. Protein Needs
3. Protein Periodization

Session 3: Hydration/Electrolytes

1. Types of Fluids & Electrolytes
2. Timing & Quantity
3. How to Assess Hydration Status

Session 4: Recovery Nutrition

1. Carbohydrates, Protein, & Healthy Fats
2. Hydration Considerations
3. Anti-Inflammatory Considerations: Omega-3’s, tart cherry, turmeric

Ages: 10yrs and up

Picky Eating

“He’ll only eat noodles with butter”, “They won’t eat anything green”, “Bananas used to be her favorite, now she won’t even touch them”. If these statements remind you of your child, you most likely have a picky eater on your hands. Picky eating is common for many children, it’s simply another step in the process of growing up and becoming independent. Join us to figure out how to navigate these tricky times!

Topics Covered:

1. Typical behaviors
2. How to cope with picky eating
3. Trying new foods

Ages: 2 – 8yrs

Mental Health & Nutrition

Join us to find out how food and gastrointestinal health play a huge role in your mental health!

Topics Covered:

1. The link between diet and brain health
2. How the gut microbiome can influence the link between diet and brain health
3. Practical considerations for incorporating current evidence

Ages: 14yrs+

Intuitive Eating 

In today’s world the pursuit of thinness has been ingrained in our society. These ideals have manifested in our children, leading to dieting, disordered eating, and eating disorders. This disturbing trend not only does not work but is also the root of many other problems. We are all born intuitive eaters but external forces skew our internal signals and our relationship with food. Join us to help your child embrace and awaken the intuitive eater!

Topics Covered:

1. What kind of eater are you?
2. Steps to awakening the intuitive eater
3. Respect your body & honor your health

Ages: ALL

Nutrition & Immunity

Immunity has been a hot topic as of recent. While nutrition cannot prevent illness from happening it can decrease the severity and duration of that illness. Join us to find out how diet and lifestyle choices can positively impact immune function!

Topics Covered:

1. Key Macronutrients
2. Key Micronutrients
3. Supplementation considerations

Ages: 10yrs+

Vegetarian/Vegan Diets

Vegetarian and vegan diets can be very diverse because of the variety of food choices and the different factors that motivate people to make these lifestyle choices. A well-planned diet containing vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, & seeds can provide adequate nutrition. However, adopting a vegetarian diet may cause a reduced intake of certain nutrients. Join us to find out if a vegetarian, vegan, or hybrid diet is right for you and your family!

Topics Covered:

1. Nutrient considerations
2. Appropriateness from pregnancy – adolescence
3. Therapeutic effects of diet & chronic disease

Ages: ALL

Empowering Young Women Through Nutrition

Young women need a balanced diet to fuel their active bodies and minds. Hormonal changes and lifestyle changes can interrupt normal nutrition patterns. Misinformation can also influence food choices and promote an unhealthy body image. Join us to gain a greater understanding of your body and develop healthy habits for life!

Topics Covered:

1. Tips to eat healthfully
2. Strategies to alleviate symptoms of PMS
3. Promoting positive body image

Ages: 12+

Healthy Bones

Now is the time to build your child’s bone “bank account”! Many nutrients work together to provide the framework for healthy bones. Join us to learn how solid nutrition can promote solid bones.

Topics Cover:

1. Calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin K
2. Physical Activity
3. Bad-for-Bone Actions

Ages: All

Food Allergies

A food allergy occurs when the immune system fails to develop tolerance to harmless food proteins and responds as if they were harmful. Food allergy is defined as an adverse health effect arising from a specific immune response that occurs from exposure to a given food. Join us to learn about the most common food allergies and how to navigate the introduction of these allergens.

Topics Covered:

1. The big 8 (Food Allergens)
2. When to introduce and how much
3. Navigating solid foods & label reading

Ages: 0-8 months