Good nutrition is central to the growth and development of all children. At Children’s Minnesota, our team of more than 20 registered and licensed dietitian nutritionists provide care for infants, children and teens with a wide variety of conditions, and spans across multiple specialty clinics and patient populations.
March is National Nutrition Month, the perfect time to extend our gratitude and appreciation to our dietitian nutritionists for all they do. Thank you for your commitment to partnering with families and medical providers to promote the best nutrition for each child!
To celebrate, we’re excited to introduce you to Kara Sommerfeld, RD, LD, CEDS. Kara is a dietitian with the Center for Treatment of Eating Disorders (CTED) and has worked at Children’s Minnesota for 4.5 years.
Get to know Kara!
Can you describe your typical day?
“My typical day includes supporting structured meals for kids in CTED, rounding with a multidisciplinary team, completing assessments and reassessments on patients, and educating families on nutrition as they transition to home. I also develop nutrition plans for all of our eating disorder patients to make sure they are getting nutrition in a safe and effective way.”
What inspired you to work in pediatric nutrition?
“Pediatric nutrition is so much more complex and nuanced than clinical nutrition in an adult setting! I also love that you get to impact kids and families at a young age, when they are growing and developing their own ideas and habits, and really help shape their thoughts on nutrition.”
What do you want patients, families and/or staff to know about the work you do?
“There is still such a stigma around eating disorders and other mental health diagnoses, which can make it even more challenging for families to seek treatment. I think it’s so important for people to know that mental health is health, and we treat it as such here.”
Do you have a favorite memory from working at Children’s Minnesota?
“It’s definitely the first time I got a hug from a patient. Our patients often experience significant stress around eating, and having this kiddo open up and feel connected enough to ask for a hug was really great.”
What is your favorite or most used nutrition tip?
“It’s definitely that all foods have a place in our lives. If you’re not allergic to it or have a medical diagnosis that requires a specific diet, it’s okay to eat everything!”
