Nutrition Counseling Clinic at Parnassus
At the UCSF Nutrition Counseling Clinic, registered dietitians provide dietary assessments and nutrition counseling to help treat and prevent disease. We individualize nutrition counseling sessions to meet your needs and optimize your well-being.
In addition to the services available at our clinic, patients can access on-site nutrition assessments and counseling at many of UCSF's adult and pediatric specialty clinics.
For adult patients interested in weight loss, UCSF offers a Weight Management Program through the general internal medicine department. The pediatric weight management program, Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health, is available through the pediatric department.
Common conditions in which nutritional intervention plays an important role include:
- Obesity
- High cholesterol and other lipid disorders
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Congestive heart failure
- Liver or kidney disease
- Digestive disorders such as celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease, as well as constipation, heartburn and more general digestive problems
- Food allergies and intolerances
- Inadequate nutrition
- Pregnancy and other women's health issues
Our Services
During counseling sessions, the dietitian will provide:
- Assessment of your current eating habits and medical conditions
- Nutrition recommendations based on current scientific evidence
- Strategies to help you achieve a healthy and balanced diet
- Individualized meal planning guidelines
- Medical nutrition therapy (the management of medical conditions through nutritional intervention)
General Nutrition Counseling
For patients without a medical condition, the UCSF Nutrition Counseling Clinic also offers nutrition counseling to promote wellness and help prevent disease. This service does not require a referral from your physician or nurse practitioner. These appointments are self-pay only. Please call the clinic for more information.
Learn more about nutrition in our Patient Education section.
Insurance
A physician's referral is required to obtain services for medical nutrition therapy in the Nutrition Counseling Clinic. The referral form can be downloaded here. Once completed, the referral can be faxed to (415) 502-2689 or submitted via the electronic medical record. Once a referral is made, insurance preauthorization is needed to make an appointment.
When preauthorization is complete, patients will receive a scheduling ticket through MyChart. Alternatively, patients who know their preauthorization is complete may contact our Call Center at (415) 353-4174 to make an appointment. A referral is valid for up to a year from the date the referral was ordered.
Some insurance plans do not cover nutrition counseling for medical nutrition therapy. If yours does not, you may receive a bill for your appointment. Discounts of up to 70% are available for self-pay patients. If you have questions, please call the UCSF Nutrition Counseling Clinic at (415) 353-2291.
Doctor referral required
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Plan your visit
What to Bring
- For medical nutrition therapy, a written referral from your doctor or nurse practitioner is required. Please bring the referral to your appointment, if it hasn't already been mailed or faxed to the appropriate UCSF Nutrition Counseling Clinic. By law, you must have a written referral to receive medical nutrition therapy.
- A copy of the results of any recent lab tests if they were performed somewhere other than at UCSF. Or ask your doctor to fax lab results to us at (415) 514-4359.
- A three-day food record: Before your visit, write down everything you eat and drink for three consecutive days, if possible
- Please make note of the clinic location for your appointment
