I was recently quite frustrated by hearing “dietitians don’t know anything about celiac disease”.  Truth is, if you feel this way, you just haven’t found the right dietitian.  Finding the right dietitian is similar to visiting a physician specialist; you wouldn’t visit a cardiologist if you were having gastrointestinal symptoms.  A dietitian who specializes in cardiovascular health will likely not be up-to-date on all things gluten free.  Yes, they probably will know the basics but you may not come away feeling 100% satisfied with your visit.

A little research up front to get to the right dietitian can make all the difference.  Individuals with celiac disease can benefit from counseling from a registered dietitian who is uniquely qualified to help people follow a special diet while also  meeting all their other nutritional needs.  Check out these resources to find a celiac/gluten-free specialist dietitian in your area:

http://www.glutenfreedietitian.com/newsletter/dietitians-specializing-in-celiac-disease/

http://www.gluten.net/learn/healthcare-professionals.aspx

Let me know how your experience was with a dietitian…great, good, bad, or ugly?