There is a NutriSTEP® questionnaire for toddlers (aged 18 to 35 months) and preschoolers (aged three to five years). Both questionnaires consist of 17 questions which assess eating habits, the feeding environment and physical activity habits. The questionnaires can be completed by parents/caregivers in about 10 minutes. The questionnaires help to identify potential nutrition concerns and provide parents/caregivers with nutrition education materials, community resources and referral to a Registered Dietitian for a full nutrition assessment. Promotional material is available via our Healthcare Provider Outreach team.
Nutri-eSTEP is an electronic version of the screening tool that can be completed by parents/caregivers. Feedback and resources are provided to parents/caregivers; however, a risk score is not calculated. Visit www.nutritionscreen.ca/
Healthcare providers are encouraged to incorporate NutriSTEP® nutrition screening into their practices. If a healthcare provider chooses to administer the questionnaires, they may do so in partnership with the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU), under the MLHU licenses. The NutriSTEP® program calculates nutrition risk scores that help to identify children and families that would benefit from further resources, assessment, and/or referrals. Healthcare providers are also asked to encourage their patients to visit the Nutri-eSTEP website to complete the questionnaire.
Community Resources
A referral map (PDF 165 KB) is available to determine appropriate resources and referrals based on nutrition risk score. Registered Dietitians are available in the community if a nutrition concern is identified. Registered Dietitians are also available by phone through Telehealth Ontario. Middlesex-London Health Unit services such as Health Connection and Triple P Parenting classes are also available. Families will be encouraged to seek speech and language pathology services via Tyke Talk or their school board services, if chewing, swallowing, gagging or choking problems are identified.
Last modified on: February 15, 2019
Healthcare Provider Tools
Patient Handouts
- Dietitians of Canada – Picky Eaters
- Healthy Lunches (PDF 443 KB)
- Healthy Snacks (PDF 445 KB)
- How to Build a Healthy Preschooler (PDF 726 KB)
- How to Build a Healthy Toddler (PDF 708 KB)
- Managing Meal Times (PDF 274 KB)
- Trust Me, Trust My Tummy (PDF 301 KB)