Community Nutrition Rotation

As a Dietetics Graduate Student and Dietetic Intern at a WIC office in Santa Rosa, California, I gained hands-on experience in community nutrition with a focus on supporting women, infants, and children from diverse backgrounds. I worked closely with the lead Registered Dietitian and nutrition staff to provide individualized nutrition education, conduct dietary assessments, and promote healthy feeding practices, including breastfeeding support.

In my role, I counseled pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and young children, helping families make practical, culturally appropriate nutrition choices. I also assisted with program eligibility processes and contribute to the development of educational materials tailored to the needs of the community. This experience strengthened my skills in client-centered communication, behavior change strategies, and public health nutrition, while deepening my understanding of the unique challenges faced by underserved populations.

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Curriculum Outline

This is a curriculum outline developed for a community nutrition course, focused on promoting iron-rich complementary foods among breastfed Latino infants aged 6–12 months. It was created in response to a needs assessment at Sonoma County Indian Health Project, which found that Spanish-speaking caregivers receiving WIC services tended to over-rely on dairy foods while under-introducing iron-rich solids. The curriculum includes a bilingual educational presentation, a take-home handout, and a set of culturally relevant recipe cards, all designed to help caregivers understand why breastfed babies need iron from food after six months and how to incorporate affordable, familiar iron-rich ingredients into their infant's diet.

Curriculum Outline Document

Why Iron and Vitamin C Matter for Families

Iron deficiency is a common concern for many families, especially infants, young children, and pregnant or postpartum people, because their bodies need extra iron for growth, brain development, and making healthy blood. When iron levels are low, it can lead to iron-deficiency anemia, which may cause tiredness, weakness, pale skin, and in children can affect learning, attention, and behavior. During pregnancy, it can also increase risks for both parent and baby.

This can happen when diets are low in iron-rich foods like meats, beans, and fortified cereals, or when needs are higher during growth or pregnancy. WIC helps by providing nutrition education and iron-rich foods, along with tips to improve absorption.

One key tip is to pair iron-rich foods with vitamin C. Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron better, especially the iron from plant foods like beans, spinach, and fortified cereals. Simple combinations like beans with oranges, strawberries, tomatoes, bell peppers, or a glass of orange juice with a meal can help the body get more of the iron it needs for health and energy.