Hepatitis C: Nutrition

NSW health care workers can download the Hepatitis C and Food brochure or call the NSW Health Better Health Centre on (02) 9816 0452 to obtain copies.

Note to health care workers

Your advice is a powerful tool.

Most people believe that they eat a healthy diet however Australian national nutrition surveys indicate otherwise. Providing general advice like 'eat a healthy diet' which is open to interpretation will be ineffective because people believe their diet is already healthy.        

It is important that any dietary advice given is accurate, specific and sufficiently detailed to empower the client to act on it. For example rather than advising a client to 'eat a healthy diet', use something specific like: 

”Avoid pastry, pies and sausages as these are particularly high in saturated fats. Choose small serves of lean meats, eat fish often if you like it. Eat grilled rather than fried food. Choose fat-reduced dairy products. Eat lots of bread (preferably wholemeal), vegetables, potatoes (not fried), pasta and fruit. Use only a small amount of fat for spreading or cooking. Drink lots of fluids including water”.  

You may need to allocate some time for answering specific questions such as on quantities of different foods to eat or suitable brands to buy. Dietitians’ working knowledge of food can help people to adopt and implement dietary recommendations. This is achieved by identifying the best compromise with their existing shopping and eating habits, food preferences and lifestyle.    

For up-to-date dietary recommendations, refer your clients to a qualified dietitian.

Reference

National Nutrition Survey: Foods Eaten 1995. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, 1999.

Albion Street Centre
150 - 154 Albion Street Surry Hills NSW 2010 Australia
Telephone: +61 2 9332 9600 Fax: +61 2 9331 3490