Nutrition Month - PEN® eNews 16(3) March 2026
PEN
® eNews is a monthly e-newsletter shared with the global PEN Community and created to help dietitians position themselves as leaders in evidence-based nutrition practice. In addition, users of the PEN System will find articles on the new evidence, resources and features available and how to maximize one's use of PEN.
Using Screening Tools to Identify Clients with Financial Constraints: What are Best Practices?
The Question
What are the best practices when using screening tools to identify clients with financial constraints accessing health care services (in a health care setting)? What are the facilitators and barriers to using screening tools in a healthcare setting?
Recommendation
When screening a patient / client for food insecurity (FI), clinicians may consider the following:
- disclosing immediately the purpose of screening,
- using private screening methods (e.g. non-verbal form rather than a verbal interview),
- screening in the absence of children,
- being aware that patients/ clients may have negative feelings associated with FI, and
- making FI screening universal and routine.
FI screening may be facilitated by the following factors:
- using non-judgemental communication techniques,
- building a trusting relationship,
- expanding screening to more clinic locations,
- increasing the number of visits where screening occurs
- having clinic assistants do screening and having team-based staffing models, and
- leveraging community partnerships.
The following barriers may hinder FI screening:
- lack of privacy and physical space,
- families having concerns/fear of stigmatization and child protection services
- referrals and feelings of shame/guilt,
- providers having concerns about how to act upon a positive screen due to lack of knowledge on how to assist,
- inappropriateness of completing FI screening at emergency/specialty visits,
- limited clinician capacity/time, and
- inconsistent access to FI screening (e.g. once a year) when programs are facilitated through Electronic Medical Record (EMR) programs.
Remarks
Universal screening is a key part of the recommendation because it reduces stigmatization. It is ideal that the provider communicates with the client that the purpose of screening for food insecurity is to adjust recommendations to an individual's unique needs and experiences for better care. To understand how to prevent harm when having these conversations, see Additional Content: Household Food Insecurity Background and What tools are recommended to screen for financial constraints to determine the risk of household food insecurity in individuals accessing health care services?
To see the full practice question, click here.
Navigating the Food Environment
Eating Out: How Can I Make Healthier Choices?
Nourishing yourself means enjoying meals out with family and friends. We've created a handout to help clients understand how to navigate the food environment, no matter where they're eating. Some of our tips include:
✔ Look online for restaurants that offer healthy food and drink options. Some restaurants have nutrition information on their website.
✔ Avoid arriving at the restaurant starving. Being very hungry can lead to ordering too much food and overeating. Try having a small healthy snack such as a small handful of unsalted nuts before going to dinner if you haven’t eaten for a few hours.
✔ Order pizzas, burgers, sandwiches and wraps with lots of vegetables, or ask for a double serving of steamed or grilled vegetables.
We’ve also included example choices your clients might be faced with in a variety of environments, such as grocery store hot tables, pubs and cafes.
For more information, view our handout
here.
Eating Habits for a Healthy Immune System
Your immune system protects your body from bacteria and viruses. If you do get an infection or become ill, a healthy immune system helps you fight infections and heal wounds. Many different factors affect the immune system. Some can't be changed, such as your age, sex, genetics, while other factors can. Some individuals may need to modify their lifestyle habits to help keep their immune system strong.
Here are some tips below.
✔ Eat a variety of foods to provide you with the nutrients including vegetables and fruit, grain products and protein foods.
✔ It is best to get your nutrients from food rather than from supplements.
✔ Talk to a Registered Dietitian if you are not eating well or suspect you may not be getting enough of the nutrients you need.
For more information, view our handout here.
PEN eNews
March 2026 Volume
16 (3)
A Publication of the PEN® System Global Partners,
a collaborative partnership between International Dietetic Associations.
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