Prescribing diabetes nutrition therapy: a qualitative study of dietitians' experiences of carbohydrate restriction in Canada.

Background: Diabetes care has traditionally not included nutrition therapy using carbohydrate restriction, nor has carbohydrate restriction been taught to registered dietitians (RDs) to support patients living with diabetes choosing this dietary approach. We aimed to describe the experiences and views of RDs caring for patients using therapeutic carbohydrate-restricted diets (TCR), particularly metabolic conditions such as type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.

Subjects/methods: A qualitative study design using free-text responses from an online needs assessment survey was employed.