Before any macro target or meal structure, a proper nutrition intake does two things: it tells you how the client actually eats today, and it screens for anything that means you refer out before coaching begins. Skipping this step is the most common — and most avoidable — mistake new coaches make.
It's tempting to jump straight to building a plan. But without understanding a client's current patterns — and screening for the red flags covered in Lesson 1 and expanded in Lesson 8 — any plan you build is a guess, and potentially an unsafe one.
The Nutrition Intake Process
- Food history or diary. A 3-7 day log of what the client actually eats, including at least one weekend day — not what they think they should say.
- Lifestyle context. Schedule, cooking access and skill, budget, cultural or religious food practices, and who else they're eating with (family, roommates).
- Red-flag screening. The disordered-eating and medical screening covered below and in Lesson 8.
- Goal-setting conversation. What the client actually wants, translated into something coachable.
Food Diary Basics
A short food diary reveals far more than a single conversation. When reviewing one, look for patterns, not individual "bad" choices:
- Skipped meals — often a sign of poor planning, or occasionally an early red flag worth watching (see below).
- Liquid calories — sugary drinks, juices, and alcohol are frequently underestimated by clients themselves.
- Portion consistency — wildly inconsistent portions day to day often points to a scheduling or planning problem, not a willpower one.
- Protein distribution — commonly concentrated at dinner only, with very little earlier in the day.
Red Flags — Screening for Disordered Eating
This isn't about diagnosing a client — that's not your role. It's about recognizing when something is outside general coaching territory and responding appropriately, which usually means a warm, non-judgmental referral conversation rather than proceeding with a meal plan.
Goal-Setting for Nutrition Clients
Using the same behavior-vs-outcome framework worth applying anywhere in coaching: "lose 5kg" is an outcome goal, partly outside the client's direct control. "Hit my protein target 5 days a week" is a behavior goal, fully within their control — anchor coaching plans to behavior goals for better adherence and less discouragement along the way.
Fill in a sample client's details to see how a screening summary comes together — try checking a red-flag box to see what changes.
A full printable intake packet: food diary template, lifestyle questions, red-flag screening, and a goal-setting worksheet you can hand to a new client before session one.
A consistent, careful intake process is one of the clearest signals of professionalism to a new client — and it's the foundation everything else in this course builds on. Lesson 7 covers what happens after intake: actually coaching behavior change session to session.
- A proper intake covers food history, lifestyle context, red-flag screening, and goal-setting — in that order.
- A 3-7 day food diary reveals real patterns better than a single conversation.
- Disordered-eating red flags (extreme restriction, rigid food rules, secretive eating) mean a referral, not a meal plan.
- Anchoring goals to behaviors ("hit protein 5x/week") rather than only outcomes ("lose 5kg") improves adherence.
- Run through the Intake & Screening Builder above with a hypothetical client.
- Download the intake form and read through every question — note any you'd want to add for your market.
- Keep your own 3-day food diary to experience the process from the client's side.