Back 2 Basics Nutrition opened in September at 17 W. Main St. in Middletown. Owner Lindsey Carter talked to The News-Post about the business, which offers medical nutrition therapy or nutrition counseling for those 21 years old and younger. Carter specializes in pediatric weight management.
What led you to launch this business?
I always knew I wanted to work with kids and originally I thought that meant teaching, and my career kind of took a different path. I became fascinated with preventing disease and healing with the power of food. I realized that I could pair that with working with kids, and that’s kind of how my journey started.
The CDC [Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention] says that there’s 12.7 percent of children that are obese and that’s 12.7 million children in America. Nutrition counseling is where I saw myself on the front lines doing that. … This was kind of a dream job for me.
Why did you choose to open a business in Frederick County?
This is where I’m raising my three boys. I have three sons — one 5-year-old, a 3-year-old and a 10-month-old. I wanted to be making a difference in the community that I’m raising my boys in. I was born and raised in Maryland, and I always thought Frederick County was a great place, and here in Middletown, I can be accessible to people in Frederick County.
What is unique about it?
There really aren’t a lot of private practice dietitians in the area, and then I don’t know of any that are specializing just in pediatrics.
Also, I make it fun, so when kids come in, we’re playing educational games and we’re making it a fun positive environment for the kids to learn in and the families to learn in. It’s not just me preaching to them what they need to do.
What is the biggest problem you see with children’s nutrition?
A lot of families are on the go and they’re having a hard time figuring out how to provide nutritious meals for their children, and a lot of kids, too, are getting so much screen time and they’re not moving as much. As a society, we’re eating a lot more processed foods and a lot more higher-calorie foods and we’re also not moving as much. So it’s not just about what we eat, but sometimes, too, it’s the environment around us and the activity level.
Why did you choose to focus on children?
Kids are fun for me. It makes the day go by a lot quicker when we’re having fun and playing, so we’re learning through play.
The other reason, too, is with kids, I feel that we can make a difference. They have their whole lives ahead of them. They’re ready, they’re open to change, they’re interested and I think as far as making a difference in the world, we start with kids and making them feel better.