In this article, we will explore exactly what a nutritionist is, what information to be aware of when seeking the support of a nutritionist and how a nutritionist can help you. If you are looking to become a nutritionist, read on to find out what this involves.
Nutritionists can offer support in many different areas of health and wellbeing. This can include education in schools for young children, in the food industry or within sports and exercise fields, as well as clinical roles supporting the improvement of individuals health and wellbeing.
Nutritionists are different from professions such as dietitians or nutritional therapists. The title ‘nutritionist’ is not protected, therefore anyone can claim to be a nutritionist. They may have job titles such as ‘health coach’ or ‘wellness expert’ which are all unregulated terms. Because of this, information from these individuals may not always be supported by evidence and up to date research. If you are seeking support from a nutritionist, ensure they are registered with the Association for Nutrition (AfN). Only individuals with a minimum of an undergraduate degree in nutrition can register with the AfN and call themselves a Registered Nutritionist (ANutr or RNutr). Nutritionists are not qualified to provide specific information around special diets for medical or health conditions.
Others in the field of nutrition may be known as nutritional therapists, who often base their advice on complementary ‘medicine’. These are not recognised as a valid treatment in conventional medicine as they are not based on scientific evidence. As with the title of a nutritionist, anyone can call themselves a nutritional therapist in the UK, there are no specific qualification requirements to use the title.
What is a nutritionist?
A nutritionist is a health professional who works in the field of food and nutrition.
They offer support to people wanting to change their eating habits, helping to create meal plans and understand how food can influence our overall health and nutritional intake.
What do nutritionists do?
Nutritionists provide guidance for those who may be struggling to change their eating behaviours or food choices, to inform, educate and support behavioural change to improve nutritional quality and balance of their diet and food choices.
For example, nutritionists can create meal plans, based on a persons nutritional needs and weight goals. If a person is seeking weight loss or weight gain, portion sizes and meal frequencies can be tailored to support these goals in mind, along with looking at nutritional quality. A nutritionist can analyse a person’s current diet to check if they are at risk of developing nutritional deficiencies or having too much of certain nutrients, such as iron or selenium.
Nutritional education is an important part of the role of a nutritionist. This includes teaching clients on how to balance their meals with the right portion sizes and food choices, as well as how to meal plan, read food labels and understand the difference between macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein and fats) compared to micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).
Depending on the qualifications of the nutritionist, some may be able to support with creating specialised diets for clients, such as gluten free or low salt diets if required.
Role and responsibilities of a nutritionist
The role and responsibilities of a nutritionist are focused on promoting a healthy lifestyle, through nutrition and diet. A nutritionist will firstly analyse a clients lifestyle, dietary habits, health quality and nutrition related goals. From this, they can identify potential deficiencies or excesses in nutrient intake, allowing the, to create customised nutrition plans that support clients towards their health goals. This can include weight loss, muscle gain, improving energy levels etc.
Nutritionists are responsible for education around healthy eating habits, calculating suitable food portions for an individual and teaching how to balance nutrients in the diet, including protein, carbohydrates and fat intake.
They will support clients with building a routine for meal planning and preparation, which can often be barriers when it comes to healthy habit change.
Working with the client to set realistic and specific goals is important, to allow sustainable change on something that is manageable and achievable in a set time period. The nutritionist is able to monitor the progress of clients and adjust recommendations where required, if there are changes to goals or possible barriers that may appear. As well as this, they are important to provide accountability and support, so that clients are more likely to work to maintain the changes they are making.
Some nutritionists will work with other health professionals such as dietitians, who are able to provide more specialist support for those who have health conditions or a more complex medical history. They may also work with doctors, mental health professionals or personal trainers, to provide support in other areas of a person’s physical and mental wellbeing.
This is important when designing meal plans, to consider a client’s exercise routine and any possible medical conditions and ongoing treatments.
A nutritionist should spend time keeping updated with the most current nutritional research and using evidence based practice when designing plans and educating their clients. This is important, to ensure nutritionists provide the most up to date health guidance from evidence based providers.
Different types of work environments for nutritionists
Nutritionists can work in a variety of environments, depending on their type of speciality. This can include:
Public Health
A nutritionist that works in public health will be involved in the development and implementation of nutritional programmes and policies, to gather evidence and apply their scientific knowledge, ensuring that people understand the impact of diet and nutrition on their health. This can be to address the inequalities in nutrition, evaluate the diet of certain communities and groups, as well as education of food and nutrition with its impact on health. Public health nutritionists may work for non-profit organisations or government agencies and can often focus on specific groups such as low-income families or children.
Education
Nutritionists may work in an educational setting, including schools, college and university. This is in the aim to educate students to make better choices for their health, based on nutrition and food knowledge. The nutritionists may be involved with developing nutritionally balanced school meals, as well as updating nutrition policies and supporting food service staff. They may offer educational nutrition workshops for students, parents and staff.
Private Practice
Some nutritionists will set up their own business to become private nutritionists, or work within an organisation providing private nutritional support. This can include services such as support with meal planning, nutritional education and goal setting and some may specialise in certain area such as sports nutrition or digestive health.
Corporate
There will be nutritionists that are employed by certain companies, to implement nutrition programmes for employees. This can be seen as a strong incentive to work for these companies, as private nutrition consultations though work, is still rare overall. Corporate nutritionists may provide workplace meetings and seminars as well as health screening, where health factors such as weight and blood pressure can be monitored. The nutritionist may work with HR departments to start a wellness programme, supporting those with nutritional needs, as well as managing their stress and overall health.
Food Industry
Some nutritionists may be employed by industrial companies such as food manufactures, research labs and supplement developers. They can provide their nutritional expertise on how to best develop products that can support the health of the target audience, as well as supporting with recipe developing, nutritional research and food labelling. Nutritionists can also be involved with the marketing of the product, helping to promote these healthier products.
Sports Nutrition
Nutritionists can specialise working within the sports industry, with athletes or those looking to optimise their exercise performance through their nutrition, having tailored plans that are customised to their requirements. These nutritionists can be employed via sports teams, gyms or athletic centres, and may support the athletes with meal plans and portion guidance, specific foods to aid recovery as well as helping them to develop an understanding on what nutritional supplements may be most beneficial, with strategies to help the athletes perform as optimally as possible.
Media
Nutritionists who work within media will provide content for magazines, websites, social media platforms and TV, focusing on nutritional health and wellness information. The content can be in the form of creating videos or social media posts, writing articles or appearing as guest speakers. Their job is to ensure the information they provide is scientific and up to date, which can include commenting on diet trends, viral foods, provide healthy recipes as well as guidance on general wellness and health.
Academics and Research
Nutritionists may work in research institutions and universities, helping to conduct nutrition based research, looking at health and wellness trends as well as focusing on the impact of diet to certain areas of health. This can be looking at disease prevention in relation to nutrition, as well as updating nutritional policies or developing new dietary and health public guidance.
There are many areas in which a nutritionist could work, so it is important to consider what sort of areas may appeal and sound interesting to you, if you are considering this as a career pathway.
Why do people choose to become nutritionists?
Choosing to become a nutritionist can stem from a variety of reasons. Here are the main motivators that can be behind choosing a career as a nutritionist:
Interest in Helping Others
Naturally, nutritionists will want to make a positive impact on the health of their clients and the public.
They will find job satisfaction from supporting clients to meet their health goal needs, such as reaching a certain target weight, improving their food challenges as well as forming a better routine and relationship around food.
Passion for Nutrition & Food
Understandably, if someone has a deep interest in health, nutrition and food, they may naturally be inclined to choose a nutrition related job. If someone enjoys learning about food, cooking, developing recipes, talking about nutrition and how certain food choices can impact health, becoming a nutritionist is a great way to develop this passion.
Interest in Food and Science
Nutrition is a science stemming from a mix of biology, chemistry and medicine, which can attract people who are interested in these sciences and the influence of food on the body. Nutritionists study how food, diet and metabolism influence overall health, which involves scientific knowledge and keen interest in these areas.
Personal Health Experience
Those who have previously struggled with their own health and nutrition related challenges may have found their quality of life improving through dietary and lifestyle changes. This can then inspire them to want to develop this learning into a career, to help support others to make similar nutritional changes for their own health and wellbeing.
Demand for Nutrition Guidance
There is an ever increasing awareness of how important nutrition is for so many aspects of our health, including reducing and managing chronic disease and supporting long term health. Therefore, it is natural for people to consider a career that has a positive job outlook where there is a strong demand for experts in the field of nutrition.
As described, there are many reasons why someone may choose to become a nutritionist, and there are various ways to becoming qualified.
Education and qualifications of a nutritionist
There is no one specific way to become a nutritionist. Many will choose to have a qualification in nutrition, usually an undergraduate degree or a Masters. The Association for Nutrition (AfN) maintains the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists (UKVRN), to help separate nutritionists who have met the training, competency and professional practice, compared to those who are not qualified or registered.
To qualify for a nutrition degree, a person will need to have:
- Two or three A levels, including biology and chemistry and 5 GCSE’s (grades A-C), including English language, maths and science
OR
Alternative level 3 qualifications, such as: - BTEC, HND or HNC, including biology or chemistry
- A relevant NVQ
- A science-based Access course
- Equivalent Scottish or Irish qualifications
To be able to register for the UKVRN, a nutritionist needs to be registered (RNutr) with a specialism in a certain area such as public health or sports & exercise. They may also be an associate nutritionist (ANutr) or a fellow of AfN (FAfN). All of these registrants will need a minimum of a degree in nutrition, or substantial recognised professional nutritional experience, as well as adhering to the AfN Ethics and Performance Standards.
Job market demand and salaries for nutritionists
The demand for nutritionists in the UK has increased steadily due to the public awareness of health and nutrition over the years. There has been a rise in diet and nutrition related health concerns, which has put pressure and demand on preventative healthcare. More people are prioritising their health and fitness, where they are looking to invest in gyms, fitness and nutrition plans and support that will allow them to make long term health changes.
There is also a focus on the UK government launching various healthy eating initiatives, where nutritionists play a key role in.
Starting salaries for nutritionists can be in the region of £22,000-28,000. This can increase up to £50,000 with time and experience. Those who are working on the NHS, their salary will be set by the Agenda for Change. Newly qualified nutritionists start on a Band 5 salary and this will increase with experience, currently ranging from £28,407 to £42,618.
For a employees or freelance nutritionist, fees can vary from between £50- over £120 for an hour initial consultation, with follow ups being between £40-100. Nutritionists may work on an hourly or project rate basis, depending on the type of work being completed.
How to become a nutritionist in the UK?
To become a qualified nutritionist in the UK, here are the following steps:
- Complete the relevant GCSE and A-levels:
This includes biology, chemistry and maths GCSE’s, and A levels in biology and chemistry. - Complete a degree in nutrition or related area:
This includes an accredited Bachelor’s degree in nutrition, dietetics, or a related field (e.g. food science or biochemistry) from a university accredited by the Association for Nutrition (AfN). Accreditation ensures the program meets professional standards and will then help to complete registration later.
Alternative Degrees: This can include a degree in health sciences, following this with a master’s degree in nutrition to meet education requirements. - Consider a Master’s Degree (optional):
This is not required to become a registered nutritionist, but having a Master’s in nutrition can support employability and experience. - Start gaining experience:
It is helpful if you are able to obtain experience through volunteer roles, internships, shadowing opportunities in hospitals, community health, and research facilities.
Some degrees will require students to complete placements, to give hands-on experience. - Register for the AfN:
Once you have completed your accredited degree, apply to become a Registered Associate Nutritionist (ANutr) through the AfN.
From here, you can work on building up experience and expertise, to be able to apply for full Registered Nutritionist (RNutr) status, which is well recognised with credibility and employment. - Continued Professional Development (CPD):
Ensure that you keep up with the latest research in nutrition, staying current with changes in nutritional guidelines, participating in regular workshops and accredited additional development, which help towards your learning and training. If you register with the AfN, you are required to meet annual CPD requirements to maintain your registration.
When should you consult a nutritionist?
There are several reasons why you may want to consult a nutritionist to support you with your health and wellbeing. This can include:
- Weight management goals:
If you are looking to see a nutritionist for weight loss, they can put together a personalised nutritional plan, which will assess your lifestyle, food preferences, requirements and routine. The plan should consider factors such as your age, gender and physical activity level. You may want to gain weight, in which case the nutritionist will devise a realistic plan to help increase your overall calorie intake, which feels manageable, whilst supporting you along the way. - Accountability:
If you are looking for someone to hold you accountable to the dietary and lifestyle changes you are working on, seeing a nutritionist can support with this. They can provide regular check ins, support with challenges or struggles yu may be experiencing, and suggest alternatives where required. - Balanced diet recommendations:
If you are unsure how to make changes to your diet to improve your overall nutritional choices, seeking support from a nutritionist can help. They will guide you on what changes to make that are realistic and achievable within your lifestyle, which can involve making certain food swaps, managing portion sizes that are better for you, learning how to choose more nutritionally dense food, and how to balance meals to ensure they keep you satisfied and energised.
They will also educate you on how different macronutrients, such as carbohydrates, protein and fats, are all important in the diet, and how to ensure that you include a variety of vitamins and minerals. - Realistic goal setting:
When it comes to making dietary and lifestyle changes, it is important to have realistic goals to work towards. A nutritionist can help you set goals for the future that are attainable and have specific clarity on how to work towards that goal. This will promote gradual change, rather than quick but unsustainable progression. - Meal planning and cooking skills:
Nutritionists can help you develop practical skills such as planning ahead for meals, how best to shop, cook and prep food, how to cook meals that are enjoyable and fit within your lifestyle and health needs, as well as how to store foods correctly and safely.
How much does it cost to consult with a nutritionist?
The cost of seeing a nutritionist can vary greatly, depending on area of the UK, expertise of the nutritionist and the length of consultations. Typically, a 1 hour initial consultation can cost between £70-120. Follow ups can range from £50-100, depending on duration of follow ups and if packages are available. Nutritionist costs can depend on other services, such as providing meal plans or shopping lists, or putting together educational videos for recipes for example.
Is a nutritionist covered by insurance?
Many insurance health insurance companies do not provide cover to see a nutritionist in the UK, as the term nutritionist is not a protected title in the UK. Some may provide cover, if the nutritionist is registered with the AfN. In comparison, the majority of health insurance providers will cover a member to see a dietitian, which is a protected title in the UK. Read more about the difference between nutritionists and dietitians here.
Tips before your first consultation with a nutritionist
There are several factors to consider before seeing a nutritionist for the first time. Plan ahead to ensure that you can get the most from this consultation with the following tips:
- What to prepare:
It would be good to think about your goals and what you are expecting from your first consultation. What are the main reasons you are seeing a nutritionist, and why are you reaching out for support?
It would be beneficial to record a daily food intake for at least 48 hours before the appointment, writing everything that you eat and drink, including portions, timings, snacks and any other relevant information. This can be helpful to save time during the consultation and also prevent us from forgetting some of our usual eating habits on the day!
You may also be asked to fill out several forms before your consultation date. This can include a questionnaire to obtain any medical history, list of medications etc, as well as a terms and conditions form that covers the policy for cancellations.
If you have specific questions or concerns that you want to address in the consultation, it would be good to prepare a list so that you can ensure these points are all covered in the time. - What to expect:
Your nutritionist will usually spend around 1 hour asking you questions about your diet and lifestyle, in order to assess where practical changes can be made. They will discuss your goals, your home life, routine, family, meal patterns and how the meals are prepared, snacks in between meals, fluid intake, as well as other factors such as bowel habits, energy levels, stress and sleep quality and other areas of your life. You may be asked about your weight and weight history, to assess what are realistic goals. You should be expected to feel comfortable, safe and listened to buy the nutritionist, with no judgement. - What questions to ask:
Depending on your reason for consultation, you may want to ask about how to know what are the best foods to eat, understanding how much you need to eat, what timings of meals are best, what level of exercise is appropriate for you, how much of each food group that you should be consuming, if there are any foods to avoid and perhaps how to improve meal planning or organisation with cooking, if this is something you struggle with. - Have a plan for the future:
At the end of the session, it is likely that you will discuss how to move on from here, in terms of follow up sessions or packages. Having an idea in your mind of what you may like to do can be helpful to think about, as many people will likely need long term support to ensure the habits and changes are sustainable. Costs and information on packages and follow ups will often be on a website where you can look before the consultation, so that you are ready with an idea of how you would like to proceed. Your nutritionist will likely recommend what they think is best, and you can discuss this together to work out a plan you are happy with.
What are the differences between a nutritionist and a dietitian?
When looking a the differences between a nutritionist and a dietitian, there are many factors to consider. This includes differences in qualifications, scope type of practice, regulation in the industry, prices, as well as expertise with what they are trained to support with.
A dietitian will have a minimum of a 4 years bachelor’s or master’s degree in dietetics from an accredited university, and often further learning through the completion of a Master’s degree. For a nutritionist, there are no mandated requirements, unless someone is looking to become a registered nutritionist. This requires a minimum of a nutrition bachelor’s degree.
Nutritionists are not licensed to provide advice or treatment for possible medical conditions, such as diabetes, cancer or kidney failure, unless they have received specialist training and additional qualifications. However, dietitians are trained to be able to provide support to manage a range of medical conditions.
To register as a dietitian, it is mandatory to be regulated by their professional body known as the The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Only registered dietitians have their title protected by law, unlike nutritionists, which are an unprotected title. It is not mandatory for nutritionists to be registered, but if a nutritionist has completed the relevant training and qualifications, they will be able to qualify as a registered nutritionist with the AfN.
Due to the term nutritionist being an unprotected title, anyone can still use the title even if they are not a part of the AfN. If you want to find a reputable nutritionist it’s best to use one that is part of the AfN register.Prices for seeing a dietitian compared to a nutritionist are often higher, due to the complexity of clients that dietitians are qualified to see. Dietitians offer support for more intense nutritional counselling, compared to nutritionist with general healthy eating advice.
On average, nutritionists tend to be less expensive due to the scope of practice that they are able to provide. The lack of regulation also will be reflected in the price of appointments. There is a larger price fluctuation between different nutritionists, as registered nutritionists have the education and knowledge to justify higher prices.
Both nutritionists and dietitians will provide rates per hour or consultation, that can usually be seen on their website. You can read more here about specific comparisons of nutritionist and dietitian prices.
| Dietitian | Nutritionist | |
| Qualification | Minimum of a 4 years bachelor’s or master’s degree in nutrition & dietetics from an accredited university | No mandated requirements, unless registered with the AfN – then a minimum of bachelor’s degree is required |
| Scope of practice | Licensed to practice and provides advice and possible treatment for specific medical conditions e.g. diabetes, IBS | Only qualified to provide tailored information around building healthy routines and improving food choices |
| Bias | Cannot offer advice where there would be personal financial benefit | Can promote products for financial benefits with no validity e.g. supplements or powders |
| Regulation | Mandatory to be regulated by the professional body HCPC | NOT mandatory to be regulated, unless registered with the AfN |
If you are looking for support with making healthy lifestyle changes, such as improving your routine with eating, education on healthier foods to eat, support on understanding food labelling, shopping and meal preparation, seeing a nutritionist would be a great choice. Though if you are looking for support for a certain medical condition and how to manage and improve these conditions, seek a registered dietitian. Read here for further details around the differences between a dietitian and nutritionist.
