The Nutrition Prof, LLC

Have you ever wondered, “maybe I should work with a dietitian?” Many people don’t realize just how vast, yet relatable a dietitian’s knowledge is regarding food, nutrition, and health. Dietitians can help support a variety of needs – from increasing food access to meal planning to nutrition support for chronic disease. Read on to learn more about reasons working with a dietitian might benefit you.

1. Dietitians are Educated and Trained for over THOUSANDS of Hours on Food and Health

Allow me to jump on my soap box for a minute. I’m a dietitian and an experienced nutrition professor. I have trained hundreds of future dietitians. I’ve seen the hard work and hours of effort they put in. If you work with a dietitian, you can rest assured they’ve done all these things to LEGALLY earn the right to be called a dietitian.

1. Dietitians Take a Variety of Science Coursework
   • Bachelor’s Degree/Graduate Degree: Dietitians complete a degree in a relevant field such as nutrition or a related science. Courses often include nutrition, biology, chemistry, food science, metabolism, public health, clinical nutrition, and research methods.
   • From 2024 on – Students must also complete a graduate degree to be eligible to sit for the registered dietitian board exam.
2. Dietitians Have Required Hands-On Experience:
   • Internship or Supervised Practice: After the degree, students must complete a supervised practice program or dietetic internship. This typically takes around 6 to 12 months. Students get hands-on experience in various clinical, community, and food service settings.
3. Certification:
   • Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN): After completing the education and supervised practice, RD2Be’s are then eligible to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians. This exam is administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). Passing this exam allows for the use of the title “Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).” This test is a beast and the first-time pass rate is only ~70%.
4. Licensing/State Requirements:
   • Most states in the U.S. may have additional licensure requirements for dietitians. These often require evidence of passing the board exam, background checks, and education verification.
5. Continuing Education:
   • To maintain RDN status, dietitians need to participate in continuing education. Failure to do this and document it results in dietitians losing their certification.

Reason #2: Dietitians can dedicate more time to focus on food, nutrition, and health

Dietitians are to help you explore your relationship with food and provide education on a variety of nutrition-related topics. We aren’t trained to provide medical diagnosis’ – that’s what physicians are for! However, when you see your physician, they only have a short amount of time to spend with you and are trained to prevent, identify, and treat medical conditions/diagnosis’. This is a lot for them to pack into your appointment! So it makes sense that dietitians focus more on how food and lifestyle habits impact your medical conditions and stick to that. We can spend more time with you digging in and coming up with a plan related to your dietary intake, routine, or other parts of your life. If you work with a dietitian, we’ll focus on your goals in relation to food and nutrition.

Reason #3: Dietitians work on SO MUCH MORE than just “the weight loss”.

Put this on my tombstone. I will shout it from the rooftops until the day I die. Dietitians can help you prevent or manage a wide variety of conditions from the lens of nutrition, lifestyle habits, and physical activity. Often times, I find patients don’t need to restrict their dietary intake, they often need to eat more, and specifically, eat more of nutrient dense foods to make sure they’re getting enough! So many dietitians are out there fighting the good fight – give us a chance to work with you!

If you’re interested in working with me as your dietitian, you can send me an email on our contact page. I do 1-1 appointments, small group programs, and also provide speaking and seminar services. Send me an email at the nutrition prof at gmail dot com or follow me on instagram at thenutritionprof.