How to Become a Nutritionist

If you’re passionate about healthy living and healthy eating, then you could have what it takes to become a nutritionist. Nutritionists work with both healthy and sick people, adapting their diets to better suit their unique needs, promote health, and prevent diet-related diseases. When fully qualified, nutritionists can also advise on a diet to avoid the side effects and interactions between medications. The role of a nutritionist is a vital role and one that will see you truly help people. Nutritionists play a vital role in tackling the UK’s obesity crisis. 28.7% of adults in England are obese: A further 35.6% are overweight but not obese. As a nutritionist, you could dedicate your life to reducing these figures.

Wondering if a career as a nutritionist is the right path for you? From what your nutritionist salary might be, to what a nutritionist actually is, here’s everything you need to know about how to become a nutritionist:

What is a Nutritionist

Nutritionists work within the wider healthcare and complementary health community offering advice and support with diet and nutrition. Within a clinical setting, nutritionists offer advice and support to patients who are experiencing allergies, diet-related health problems, a desire to change their weight or to simply improve their diet and wellbeing. As a nutritionist, you will offer this advice and support both to individuals and within group settings. Maintaining a positive diet and lifestyle can help to prevent diseases, increase energy levels, and make you feel generally healthier.

In the UK, the title of nutritionist is not a protected one: that means that anyone can call themselves a nutritionist without being registered or having secured specific qualifications. By contrast, the title of Dietician is a protected title. You can only work under the title of a Dietician in the UK if you have an approved BSc (Hons) degree and are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Despite this many employers, including the NHS, will only employ nutritionists who are fully qualified and have either a relevant degree or the equivalent vocational qualifications that will enable them to demonstrate that they have the knowledge and skills they need to fulfil the role safely and effectively.  As a result of this unprotected status, many people are wary of nutritionists: this is because some people claim to be experts in nutrition yet have very limited knowledge and offer no protection to the public. As a result, registered and legitimate nutritionists work hard to secure a high standard of qualifications and are included on a public register.

As a nutritionist, you can expect to work in a variety of different settings including, but not limited to, an NHS or private hospital, a GP surgery, a private clinic, or a laboratory. Some self-employed and independent nutritionists will offer appointments both on their own or in their client’s homes. Within the NHS your working hours will coordinate with regular office hours, and you will have minimal evening or weekend work. As an independent, private nutritionist your working hours will be more flexible: you may choose to work both evenings and weekends in order to fit around the schedule of your clients.

Personal Qualities of a Nutritionist

If you’re considering pursuing a career as a nutritionist, then it is essential that you are passionate about healthy eating and the importance of good nutrition. Other personal qualities that you should possess to succeed in this role include:

• Good people skills and the ability to work well with others. Much of your role will be a face-to-face one, and you will spend your day interacting with a wide range of people from all walks of life
• The ability to explain complex medical and scientific jargon simply, so that all of your clients and patients will understand the information you are sharing with them with ease
• A positive attitude, and the ability to motivate others
• A high level of sensitivity and understanding. Many people form an emotional relationship with food and talking about food can be difficult for some people. Your role will involve managing these concerns with empathy and understanding
• Knowledge of biology and human physiology
• A passion for training and educating others about food and the ways that your diet can positively or negatively impact your life
• Organised and able to pay attention to detail. The role of a nutritionist will involve reading and writing detailed reports, as well as examining the minutiae of your clients’ daily diet plans. This means you should be detail-oriented and focused on assimilating key information
• Self-motivated and able to work independently. Whilst you will often interact with others as part of your role, you will be responsible for managing your own workload and your client’s needs
• High-level thinking and reasoning skills
• The ability to remain calm and patient in stressful situations. Visiting a nutritionist can be a high-pressure situation for some patients, and they may take this out on the professionals with whom they are interacting
• High levels of computer literacy and the ability to use a computer, handheld tablet, and the main software packages they contain with competence

What a Nutritionist Does

The day-to-day duties of a nutritionist will vary depending on where they work, and whether they choose to work as part of the NHS or as a private operative. Some of the actions that you can expect to undertake during your average working week will include:

• Providing one on one group education sessions for your patients, provide advice on their diet, lifestyle and general wellbeing, and recommend any changes that they could choose to make
• Running workshops and presentations on good diets and healthy nutrition for a wide range of different social and community groups
• Leading healthy eating campaigns. These could take in community groups, hospitals, schools, or any other particular group that you are targeting for support. These campaigns should be well-researched, comprehensive, and based on evidence-based scientific advice
• Undertake nutrition research projects, working alongside other nutritionists and experts to establish research that will improve the overall health and dietary needs of the wider public
• Recruit volunteers to take part in trials
• Take biological samples from your clients, including blood samples, and then process and analyse these samples
• Work alongside, and with supervision from, other medical professionals. This includes doctors, nurses, and dietitians

How Much Does a Nutritionist Earn?

If you choose to work within the NHS then, like all NHS workers, you will be paid according to the NHS Agenda for Change pay scale. Newly qualified nutritionists will typically start at pay band 5 with a salary of £25,565. With two to four years of experience at this grade, your salary would increase to £27,780 and with more than four years of experience, you can expect to earn £31,534. As you advance in your career you could secure a more senior position within the NHS at pay band 6. With less than two years’ experience at this level, you would earn £32,306, whilst with two to five years’ experience, you would earn £34,172. Once you have more than five years’ experience at pay band 6 then you will earn £39,027.

If you choose to work in the private sector or establish yourself as a self-employed nutritionist, then salaries will be much more varied.  Starting salaries within the private sector tend to be between £20,000 to £25,000. As you gain experience, your salary expectations could rise to between £30,000 and £55,000., whilst if you develop your career and become a chair of public health or senior lecturer in the field of nutrition then you can expect to earn anywhere between £45,000 to £80,000. Many nutritionists work primarily for the NHS but choose to subsidise their incomes by offering their services on a part-time or occasional basis within the private sector. Alternatively, if you have altruistic intentions, you can offer your services for free or at a low cost to local community groups or individuals on low incomes who can’t afford to pay for essential diet and nutrition support and advice.

Qualifications Needed for a Nutritionist

Because ‘Nutritionist’ is not a protected title in the UK, it is possible to call yourself a nutritionist without any qualifications at all. However, if you wish to become a nutritionist and work for a reputable body, such as the NHS, then you will need to have a comprehensive education and background in health. The most popular route into the profession is via a university course. You’ll need to study for a degree or postgraduate qualification that has been approved by the Association for Nutrition. Some examples of degree courses that are approved by this body include:

• food and nutrition studies
• biochemistry
• physiology
• public health and health promotion

You will usually need two or three A levels to secure a university place, and many science-based courses will specify that one of these A levels is in either biology or chemistry. You can also apply to universities without A levels by using equivalent qualifications such as NVQs or other vocational courses. You might also wish to enhance your skills, and your application, by taking complementary courses that will demonstrate your commitment to pursuing a career as a nutritionist. The NCFE Level 2 Award in Nutrition and Health is a great example of this, as it will supply you with a fountain of knowledge that can help you to take positive steps towards understanding nutrition and developing healthier eating habits. It will also give you a strong basis in the subject that you can develop with further education.

University places can be competitive, so you are advised to enhance your application by undertaking some paid voluntary experience within the NHS, or within the private healthcare sector. Food poverty charities, food manufacturers companies, and food safety organisations are all great examples of businesses that could provide valuable work experience opportunities.

On-the-Job Training

It is possible to secure an entry-level position within a diet and nutrition-based organisation and learn the skills that you will need to become a nutritionist on the job. This is more likely in the private sector than it is in the public sector. On-the-job training could also form a vital part of your continued professional development. Nutrition is a fast and ever-changing sector, with new research impacting the everyday work of nutritionists. On-the-job training and continued professional development will help you to keep up to date with important industry developments, enhance your skills as a nutritionist, and ensure that your professional qualifications remain up to date.

Professional Bodies

The UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists (UKVRN) is a professional body that holds nutritionists registered in its ranks to a high level of professional standards. Many employers will only employ nutritionists that are registered with this body, as you cannot register unless you are able to demonstrate that you meet the underpinning knowledge and professional skills required. This is important because, as we have outlined above, anyone can call themselves a nutritionist in the UK. But only those who have qualifications and training within the sector can be registered with this professional body.

Being listed on the UKVRN searchable database is the main benefit of registration. This database can be searched by members of the general public who are looking for a reputable nutritionist, which means that it could generate additional clients for your business. Other benefits of registering to the UKVRN include access to continued professional development opportunities, access to work experience opportunities, and the use of a forum where you can communicate with, and build professional relationships with, other professionals within the diet and nutrition community.

You may also wish to become a member of the Nutrition Society. This is a body dedicated to advancing the scientific study of nutrition and its application to the maintenance of human and animal health, and membership to this organisation also has its own set of benefits. There is no qualification required for membership to this organisation, so if you are new to the world of nutrition, or just beginning your training in the field, then it is a great way to find out more. You will have access to educational tools and research papers and can clearly demonstrate to potential employers that you are committed to a career in the sector.