How to Become a Nutritionist

During the 1700s, French scientist Antoine Lavoisier gained the title "father of nutrition" after designing a calorimeter, which measured the amount of heat the body produces while consuming food. Since then, the science of food and nutrients has swelled into a multi-billion dollar industry that produces countless books, television programs and events, and is the central focus of many approaches to healthcare.

In the United States alone, nutritionists and dietitians accounted for 60,300 members of the workforce in 2008, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. More than half of them worked in hospitals, outpatient care centers, nursing care facilities, physicians' offices or other health practitioners' offices. The majority made between $41,060 and $61,790 per year.

As a nutritionist, you might plan food and nutrition programs for groups or individuals, oversee the serving of meals, supervise meal preparation or teach nutrition-related courses. You may also specialize in a particular area or type of nutrition, such as holistic nutrition, sports nutrition, healthy cooking, diabetes, weight control or eating disorders.

Minh-Hai Tran, a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, knows what it takes to build a successful nutrition-focused career. Since completing college, she's worked her way up from a desk job in a health food store to owning and operating Mindful Nutrition, a successful nutrition consulting firm in Seattle. Tran shared with eHow what she's learned along the way -- much of which might surprise you.

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eHow: What inspired you to become a nutritionist?

Minh-Hai Tran: I grew up in the restaurant business and have always appreciated food but didn’t want the stress of running a restaurant. By 8th grade, I decided I wanted to become a registered dietitian in order to marry my interests in food and health with my desires to help others and have work-life balance.

eHow: What education is generally required? What path did you take?

MT: Although I use the terms "nutritionist" and "dietitian" interchangeably when referring to myself, there are key differences. In most states, anyone can call themselves a nutritionist. On the other hand, a registered dietitian has to have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in nutrition from an accredited university, complete a supervised internship -- usually lasting one year -- and pass a national exam. In short, all RDs are also nutritionists, but not vice versa.

I earned my bachelor’s of science in nutrition at Texas Christian University and was accepted into their Coordinated Program, which allowed me to complete my dietetic internship during my junior and senior years rather than wait until after graduation. After working as a dietitian for a couple of years, I returned to school to earn my master’s of science in nutrition at Bastyr University. Of course, the learning never stops. I’m constantly furthering my education and knowledge through continuing education, mentoring and other certifications.

eHow: Has anything surprised you about your career?

MT: Almost everything in my nutrition career has taken me by surprise. (While an undergrad), I always figured I would take the traditional path of working as a clinical dietitian in a hospital until I felt ready to start a private practice. I never imagined my first RD job would be at a health food store. It wasn’t a typical health food store; I had my own little office and computer and my job was to research supplements, educate other employees and write the monthly newsletter. I read a lot of books and articles about natural health and holistic nutrition; many were written by Bastyr alums, which is how I first learned of the school.

eHow: What factors influence a nutritionist's income?

MT: There’s a lot more variables and also potential for nutrition entrepreneurs. Generally, people are willing to pay more for a specialist -- someone who is an expert in nutrition for autoimmune disorders -- than a generalist, someone who sees everyone for general nutrition. Insurance coverage for medical nutrition therapy also varies with each state, so the decision to accept insurance or not can influence a private practice dietitian’s bottom line.

eHow: Describe your typical work day.

MT: Being in private practice, I set my own schedule, which is awesome, but I also have to work harder to be organized. A typical workday includes prepping for clients -- reviewing past chart notes or new intakes and possibly pulling any relevant handouts, seeing clients, charting, calling, faxing or emailing other health providers I share clients with and perhaps spending a few minutes on my business Facebook page and Twitter.

Every Tuesday, I organize my clients’ insurance information to fax to my billing service and also update my books. Every Wednesday, I carve out time to write for my blog or newsletter. I also network by scheduling coffee or lunch with other health providers in the area. And it’s very important to me to stay updated on nutrition and health information, so I fit in a few minutes reading relevant books and articles whenever I can and regularly participate in continuing education.