Should I be a nutritionist? 🍱

Have you ever wondered what the healthiest eating plan is for you?

This is a dilemma that well-known nutritionists help people solve daily:

• Kelly LeVeque (aka @bewellbykelly) works with her famous clients to create healthy individualized eating plans that meets their busy lifestyles.

• Shana Minei Spence (aka @thenutritiontea) uses social media to educate the public about how healthy eating can fit all lifestyles and budgets, while also dispelling unsound fad diet advice.

Why not follow in their footsteps and pursue a career as a nutritionist?

A nutritionist works with people to help them lead healthier lifestyles. Typical job responsibilities include:

• Analyzing people’s health, counsel people about diet, and create meal plans.

• Creating and presenting educational resources to groups of people about the importance of a healthy diet for managing health conditions.  

• Staying current with the latest scientific research about nutrition.

  Photo by Kelly Visel on Unsplash

Nutritionists need to earn a bachelor’s degree or higher and complete an internship. Many states and provinces require that nutritionists are licensed or certified. Some nutritionists choose to specialize in:

• Sports Nutrition — working with athletes to help them improve their performance through diet

• Oncology Nutrition — working with cancer patients to ensure they receive enough nutrients

• Pediatric Nutrition — working with kids to ensure adequate nutrition

• Registered Dietician — providing nutrition advice on a higher level by meeting rigorous criteria

The nutritionist job market is expected to grow 11% between 2020-2030. This will provide plenty of job opportunities for new people entering the field.

Most nutritionist work in hospitals, outpatient facilities, and nursing homes. Evening and weekend hours are often required to meet the needs of all clients. 

Average Pay in the U.S.A.

$65,620 (USD)

Average Pay in Canada

$66,232 (CAD)

• You like helping people

• You have an interest in scientific data related to nutrition

• You enjoy meal planning for others

• You are organized

• You have excellent communication skills

  

• You don't have any interest in nutrition science and data

• Speaking to the public leaves you feeling anxious

• You find empathizing with others all day exhausting

• You lack organization skills