Nutritionist
Nutritionists teach patients and clients about the effects of food on their health, motivating them to make positive changes to their diet.
- Starter salary£32,000 a year
- Experienced£48,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 40 a week
What you'll do
As a nutritionist, you could:
- analyse food samples to work out their nutritional value
- research links between nutrition, health and disease
- give scientific advice on foods and food groups
- develop nutritional plans with patients to help them manage a health condition
- promote the benefits of a healthy diet and relationship to food
- work closely with doctors, dietitians and nurses
- advise public bodies on policies to improve community health
Working environment
You could work in an NHS or private hospital, in the community, at a GP practice, at a health centre or in a laboratory.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- sensitivity and understanding
- knowledge of biology
- the ability to design training programmes
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to work well with others
- excellent verbal communication skills
- the ability to work on your own
- maths skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to become a nutritionist
You can get into this job through a university course.
University
You'll usually need a degree or postgraduate qualification approved by the Association for Nutrition .
Approved courses include:
- food and nutrition
- biochemistry
- physiology
- public health
- health promotion
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 or 3 A levels, or equivalent, including biology or chemistry
- a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study
Volunteering
Volunteering in the NHS is a good way to get work experience in healthcare. This can be helpful when you apply for jobs or training.
You could also look for work and volunteering opportunities in:
- food safety
- food charity
- sport and fitness
- food manufacturing
- university research
Restrictions and requirements
You'll need to:
- pass enhanced background checks
Career path and progression
With experience and further training, you could:
- supervise a team of nutritionists
- specialise in an area, such as sports nutrition, public health or allergies
- manage nutritional health programmes and policies
- work freelance as a nutritional consultant
Career tips
There are short courses available that can help you to decide whether nutrition is the right career for you. For example, you could do a:
- certified course from Association for Nutrition
- online nutrition course from FutureLearn
Professional and industry bodies
After university, you can apply to join the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists which shows you're a qualified or experienced nutritionist.
Guides for this industry
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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0