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Becoming a Dietitian or Nutrition Professional

What is a dietitian?
  • According to Dietitians of Canada, a dietitian is a health professional who has a Bachelor's degree,          specializing in food and nutrition, as well as a period of practical training in a hospital or community setting.
  • Dietitians are trained members of the healthcare team with expertise in food and nutrition.
  • Once registered, a dietitian can bear the title “Registered Dietitian”, “Professional Dietitian”, “Dietitian”, or “Nutritionist” depending on where the individual is registered.

What does being a dietitian/nutritionist mean to you?
Responses from Faculty and Students at the Mount
 “Ensuring the health of the people you’re surrounded by: family, friends, colleagues, clients, and other health professionals in a collaborative healthcare setting.”

“Working to prevent nutrition-related diseases by promoting healthy eating.”

“Incorporating dietetics into non-traditional roles; such as business or the media.”

“Educating and empowering others. Being a dietitian means providing information to others in a way that they will understand; it’s giving them the resources and information they need to make healthy choices, but not telling them what to do.”

“Living healthy eating everyday. Being a dietitian is more than a career; it’s a lifestyle choice.”

“Having the knowledge to help people become healthier through proper nutrition. Whether they are young or old, have an illness or are healthy, or have a particular disease, dietitians have the skills and compassion to provide appropriate nutrition therapy.”

“Being a dietitian means understanding the purpose of how nutrition provides the body with what it needs; not just for energy to move around, but to build and repair itself as well.”

Check out what dietitians in the field say about their careers!

Fruit
Information compiled by Katelyn Allen Young
4th year AHN (Dietetics) student 
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