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.”