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- Develop a scientific understanding of food and use this to advise other health professionals
- You'll normally work on scientific research and testing, not directly with patients
- Opportunities to progress into senior roles or specialise in an area like sports nutrition
As a nutritionist, you'll work closely with dieticians and other health professionals, like pharmacists, GPs, and hospital or community diet and nutrition teams.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Practical nutrition research projects
- Recruiting volunteers to take part in trials
- Processing and analysing biological samples
- Raising awareness and educating colleagues in the health field
- Aiming healthy eating campaigns at particular groups
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You could work in an NHS or private hospital, at a health centre, or at a GP practice.
You'll need
To be a nutritionist, you'll need knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses, customer service skills, sensitivity and understanding, thoroughness and attention to detail, the ability to read English, patience in stressful situations, and excellent verbal communication skills.
You'll usually need a degree or postgraduate qualification approved by the Association for Nutrition, such as food and nutrition, biochemistry, physiology, public health, or health promotion.
Most senior nutritionists are registered with the Association for Nutrition as a part of the Voluntary Register of Nutritionists for professional recognition.
Voluntary or paid experience in the NHS might be useful before applying for a course.
CAREER PROSPECTS
You could specialise in sports nutrition by taking a further relevant postgraduate degree. With experience, you could progress into management and policy development.