okay, I know there are so many people on social media who are giving nutrition advice. how can you tell who to listen to and who to avoid?

if you’re based in the United States, it’s actually really simple. a registered dietitian is a nationally recognized term. nobody can call themselves that unless they complete a very long and intense schooling (which i’ll get into in a bit). a “nutritionist” or “health coach” is not nationally recognized. that means that in the United States, anybody is allowed to call themselves that. you know that person who always pops up at grocery stores telling you what to avoid? yeah, those people are nutritionists who have no proven real understanding of how our bodies work.

so, what does a registered dietitian have to do to become an RD?

graduated from my undergrad in 2020…had to wait to walk the stage until over a year later in 2021

let me tell you what I did….

attend a university where you will get a 4-5 year degree in nutrition and dietetics
during that time, get a job where you will understand more about nutrition, medical diets, and medical terminology (I worked as a CNA in a rehab center/nursing home)
volunteer
after graduation, apply to a masters program and dietetic internship
masters program: must be with an accredited university. my masters was in dietetics with a focus in pediatrics and public health
dietetic internship: this is VERY competitive to get into. most internships only have spots for less than 10 people, while each university can have 50+ people graduating each year.
- the dietetic internship is 1000 hours long (1200 when I did it!) and you have to PAY to get into it. for me, it was $12000 and it’s basically like having a full time job, 9-5. you don’t get paid for the work you do, but you do learn a lot working on-the-job.
after 4-5 years of undergrad, 2 years of your masters program, and 1 year of an internship (sometimes completed during your masters program), you have to take a very very difficult test on all different components of nutrition. everything from laws, government funded programs, nutrient deficiencies + toxicities, medical nutrition therapy, food borne illnesses, religious diets, biochemistry, and so much more. last I checked, the test had slightly less than a 50% pass rate.
once you pass the test you can officially start using your new title: registered dietitian!