How to Become a Registered Dietitian

Summary: The process to becoming a registered dietitian is not extremely difficult. It requires education, completing internships in specific rotations, and taking a test.

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A registered dietitian is not the same thing as a nutritionist. A nutritionist is not required to have any qualifications to call themselves by the name. Dietitians can be found by using the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website, www.eatright.org.




In order to become a registered dietitian, you have to start with a bachelor's degree in nutrition. You can take a didactic or a coordinated route. Didactic programs are specific to the dietitian field and will fully prepare you for your ACEND-approved internship. A coordinated program would be taking your undergraduate or post-grad classes while taking an ACEND-approved internship. Your school would arrange the internship. The internships require you to complete five rotations such as food service, community nutrition, and clinical nutrition.

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To be a registered dietitian, you have to take a big test called the Registration Examination for Dietitians offered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration.

A dietitian will sit down with a client in what is called a dietetic counseling session. There they give a personalized food plan with recipes to teach clients about their nutritional needs. They will explain nutrition labels and even take clients for a grocery store tour.

Most ask their clients to keep a food journal for a week before the appointment through an electronic device or handwritten notes. This allows them to understand the tendencies toward food that the client has and how to address any problem areas.



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