Career Suggestion

Nutritionist

Nutritionists teach patients and clients about the effects of food on their health, motivating them to make positive changes to their diet.

Average salary (a year)

£32000.0 to £48000.0 (starter to experienced)

Typical hours (a week)

37.0 to 40.0

You could work

between 8am and 6pm

You can get into this job through a university course.

University

You'll usually need a degree or postgraduate qualification approved by the Association for Nutrition .

Approved courses include:

  • food and nutrition
  • biochemistry
  • physiology
  • public health
  • health promotion

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 or 3 A levels, or equivalent, including biology or chemistry

  • a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study

More Information

  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • student finance for fees and living costs|https://www.gov.uk/student-finance
  • university courses and entry requirements|https://www.ucas.com/

Volunteering

Volunteering in the NHS is a good way to get work experience in healthcare. This can be helpful when you apply for jobs or training.

You could also look for work and volunteering opportunities in:

  • food safety
  • food charity
  • sport and fitness
  • food manufacturing
  • university research

More Information

Career Tips

There are short courses available that can help you to decide whether nutrition is the right career for you. For example, you could do a:

Professional and Industry Bodies

After university, you can apply to join the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists which shows you're a qualified or experienced nutritionist.

Further Information

You can find out more about a career in nutrition from the Association for Nutrition and Health Careers .

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • sensitivity and understanding
  • knowledge of biology
  • knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to work well with others
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • the ability to work on your own
  • maths skills
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

Day-to-day tasks

As a nutritionist, you could:

  • analyse food samples to work out their nutritional value
  • research links between nutrition, health and disease
  • give scientific advice on foods and food groups
  • develop nutritional plans with patients to help them manage a health condition
  • promote the benefits of a healthy diet and relationship to food
  • work closely with doctors, dietitians and nurses
  • advise public bodies on policies to improve community health

Working environment

You could work in an NHS or private hospital, in the community, at a GP practice, at a health centre or in a laboratory.

With experience and further training, you could:

  • supervise a team of nutritionists
  • specialise in an area, such as sports nutrition, public health or allergies
  • manage nutritional health programmes and policies
  • work freelance as a nutritional consultant

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