Overview
Dietitians and nutritionists assess nutrition related issues of individuals and groups and develop, implement and evaluate nutrition care plans to prevent, treat and manage disease. They manage food and nutrition service systems, and plan health promotion programs. They are employed in a variety of settings including hospitals, home health-care agencies and extended care facilities, community health centres, the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries, educational institutions, and government and sports organizations, or they may work as private consultants.
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
Develop, implement and evaluate nutrition programs and services for individuals, communities and populations
Manage food service systems in hospitals, long-term care facilities, schools, privately owned-food service outlets or similar settings
Provide nutrition guidance, label interpretation and consultation services to health professionals, individuals, dietetic interns, community groups, government and the media
Evaluate nutritional status of individuals and aid in the prevention and/or treatment of inadequate nutrition
Plan, evaluate and conduct nutrition education programs and develop educational materials for various audiences
Practice on an individual basis or as a member of an interdisciplinary team to determine nutritional needs of patients and to plan, implement and evaluate normal and therapeutic diets to maintain and enhance general health
Analyze current scientific nutritional studies, conduct research and evaluate program effectiveness to improve the nutritional value, taste, appearance and preparation of food
Work within industry in the development, testing and evaluation, and marketing of food and nutrition products or as a company representative supplying product related information to health professionals
Confer with other health professionals, community groups, government and the media to provide consultation and advice in areas of nutrition interpretation, intervention and policy
Supervise training of dietetic interns.
Dietitians and nutritionists may specialize in areas such as administrative dietetics, clinical dietetics, community dietetics, public health nutrition or research dietetics.
Employment prospects
Annual salary
$50,054
$85,510
$100,109
Job openings
Use this interactive map to explore job openings in different regions across B.C.
Strong job outlook
British Columbia
392expected job openings (5-year forecast)
Education and training
Employment requirements
Dietitians require a bachelor's degree in dietetics, nutrition or a related field such as food and nutritional science from a program accredited by the Partnership for Dietetic Education and Practice (PDEP), and a period of supervised practical training.
Successful completion of the Canadian Dietetic Registration Exam (CDRE) is required in all provinces except Quebec.
Registration with a regulatory body is required in all provinces for dietitians.
Additional information
In some provinces, dietitians who work as Public Health Nutritionists and dietetic education program coordinators may require a Master's degree.
Dietitians and nutritionists may progress to management positions through additional experience.
Certification requirements
Mandatory: You need the following certification to practice as Dietitians and nutritionists in B.C.
- Registration with the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC - Dietitians
Registration with the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC - Dietitians
Confirm with the certifying body that your intended program qualifies you for this certification.
To work as a health care manager in B.C., you may need to be registered with the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC. Eligibility for dietitians is achieved by graduating from an approved program and examination.
Employment as a manager in health care may require several years of related work experience, including supervisory experience.
Post-secondary programs in B.C.
Explore programs related to this career offered at post-secondary institutions in B.C.