Career as Dietitian
A Nutritionist or Dietitian is a professional who is skilled and experienced in providing healthy food choices and health management for people. They are experts in creating food choices for patients going through various health conditions. Professionals who have achieved a degree in the relevant field can be called first as a Nutritionist and then as a Dietitian. By studying the dietetics course, a candidate can be called a Dietitian. Career prospects in the field of health and nutrition have increased. There are multiple courses available to become a Dietitian. A lot of the population depends on the proper diet and exercise in order to be healthy. Nutritionists or Dietitians can help them maintain their good health by providing them with a planned diet program. Besides that, educational institution, organizations and hospitals are focusing on the diet of their students, employees and patients. Nutritionists or Dietitians play a major role hereby offering them better diet plans.
- About Dietitian :
- Job Profile |
- How do I get there?
Job Profile
Being a Nutritionist or Dietitian opens up a range of opportunities for professionals in India. Both graduates and postgraduates are eligible for multiple opportunities offered by both private and government organizations. The most popular work opportunity in this field is to be a registered Dietitian approved by Indian Dietetics Association. Those who are Nutritionists or Dietitians can work in government organizations. Professionals can also pursue specialization courses in the relevant field. They can pursue post-graduation specialization or postgraduate specialization in clinical nutrition, food nutrition and dietetics, public health nutrition and sports nutrition.
Nutritionists or Dietitians can start their career at a private organization or government organization by getting good pay ranging from Rs 15000 to Rs 45000 a month. Seniors in this position can earn around Rs 50000 to Rs 150000 a month. These individuals have a weekday’s work routine and include only indoor work. In case of any workshop or seminar, they have to travel to other destinations. In case of a heavy flow of patients, they have to work under pressure. They generally work individually by giving diet plans to their patients. On very few occasions, their work routine gets stretched to extra hours; otherwise, they prefer to work on a fixed time schedule.
Some of the top companies such as Colgate-Palmolive watch your health, Aeran Labs, The Healthy Cravings and many more recruit Nutritionists and Dietitians on a large scale. Also, some government organizations offer research and development roles for professionals. Cities like Mumbai, Chennai and Calcutta offer a higher volume of jobs in the nutrition and diet field.
|
Name of Job/Role |
Average salary offered |
Top companies recruiting for these |
|
Dietitian |
Rs 250000 – 400000 annually |
Indian council of medical research, Colgate-Palmolive. |
|
Nutritionist |
Rs 200000 – 350000 annually |
All government and private organizations |
|
Food specialist |
Rs 220000 – 400000 annually |
Government organizations, Aeran labs, public health foundation |
|
Sports Nutritionist |
Rs 300000 – 500000 annually |
Sports federations, health clubs |
Pros and Cons of a career as a Nutritionist/Dietitian
Pros:
- Candidates pursuing diploma, graduation and post-graduation courses in nutrition and diet can explore more job opportunities in this sector.
- They can flexibly opt for different career opportunities that are available for these professionals.
- The Nutritionists and Dietitians have freedom of choosing different career options such as taking a job or starting their own nutrition centre.
- They can get involved actively in various government initiatives based on food and nutrition.
Cons:
- Often it becomes difficult for Nutritionists and Dietitians to change their career path.
- They can’t get switched easily to other fields such as engineering and commerce.
- A lot of work experience is required in this field in order to get promoted to senior positions.
Future Growth Prospects
How do I get there?
First of all, in order to be a Nutritionist or Dietitian, you should have a deep interest in the relevant field. While studying in school, students can focus on the science subject and get more knowledge in both theoretical and practical ways. They should understand the basics of human body functions, food, nutrition, diet, macro and micronutrients, the function of each nutrient in the human body, and food preferences in different regions of India. These subjects are taught during the school years in science. After the 10th standard, students should opt for the biology group for their 12th standard course. They will learn about these basic topics in more detail here.
Once completed students can choose a diploma or undergraduate
course in nutrition or dietetics. The diploma courses available are
diploma in nutrition and health education, diploma in nutrition and
food technology, diploma in dietetics, diploma in dietetics and
clinical nutrition, diploma in nutrition and dietetics and a
diploma in food science and nutrition. The diploma courses are
usually two or three years long. Even after 12th
standard, students can opt for undergraduate courses in nutrition
and dietetics. The undergraduate courses available in India are
Bachelor of Science or BSc in Dietetics, BSc in nutrition and
dietetics, BSc in applied nutrition, BSc in food science and
nutrition and BSc in home science with food science and nutrition
specialization. The undergraduate courses are of three years
duration.
At postgraduate level, students with undergraduate degrees in relevant fields can opt for Masters of Science or MSc in food science/technology, MSc in clinical nutrition, MSc in public health nutrition, and MSc in food nutrition and dietetics. Students can also choose the postgraduate diploma courses in therapeutic nutrition, sports science and nutrition, food science and nutrition. The course duration is generally two years for both postgraduate and postgraduate diploma courses.
How much do the courses cost?
Generally the Dietitian or Nutritionist course costs from Rs 25000 to Rs 1,50,000 annually. It depends on the institution type and its ranking overall. The government regulated institutions charge less annual fees for such courses, while private institutions charge more.
What are the top colleges where one should be studying to become a Nutritionist or Dietitian?
There are various colleges and universities in India which offer courses in the nutrition and diet field. Some colleges or universities offer diploma courses while others offer degree and postgraduate courses in the relevant field.
|
Rank of college |
Name of college, city |
Program fees (Range) |
|
1 |
National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad |
Rs 30,000 annually |
|
2 |
Lady Irwin College, Delhi |
Rs 36,000 annually |
|
3 |
JD Birla institute of home science, Calcutta |
Rs 1,25,717 annually |
|
4 |
All India Institute of Hygiene and public health, Calcutta |
Rs 24,000 annually |
Books and other materials
There are some books which are quite helpful while pursuing any course in nutrition and diet. They are
- Nutrition and physical degeneration (Author – Weston A Price)
- Whole: rethinking the science of nutrition (T Collin Campbell and Howard Jacobson)
- Registered Dietitian – Nutritionist ( Jessica Murray)
Other Options
If this career path doesn’t work with you, there are multiple options where you can get a good career breakthrough. Professionals with Certification in Nutrition and Dietetics can participate in government programs which focus on food and nutrition of the general population. You can also opt to become an advisor on food and diet at hospitals, hotels and educational institutions.
Other careers of your interests
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Content on this page is by Career Expert Mrs. Kum Kum Tandon MA (Psychology), M.Ed, Diploma in Educational Psychology, Vocational Guidance & Counseling (NCERT, Delhi) | View Complete Profile |