Role of a Dietitian

A Registered Dietitian (RD) is a health professional who has university education and will provide you with a comprehensive nutrition advice on, food and healthy eating choices and practices that will help you look good and feel great.

The Need To See A Dietitian

Registered Dietitians will translate complex medical and nutrition research and make it easier for you to make daily food choices and plan healthy meals. They also have special skills to treat nutrition health related diseases with food and to prevent nutrition related problems.

So if you are trying to manage a medical condition with a special dietary needs, control your weight, feed your family, or interpret nutrition facts on food labels, a Registered Dietitian can help.

Hiring a Registered Dietitian ensures that you get accurate and appropriate information from a professional who is accountable for his or her knowledge and expertise. By hiring a dietitian, you are protected against unethical or false advice and can trust that you’ll receive a high quality service.

Difference Between a Dietitian and A Nutritionist

The titles “dietitian” or “Registered Dietitian” are protected by law in most countries including Canada. That is only those who have met specific educational and professional requirements are legally allowed to practise as a Dietitian. “RD”

All Registered Dietitians in Ontario are members of the College of Dietitians of Ontario (every province has its own college). They are held accountable for their conduct and care they provide, and as a result the reliability and safety of their professional advice and care are ensured.

A nutritionist is a non-accredited title that may apply to a person whohas done a short course in nutrition or who has given themselves this title. The terms “nutritionist” or “registered nutritionist” are not protected terms in Ontario. This means that anybody can call themselves a nutritionist and there are no standards for their quality of care.

Here’s the tricky thing – depending on where a Registered Dietitian works, he or she may have a different job title. Dietitians working in community settings often have a job title that uses “nutritionist”. To know if that person is a Registered Dietitian, look for the initials “RD” or “Registered Dietitian” after their name.

There are also qualified nutritionists, who are people who have completed University Degrees in Food Science, Human Nutrition, Food and Nutrition, or Food Technology. They are called Food Scientists. University qualified Nutritionists and Food Scientists normally work for food manufacturers, retailed businesses, in research and public health promotion. Some may work as Dietitian Assistants or Food Journalists. Nutritionists do not have any professional practical training, and therefore they should not be involved in the diagnosis and dietary treatment of any diseases.

To verify if your nutrition provider is a qualified Registered Dietitian, consult the College of Dietitians of Ontario.

A Nutrition4U consultancy

- Our dietitians are registered with the college of dietitians of Ontario and Dietitians of Canada.
- We strive to be a reliable source of dietetic and nutrition information to all our clients.
- Our dietitians have vast nutrition knowledge and they have practised in various organizations across the
  world in hospitals, public health units, schools, community, nursing homes and food Industries, etc.