Log out
U
Log out
U

How to become a nutritionist or dietitian working in plant-based nutrition

by Isabelle Sadler

With growing interest in the health, environmental, and ethical benefits of plant-based diets, more people are seeking qualified professionals to guide them in making evidence-based dietary changes. At the same time, more organisations are seeking to support the transition to a plant-based food system through research, advocacy, and policy. If you’re passionate about plant-based nutrition and want to turn that interest into a career, becoming a registered nutritionist or dietitian is a great way to do it.

Below we outline how to get started, differences between the two professions, and some career options and advice. The advice is mostly applicable to those in the UK, but there are useful tips for individuals living in other countries too.

What’s the difference between a nutritionist or dietitian?

The first decision you might want to make is; do you want to train as a nutritionist or dietitian?

Although both work to improve people’s health through better nutrition, and are vital for advancing plant-based nutrition in healthcare, education, and policy, there are key differences in training, regulation, and scope of practice:

What can I do as a dietitian?
  • Dietitian is a protected title regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and requires an HCPC-approved degree in dietetics (or a relevant degree followed by a postgraduate course). There is also an apprenticeship route which you can read more about here.
  • Qualified to work in clinical settings, including the NHS and private practice, and provide medical nutrition therapy, for example, for diabetes, cancer, gastrointestinal conditions.
  • Dietitians are trained to assess, diagnose, and treat dietary and nutritional problems both at individual and population levels.
  • If you want to work with patients as a medically trained professional, or develop specialist knowledge in an area such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, gastroenterology and obesity, becoming a dietitian might be the career for you.
What can I do as a nutritionist?
  • While ‘nutritionist’ is not a protected title, those registered with the Association for Nutrition (AfN) can use the title Registered Associate Nutritionist (ANutr) and then Associated Registered Nutritionist (RNutr). Those who register with the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) typically operate as BANT Registered Nutritionists, hold qualifications accredited by the Nutritional Therapy Education Commission (NTEC) and can practise as Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioners in a one-to-one or clinical setting.
  • This typically requires a Bachelors or Masters degree in nutrition accredited by the AfN, relevant postgraduate study, or a NTEC-accredited degree.
  • Registered Nutritionists cannot work in clinical settings, but they are qualified to work in public health, research, education, and industry. There are some roles for Nutritionists in the NHS, but this is limited compared to dietetics. 
  • The focus for nutritionists is often on public health, prevention, health promotion, and community interventions. 
  • If you are more interested in working in policy, research, non-profit roles, or education then this might be a better career path for you. 
  • Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioners often work directly with clients, providing personalised nutrition and lifestyle advice, for the promotion of health, peak performance and individual care. 

How to become a registered dietitian or nutritionist 

To become a Registered Dietitian (RD) you’ll need to complete either BSc (Hons) in Dietetics, which is a 3–4-year undergraduate course, or postgraduate diploma or MSc in Dietetics, provided you have a relevant undergraduate degree. Use this page from British Dietetic Association (BDA) to find all of the routes that can be taken to qualify as a dietitian in the UK

To become a Registered Nutritionist you’ll need to complete an Accredited BSc (Hons) in Nutrition or an accredited MSc in a Nutrition-related subject. You can view the pages for The Association for Nutrition (AfN) and the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) outlining all of the accredited undergraduate and postgraduate courses in nutrition. You can also apply through a portfolio route for both AfN and BANT if you meet their requirements. 

How to find a career in plant-based nutrition

While plant-based nutrition may not be the primary focus of most degree programmes, there are ways to tailor your studies and career toward this area.

 
Choose a course with an interest in plant-based or sustainable nutrition

Look at the university’s research interests 

Look at the research themes at the universities where you are interested in studying. This will give you an idea of whether they’re interested in sustainable diets and/or plant-based nutrition and therefore the potential options for your dissertation.

For example, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has a research group that sits at the intersection between nutrition and climate change, with an interest in plant-based diets. Our research assistant, Izzy Sadler, is currently studying her MSc Nutrition for Global Public Health, chosen in part because their research aligns with her passion for plant-based diets in the fight for planetary health.

It’s also worth browsing the course content, optional modules, and, if possible, previous research projects that past students have been able to do for their summer project.

While UK universities offer Nutrition or Dietetics courses that include elements of plant-based nutrition, it’s essential to understand that these programmes are generally broad in scope. Accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) or the Association for Nutrition (AfN), these courses adhere to specific curricula designed to equip students with comprehensive knowledge and skills required for professional practice. For instance, Dietetics programmes focus on developing competencies necessary for clinical roles within the NHS and other healthcare settings. So, while there may be opportunities to explore plant-based topics, the flexibility to specialise extensively in this area is often found within research projects or elective modules or placements. Though on dietetics courses elective modules and placements can be quite limited. ​

Examples of master’s degrees in nutrition 

  • London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine: MSc Nutrition for Global Public Health (study full-time or part-time, in person only)
  • University of Surrey: MSc Human Nutrition (study full-time, in-person)
  • University of Aberdeen: MSc, PgDip, or PgCert Clinical Nutrition (study over 24 months, online)

For dietetics undergraduate and postgraduate courses, the curriculum is quite standardised via the BDA. There are many other factors which are more likely to influence this decision.

Make the most of your course while you’re studying  

While you’re studying, make the most of the in-course and extra-curricular opportunities available to you.

  • Choose a dissertation/summer research topic related to plant-based diets, chat to your supervisor or tutor about the options available to you
  • Seek placements or volunteer with plant-based or climate-focused organisations, even volunteer to write articles or run a newsletter for small organisations – non-profits could often do with the help! Your university might have a sustainability group that you can get involved with.
  • Join professional networks that advocate for sustainable and plant-based food systems, for example, the Nutrition Society, has a Special Interest Group for plant-based diets and health that you can join as a member, connecting you to a network of researchers and opportunities in this space.
  • Attend events and CPD courses through relevant organisations such as PBHP UK, The Nutrition & Lifestyle Medicine Conference, The Nutrition Society, the Physicians Association for Nutrition.

Connections built over time can lead to opportunities, especially when others see your interest and enthusiasm and the strengths you bring to a role or field.

After your course

Keep up to date with relevant organisations for developments in the field and job opportunities. Note that while many organisations might not work exclusively on plant-based diets, there are often opportunities to explore this or support the move to plant-forward diets in certain roles. Organisations that may have such roles include:

Additionally, keep an eye on vegan and plant-based food companies. They may not always be hiring nutritionists or dietitians, but job profiles might fit your skills or an opportunity may pop up. Such as Oatly, Planthood.

Signing up to newsletters or job boards, even those non specific to plant-based nutrition can also help you stay aware of opportunities arising in this field:

Browse job boards such as the following for potentially relevant opportunities

Connect with people on LinkedIn! Building a network on LinkedIn with plant-based researchers, dietitians, nutritionists is an invaluable way to stay connected to others in the space and stay privy to opportunities that you may not have found elsewhere.

As a student or a registered professional, you can join as a member of professional bodies like the British Dietetic Association (BDA) or the Nutrition Society. This is a great way to stay connected and informed. From there, you can join special interest groups (SIGs) such as the BDA’s Sustainable Diets Specialist Group or the Nutrition Society’s Plant-Based SIG. These groups offer opportunities to network, stay up to date with emerging research, and even help shape strategy and policy within the profession. You can even become a committee member in these specialist groups; it is surprising the opportunities that can arise from this.

Setting up a private practice specialising in plant-based nutrition 

Some dietitians and nutritionists in PBHP UK’s network have opened their own practice specialising in plant-based nutrition. Some people run their own private practice while continuing to work as a more ‘general’ dietitian or nutritionist.

You can find out more about the roles that nutritionists and dietitians of the PBHP community have in our health professionals directory. If something or someone interests you, reach out to see if they’re happy to share more about their career path.

Career examples from people working in plant-based nutrition 

Career spotlight: Michael Metoudi, Research Dietitian at PBHP UK

I retrained as a dietitian back in 2020 from a previous career in cancer research. I had always had an interest in how one’s diet could be related to reducing the risk of chronic disease and saw first-hand the devastating effects of cancer and how many new cases could be prevented through additional diet and lifestyle-related modifications. I was fortunate to attend PBHP UK’s first nutrition conference in 2018 which exposed me to an immense wealth of evidence-based knowledge and research I had not come across before on how a whole food plant-based diet could prevent many chronic diseases the world is currently facing (many of which are now the leading causes of premature death). This only increased my passion to want to contribute further to the body of literature on the role of whole food plant-based nutrition for human health and disease.  I have been fortunate to work as a research dietitian with PBHP UK, whilst also working clinically as a registered dietitian. There is tremendous scope for dietitians to work in a research capacity (approx. 10% of dietitians do!) that can ultimately shape public health policies, contributing to better health on a national level!

My advice: Recognising the potential for dietitians to also work in research can lead to a significant shift in people’s perceptions of plant-based and more sustainable diets through evidence-based research.  While dietitians are trained to work in a clinical setting, they learn skills on how to critically evaluate the scientific literature, which is a key skill for a career in research.

Izzy Sadler – MSc Nutrition student and Research Assistant at PBHP UK 

I finished my BSc in Human Biology in 2021, knowing I wanted to work in nutrition and sustainability, with a focus on plant-based diets. I wasn’t sure where to start, so I joined PBHP UK as a student member to connect with others in the field and kept an eye out for ways to get involved. I then volunteered to write an article and lead a journal club, which helped me build skills and make valuable connections within the plant-based movement. One of those connections led to a full-time role with a US-based plant-based nutrition group, which I wouldn’t have found through typical job searches. I also started freelance work with PBHP UK, which evolved into a part-time research assistant role I now balance alongside my part-time MSc in Nutrition for Global Health at LSHTM. I chose this course, in part, for its focus on global nutrition and planetary health, knowing I would get the opportunity to do my summer research project on an area within plant-based diets and planetary health.

My advice: Get involved with organisations that align with your interests, even in small ways if your time is limited. In my personal experience, volunteering or reaching out can open unexpected doors. This field is well connected, and I found that opportunities often came through word of mouth rather than job boards.

Back To Articles