12 Consulting Dietitian Jobs
Registered Dietitians have an incredibly important job. Nutrition is the foundation for health, and by education, training, and counseling the community on dietetics, you have the power to make PROFOUND change . . . but I don’t need to tell you that! You’ve seen the power your work has to transform lives, whether you’ve just started your dietetics internship or you’ve been working in a clinic for decades. There isn’t a person out there who can’t benefit from the wisdom of a Registered Dietitian.
Despite the fact that so many people need the guidance of a Registered Dietitian, it’s easy for us as RDs to feel trapped in our jobs. Sometimes the traditional 9-5 of an RD has us feeling underpaid, underappreciated, and WAY overworked, but there are other options! Today, I wanted to take some time to explore consulting dietitian jobs with you. We’ll discuss what consulting jobs are and what positions you can look for. Plus, I’ll lay out some informative job descriptions to help you make your decision!
Here’s what you need to know about consulting dietitian jobs:
12 Consulting Dietitian Jobs
Traditional employment means showing up to the same place every day pretty much doing the same thing. For many, this is comfortable and fulfilling, but just as many it’s not. But, what can you do as an RD? How can you make your job hold more purpose and flexibility to suit your goals? Becoming a consulting dietitian can be a great option!
What Is A Consultant Dietitian?
A consultant dietitian is simply a Registered Dietitian who works on a contract basis! A lot of times they work for multiple organizations at once, working on various projects and temporary needs. This allows an RD to really zone in on solving a specific issue or making progress in a specific area of nutrition. They can work part-time or full-time, depending on the job types.
Because they work independently, they often get to work in a variety of settings from hospitals and long-term care facilities to corporate wellness programs and sports teams. Really, where you work depends on your niche and personal goals! You can control where and when you work based on what jobs you take.
As a consulting dietitian you’ll create customized nutrition plans, provide nutrition counseling, and ensure all your recommendations are in line with local, state, and federal regulations. Of course, the specifics of the projects vary greatly depending on what area of nutrition and dietetics you work in!
12 Consultant Dietitian Jobs
Clinical Consultant Dietitian
A clinical consultant dietitian works in places like hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes. On a contract basis they do things like provide nutrition assessments, develop meal plans, assist with patient monitoring, and offer nutritional counseling. They may also do special projects or fill temporary positions if there’s increased patient loads or their usual RD is on leave.
Corporate Wellness Consultant
A corporate wellness consultant focuses on managing the health and wellbeing of employees in various business settings. Often, they’ll be hired on a temporary basis to develop a company’s wellness programs or to run workshops/seminars. They may also provide nutritional counseling, health education, and employee progress tracking.
Sports Nutrition Consultant
Nutrition is really important for professional athletic performance! A Registered Dietitian who works as a sports nutrition consultant may be hired by professional sports teams, collegiate athletic programs, or individual athletes to help enhance their performance. During their time working with various organizations they’ll offer nutritional assessments, personalized nutrition plans, performance optimization strategies, progress monitoring, and other counseling needs.
If you’re interested in specializing in sports nutrition, here’s how to become a sports dietitian!
Public Health Dietitian
A public health dietitian works with public health departments, non-profit organizations, schools, and community health centers to work on nutrition policies, educational programs, and research on a contract basis. They collaborate with other community leaders and professionals to promote and execute nutrition related public health initiatives.
Pediatric Nutrition Consultant
These consulting RDs work with infants, children, and adolescents on a contract basis in hospitals, clinics, and other practices. They may work on a specific project or just fill a temporary need by providing nutritional assessment, personalized nutrition plans, and nutrition counseling specifically for pediatric clients.
If you’re interested in specializing in pediatrics, here’s how to become a pediatric dietitian!
Geriatric Nutrition Consultant
This position is a lot like the pediatric nutrition consultant job, however they work with the elderly instead of the young. Often, this places geriatric nutrition consultants in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and hospitals.
Renal Consulting Dietitian
Clients with kidney disease need specialized nutrition counseling and strategy. A renal consulting dietitian, works in multiple dialysis centers and private renal clinics to execute projects, provide education, and do one-on-one coaching with clients who have kidney disease.
Oncology Consulting Dietitian
This position is similar to a renal consultant, but the RDs work with cancer patients in various facilities instead. They need specialized coaching, education, and meal planning from nutrition experts to help them improve their quality of life throughout treatment.
Food Service Consultant
A food service consultant helps institutions like schools, hospitals, and prisons establish or improve food service operations on a contract basis. They do short-term and long-term projects like meal planning, staff training, budget managing, food quality/safety assessment, and more.
Culinary Nutrition Consultant
If you like both the culinary and nutritional side of food, you may be interested in being a culinary nutrition consultant. In this position, Registered Dietitians are contracted by restaurants, cafeterias, and food product companies. They’ll collaborate with chefs and food service staff to develop recipes, do menu planning, perform nutritional analysis, and other projects!
Research Dietitian Consultant
Rather than educating the public on food science advancements, you’re the one uncovering it. These RDs are commissioned to do study coordination, data collection, subject recruitment, program development, and even research publication.
Private Practice Dietitian
Here’s the big one! As a private practice dietitian you can have the flexibility to work with whoever you want whenever you want! I recommend you have your own online nutrition business that specializes in a niche that you’re passionate about. That way you can live anywhere and manage your income, work/life balance, and clientbase your way!
But, if you niche down and you have your own business, you’re not limited to only serving those specific clients. If you feel led to help with projects, research, or policy advising outside of that niche, DO IT! You can contract your services to whoever you want as a consulting dietitian, even if you specialize in one area.
If you really want to realize your true potential as an RD, there’s no better way to do it than with your own online private practice that represents you, what you believe in, and what you want for your future. The impact you’ll have on your dreamy clients and your own life goals will be immeasurable!
Does that all sound great, but you’re nervous to get started? I am here for you! I am a dietitian business coach who helps RDs like you build the practice of their dreams. I’ll help you with everything from establishing logistics and finding your niche to building a marketing plan and generating a steady clientbase. Together, we can make this happen! Apply to work with me today.
Take control of your career by becoming a private, consulting Registered Dietitian!
I hope this post helped you find purpose and meaning! I hope it encourages you to step outside of your comfort zone and uncover a career that’s really meaningful to you and your mission.
For more dietitian career advice and nutrition business information, head over to my blog! Let me help you make your dreams into a reality.