The difference between Nutritionist and Dietitian

This question comes up a lot, and for a good reason. It is often not initially clear what the difference is, who can call themselves a nutritionist or who can use the title dietitian. What is a nutritionist? And how does it differ from a dietitian?

The Role of a Nutritionist

A nutritionist is a person who provides advice on matters relating to food and how it impacts health. 

Nutritionists can design, coordinate, implement and evaluate individual and population health interventions designed to improve health and wellbeing through food and nutrition. Nutritionists may also work in various other occupations, including research, as nutrition consultants in public health or in industry as nutrition communicators and food technologists.

The Role of a Dietitian

A nutritionist is not qualified to provide medical advice or medical nutrition therapy. That is the role of a dietitian. A dietitian holds qualifications that allow them to prescribe dietary treatment for medical conditions. In Australia, a doctor can refer a patient to a dietitian and may be entitled to Medicare benefits. 

Medicare does not cover nutritionist services. However, many university-qualified nutritionists such as myself who have undergone the accreditation process recognized by private health funds have services that are eligible for benefits. 

What happens if I see a nutritionist who discovers I require medical nutrition therapy?

As a nutritionist, if a client I’m seeing requires medical nutrition therapy, I recommend they speak to their GP about a referral to a dietitian. I can support them by including a referral letter explaining our work together and why I am suggesting they see a dietitian. This communication can help when an individual is managing different care providers.  

The reverse can happen; a dietitian might refer a patient to a nutritionist to support them in implementing ongoing dietary and lifestyle changes, provide nutrition or culinary education, or deliver meal planning and nutrition coaching support. 

Who can call themselves a Nutritionist?

In Australia, there is no legal protection over the title ‘nutritionist’, which means that anyone can call themselves a nutritionist even if they do not have proper qualifications. Unlike dietetics which is a regulated profession.  The Nutrition Society of Australia aims to improve this inconsistency, and has a voluntary registration system for nutritionists to protect the nutrition profession. Applicants undergo a rigorous assessment to confirm their qualifications and experience before registration is granted.

I am a full financial member of the Nutrition Society of Australia and maintain my registration as Associate Nutritionist. 

Accredited Nutritionist

Additionally, many nutritionists like myself apply for accreditation through an external governing body (separate from where they received their training and education) to ensure they meet the highest standard for operating in private practice. This accreditation is an additional rigorous assessment of all education, skills, training, and experience to determine eligibility for accreditation and registration. 

This accreditation also requires ongoing professional development, first aid training, and adequate insurance. 

As an accredited nutritionist and natural therapy practitioner, I have provider numbers to enable our clients to claim nutrition services with private health funds. For a complete list of provers, please see the section of my website titled ‘can I use my private medical insurance?‘ 

Nutritionist Scope of Practice

A nutritionist’s scope of practice depends on their education, skills, and training and the organization’s requirements to which they are registered and accredited. Health Practitioners Professional Indemnity Public & Product Liability recognizes this scope of practice; all nutritionists in private practice must carry insurance. 

As a registered and accredited nutritionist and natural therapy practitioner, it is within my scope of practice to:

• Design individualized food and nutrition interventions to support health
• Analyze dietary intake and make recommendations to achieve health goals
• Provide nutrition, dietary, and culinary education and coaching to individuals and groups
• Provide advice and guidance on the use of nutritional supplements 
• Work with clients on an individual or group level to provide dietary advice and support a lasting dietary change to support health and wellbeing.
• Provide nutrition advice for individuals or group training for athletic events

Nutritionists also might have additional qualifications and experience to aid in the type of nutrition services they provide. In my case, I have a Master’s degree in education, in which I focused on nutrition education. This skill set complements my approach to nutrition, as my area of focus is how to best support people to make food changes that stick, even with significant challenges or barriers. This approach draws heavily on my education and coaching background and my knowledge of nutrition science. 

I’ve also completed additional certifications to become a sports nutrition advisor, enabling me to provide food and nutrition support and advice for athletes training for events. 

Summing Up

In summary, where there are many differences between a nutritionist and a dietitian, the most significant difference is Nutritionists cannot provide medical advice or medical nutrition therapy; that is the role of a Registered Dietitian. 

It’s possible that some people have come to this article to find out which is better a Nutritionist or a Dietitian. Nether is better then the other, they are different professionals who have a different skills set within a common field of nutrition. In an ideal setting, Nutritionists and Dietitians could refer clients back and forth between each other in order to best meet the clients individualized nutrition and lifestyle needs.

When considering working with a nutritionist, ask questions about their qualifications, scope of practice, and whether they can give you provider numbers for private health funds. This practice is both appropriate and advised. While technically anyone can use the title ‘Nutritionist’, those of us who are university educated, accredited, and registered are committed to maintaining a high standard for the profession and are happy to discuss these details with you. 

Because of the diversity among nutritionists, you can find one that meets your individual needs and goals. 

For more information about working with me, book a free 30-minute consultation here, and I can answer any additional questions. 

Hi! My name is Kristine Peter and I’m a Nutritionist (ANutr, AN, NRN) and Nutrition Educator (MEd).

My nutrition services are for people who believe making change to the way they eat to improve their health doesn’t need to be complicated, difficult, or require spending hours in the kitchen. I focus on people who want to make sustainable lasting change to their dietary habits to improve their mood, energy, and enhance their health and well-being. The promise I make to my clients is I will help you discover what the right dietary changes are for you to achieve your goals, without using restrictive diets or unrealistic meal plans that are hard to follow and leave you feeling hungry and miserable.

If you would like to learn more about my nutrition services and if they might be the right fit for you, book a free 30 minute consultation today.