Dietitians

A Day in the Life

As a dietitian, your day varies depending on whether you work as a clinician, food service expert, or consultant. The profession's many choices often involve managing the dietary aspects of illness and teaching people how to eat for optimum health. You interact daily with clients or patients and use your expertise in nutritional science to create appropriate eating plans.

If you are a clinical dietitian, you provide medical nutrition therapy to patients with acute and chronic illnesses. Your morning begins with a review of today’s patient information and consulting schedule. Your first patient has low levels of the blood protein albumin, indicating the need for additional protein and calories. You review his current diet plan and calculate optimal changes. As the patient’s compliance is crucial, you ask him about his food preferences. He is pleased to receive more filling meals and to be consulted about food choices. You write up notes to update the rest of his care team.

Your next patient is borderline diabetic and meets with you to create a diet plan to maintain wellness. She is accustomed to eating meals high in sugar and refined carbohydrates and is daunted by the prospect of drastic lifestyle changes. As a skilled cook, you craft healthier versions of her favorite recipes and print them for her to take home. You also give her a shopping list of healthy grocery items. The patient leaves feeling more in control of her future.

After a quick lunch at your desk while completing paperwork, you head to the conference room to give a nutrition presentation. Today, you are educating celiac patients about how to make gluten-free family meals tasty and affordable. For people learning to live with severe dietary restrictions, tasks such as planning a meal can seem overwhelming. Your audience expresses appreciation for the tips, and you end your shift with final paperwork that quantifies the positive difference you made today in several lives.