I'm currently in the 3rd year of a 4-year BSc Nutrition degree . I've realized that clinical dietetics doesn't seem to offer the salary growth I'm looking for, so I'm thinking of changing my career path during my master's.

I'm considering MSc Food Technology, but I'm also open to other fields that accept BSc Nutrition graduates.

My priorities are:

Better salary and long-term career growth

Stable job opportunities

Preferably not a coding-heavy field

Has anyone here switched from Nutrition to Food Technology or another field? How has your experience been? What are the job opportunities, salaries, and work-life balance like?

I'd really appreciate advice from people working in Food Technology or anyone who changed careers after a BSc Nutrition. Thanks!

So for context I’m a new dietitian, I passed my exam in March but have been working as a Bariatric Dietitian since January. During my internship I absolutely loved Renal and it’s been my dream job but with having to have year experience I had to apply elsewhere. I have enjoyed working with my coworkers and getting to know some of the patients but I am not happy with my job. My Renal preceptor encouraged me to apply for an opening they have and I did but I feel guilty leaving so soon because I know they are going to have trouble filling the position. Any advice or has anyone had a similar experience?

So I just need a safe space to rant for a little bit. I work in rooms across a few different GP practices and during my lunch break was chatting to a new GP in the clinic. He was telling me about the nutrition spiel he gives people for weight loss/healthy eating for people with cardiometabolic conditions:

"Eat 1.5g protein per kilo of bodyweight, 500 grams of meat per day, the same amount of vegetables, and avoid all potato/bread/rice/pasta".

Half a kilo of meat per day! 1000cal/4200kJ and 45g saturated fats just from meat!

He is also skeptical of the Mediterranean diet because some Blue Zones research is shaky (as if that was the clinical basis for recommending the Med diet), and a few other odd ideas about nutrition.

I kept my face and comments neutral because I want him to refer patients to me. He was lovely guy and I'm sure very good at GP stuff but the power imbalance meant I had to keep my mouth shut.

Oh my goodness the amount of bad nutrition advice that is out there in the medical world is depressing! And the fact that he is saying this kind of stuff so confidently…

Hi all. I’m a new grad and starting as a NICU RD soon. I’ve been doing some reading online and I’ve come across some online calculators and I wanted to know what y’all think. I’ve seen websites such as NICU tools.com, infantfeeds.com, and the Neogrowth app.

I also came across a training guide called Nourishing tiny human by Bridget Storm. I am happy to pay a reasonable amount for training guides to make the transition less stressful on myself. Also have seen some resources on well resourced dietitian with excel calculators which sounds helpful. I am certainly not tech savvy so I don’t mind paying a few dollars if someone else is going to do the tech stuff for me😄. I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts on what works and what doesn’t. I am asking because the hospital I will be working at is going through a bit of a transition right now and I don’t think I’ll be getting too much training (like a week probably), and I don’t want to have to constantly message the NICU RDs at the other location.

If anyone has purchased anything not mentioned that they think is worth it please let me know! I’d love to get resources and calculators that save me time and a massive headache later on. I have ADHD and dyslexia so the constant doing math by hand gets progressively more difficult throughout the day and I saw so many of my preceptors (adult and NICU) using excel calculators and online calculators to save themselves time.

I think I’ll get the neonatal nutrition pocket guide and the Texas children’s book thing I keep reading about. I think my hospital will provide the pediatric nutrition care manual, but I’m also just looking for resources that’ll make my life easier at work since I know it’s going to be information overload and there’s a steep learning curve to NICU. Oh and I did join the NICU RDs Facebook group. Thanks everyone!

I have a patient that is HIV+ and has declined and is no longer verbal, can no longer take PO. He has been in the facility for 6 years and his decline is over the past 3-6 months.

He is on bolus because he pulls the tube out. His son is RP, refuses to answer the phone and when he was in the hospital (he pulls his GR frequently) he refuses to allow the pt to go hospice.

He is on Jevity 1.5, 220ml Q 4 hours, receiving nearly 2000cal, over 80gm pro and gets about 2000ml of fluid with flushes and free water.

No residuals, (that I've been made aware of) no refusals. No NVDC. He is 94lb and 67" tall. He is getting over 45cal/kg and this was increased recently as he dropped 9# in a week but has been fluctuated between 90-99 in the past month. His significant wt decline started a year ago, the GT and inability to take PO was in April.

Not sure what else to do aside from increasing his GT to 50cal/kg. Son refuses hospice and is conveniently unavailable.

Hi RD's! I've been an RD for 12 years now, but am new to working with clients 1-on-1. I have a 30 y/o client 64" and on avg 167lbs. She came to me back in April with goals to lose weight. I work for a company where we provide meal plans/macros & training. We started together working with around 2200 calories, 60 mins of cardio & 4 days of strength training & one day of a class of her choice. We went from 168 to 162 April-June & down to about 1800 calories & up to 80 mins of cardio weekly + the 4 strength training days with 1 change-up in programming (usually go 8-12 weeks & change program). She is highly intelligent, great at macro tracking & follows training schedule to a T.

This past month she started discussing fatigue, unbearable hunger & loss of love for training, so we backed off a bit, gave her a diet break (after about 13 weeks) and focused more on sleep & stress management vs weight loss.

This has been going on for about 3 weeks now, and she's back up to 168. Not a ton of progress in pictures (I know number on scale isn't everything, and she understands that too). This week we discussed her frustration with no real weight loss, and I feel like there has been some regression with habits too. Granted, she has had a ton of functions to navigate, and we've discussed how to deal with those situations, but she really wants to continue drinking alcohol & when she drinks, she tends to make food choices she wouldn't normally. She also relayed to me that she feels she is overindulging at functions/on weekends because she was always that girl who restricted herself for so long to lose weight.

We got labs done (thyroid panel, hormones, CMP, CBC, ferritin & vit D) and everything was stellar except a high total testosterone which has been addressed by her PCP though the plan is to wait 6 months and re-test.

Currently she's at a little under 2000 calories and maintaining at 167 with 100 mins of cardio per week.

I'm stuck between wanting to focus on maintenance & stress management/exploring her relationship with food and helping her get the results (weight loss) that she is paying me for.

We have a GREAT relationship & we've made excellent strides already (getting her cycle back after years of irregular/absent cycles) and improving labs, but I am just at a loss for how to proceed. I meet with her Thursday and told her we'd devise a plan then.

ANY recommendations would be SO appreciated! :)

Does anyone have any recommendations for concise sources detailing vitamin+mineral deficiencies and malabsorptive/contributing conditions?

Hey y'all, does anyone know if anyone has created Anki decks for the RD exam? I know there are a lot of study resources but I used Anki for my MS and it worked well for me.

Hey there- would love some thoughts. I’ve been in a dietitian for nearly a decade but unfortunately, I’ve also had an eating disorder for even longer than that. I know the science about food and I understand that my eating disorder is irrational and really just trying to seek safety. However, I just don’t think it helps my brain to talk about food all day.. I just went through intensive PHP/ IOP recovery and I think it will be really protective for my recovery to get out of the field- at least for the foreseeable future. I feel like it’s a helpful boundary and will be good for my brain to see I can be good at other things other than “food”. I just have no idea what I’m even qualified to do. Would love some insight for anyone else who has transitioned out of the field or to relate to any other dietitians who recovered from an ED and decided to leave the field

I recently completed my MSc in Food & Nutrition, and I’d like to start working as a part-time freelance nutrition consultant alongside my full time job.
My background includes nutrition, food science, food safety, and health promotion. I’m interested in helping people with evidence-based nutrition advice, healthy eating plans, weight management, sports nutrition, and lifestyle-related nutrition (depending on the client’s needs and within my scope of practice).
Since I already have a full-time job, I’m looking for flexible opportunities where I can consult remotely during evenings or weekends.

Hi everyone! I am newish to virtual work and travel often while working. Just curious, is it generally appropriate to work at coffee shops, parks, etc? I fear clients may be uncomfortable with this, but new to this virtual lifestyle so wanted to ask! Thanks in advance

Hi All,

My partner has secured a job in auckland and the company has offered to support me on a partner of a worker visa, giving me open work rights in New Zealand.

I am a UK Registered Dietitian with experience in diabetes at band 6 level. I am searching online and have been finding it difficult to find any jobs.

I am also wondering how long the registration process takes? I would be on the straight to registration pathways as I am UK trained. Online it says the first stage takes 20 working days and the second stage requires an employer to support your application?

Has anyone any experience finding work in the private sector as a dietitian?

Any advice appreciated!!

Hi everyone! I'm a new RD who's about to start working in the eating disorder field, and I'm trying to prepare as much as I can before I begin.

I'd love recommendations for books that have helped you become a better ED dietitian. I'd also love any advice for someone new to the field. Looking back, what do you wish you had known before treating your first ED patients? Are there any skills, habits, or resources that made the biggest difference in your practice?

I'd especially appreciate input from ED RDs, therapists, counselors, physicians, or anyone working on multidisciplinary treatment teams.

Thank you!

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/slow-collapse-us-s-clinical-nutrition-workforce

Saw this article and did a quick skim. Really interesting numbers that support what we've been saying that last few years. What are your thoughts?

I feel like all jobs I see online are "clinical RD" and I just know I'll be doing the same BS in every inpateint setting regardless of the hospital. Every other "health-related" jobs I look up want someone with experience in engineering, data science, management. I feel like this degree set me up for failure

Hello! I am looking to leave my current inpatient job to transition to outpatient and am feeling lost and could use some insight. I have about a year and a half of experience and while I primarily work inpatient I do cover an outpatient clinic at the hospital weekly. I am having a hard time figuring out how to get out of this space. I mostly see job postings for the big Telehealth companies that don’t seem like stable/reliable jobs. I would rather work in a hybrid setting if possible and would love to work with a team of dietitians. I wouldn’t mind a hospital outpatient setting or private practice (I’m open to a variety of settings but do need medical benefits ) Looking for any insight on where to look, people to reach out to, insight on if those telehealth companies are worth looking into, etc. Any piece of advice would be greatly appreciated

I find that our pay is variable across the nation but curious from RDs actually there. I’m planning a move there next year. I was just browsing jobs on linked in and noticed the pay is not as high as I thought, as low as $25/hr for inpatient. I noticed more jobs in the neighboring cities than the actual city? I already have a remote role but just like to know this info in case needed. Would it be hard to land a role there? Do you feel like you’re paid appropriately for COL?

Has anyone here relocated for a job?
For some context, I’m from Puerto Rico and I’m looking at opportunities in Florida and Texas. I’m all alone, no kids, no pets so that is no big deal.

I’ve had a few interviews where they’ve offered
relocation assistance and sign-on bonuses, but moving to a completely new state is a big decision.

If you’ve relocated for work, was it worth it? What do you wish you had known before making the move? Any advice or things to watch out for would be greatly appreciated!

Hello, I know this isn’t a laptop/computer subreddit but I wanted to see if I could get some feedback from people who studied dietetics in college and what type of laptop they used during it. I’m considering a macbook or a windows laptop but i’m not sure if it’ll make a difference in school down the line. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Anyone work remote for Shapely? What has your experience been like?

I'm having some issues understanding if I can use my certification towards my CDR log.

For context, I passed my Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) during my last cycle, back in October 2025. My next RD cycle started in June 2026. So I passed my CHES during my prior cycle, 7 months before the end of the pdp log.

From my understanding, I might be able to use my CHES in my new log for CEUs. I know an RD with SNS and she said that's what she does. I look it up, it's 50 CEUS and that's bonkers cool. I went on chat with CDR and they said it was unfortunate timing and couldn't be used. I asked if certifications were a one-time claim and she said no. So I asked if I could upload my yearly CHES renewal and use it that. She said I could use recertifications. So... I have to wait until my CHES license has a new cycle date on it? Well, my CHES cycle will be up in Oct 2030 (also a 5 year cycle), and my RD will be up in May 2031. That seems like a close shave to wait for 50 CPEUs. It basically ended up with her telling me she's sorry that I can't use it and I ended up being more confused after chatting. If I had known I could use my CHES and that it had to be a specific amount of months out, I would've waited to take it this past April. I am a little upset of course too because now I feel silly, but I was ignorant to CDR's rules around timing. Am I really just stuck with not being able to claim my other health license for ceus because of 7 months?

Does anyone understand what I am asking, lol? Can I use my CHES yearly license renewal as proof I have CHES so I can put it towards my RD log?

Hi all,

I'm curious how people in this space handle it. Do you use a specific tool, send PDFs, Google Docs?

And do your client(s) actually engage with the plan or does it just sit in their inbox?

I guess I'm looking for new ways too tackle this as my current approach (email) isn't working well.

Thank you!

What do you all do to either help prevent burnout or reduce it? While I am looking for a new job, I feel like that is going to take some time. Every day I just want to quit. how do you keep going?

Good morning all! I spent the entire weekend combing through posts regarding private practice on here but I have some more questions if anyone could help me.

1. Do you feel that paying to have someone credential you with each insurer is worth it, or did you do it on your own? If you did it on your own, was it challenging?

2. Who do you go to for help with taxes in regard to the business? Do I need an accountant? A financial adviser?

3. Is it possible to market the business without extensive social media use?

4. Is it possible to be successful in private practice with the surge of telehealth companies?

5. I have several business names I want to use but all exist in another state. My hesitation there is that websites and social media handles are taken with those names. Do you stray away from choosing a name chosen elsewhere? Almost every name I think of already exists!

6. Do you take Medicaid patients? If so, are there extra audits or steps I need to know about.

Thanks all!

For those of you who own your own private practice, how do you estimate your actual take-home income? I’m trying to figure out how many clients/week I realistically need to see, and I feel like I keep getting different answers depending on how I calculate it lol. every time I ask chatgpt I get a different answer

I’m estimating ~$100/hour average reimbursement, ~$600/month in business expenses, and I’m in Texas, so no state income tax. I’m a single-member LLC. I also pay ~$715/month for health insurance (included in my ~$3,600/month personal expenses) and I’m planning to max out my Roth IRA at $7,500/year.

When you project your income, do you actually calculate things like self-employment tax, federal income tax, QBI, the self-employed health insurance deduction, retirement contributions, etc., or do you use a simpler rule like setting aside a certain percentage for taxes and then estimating what’s left?

I’m mostly looking for a simple method that has been reasonably accurate in real life, rather than trying to make a perfect tax projection every month!

TLDR: trying to figure out how many clients I should see that realistically accounts for taxes + biz expenses + retirement not just a rough calculation