Lauren Renlund MPH RD

Low FODMAP Recipes and Tips

What’s the Difference Between a Dietitian and a Nutritionist in Canada?

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difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist in canada

When I tell people about my job, a common question I am asked is “what’s the difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist in Canada??” Many people are under the false impression that these titles mean the same thing. Depending on where you are in the world, these titles will mean different things and have different laws. This article is specific to Canada, since I’m Canadian myself.

In Canada, Registered Dietitian (RD) is a protected title, which means that only individuals registered with a provincial regulatory body can call themselves a dietitian. Dietitians are regulated health professionals, just like doctors and nurses. In Ontario, the provincial regulatory body is the College of Dietitians of Ontario.

In most provinces (except for Quebec, Alberta, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia), Nutritionist is NOT a protected title. This means that ANYONE can call themselves a nutritionist in Ontario. A dietitian can call themselves a nutritionist, but so can everyone else.

Note: in Quebec, Alberta, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia only dietitians can call themselves a nutritionist.

Dietitians

Dietitians are the experts in nutrition and food. They are extensively educated and trained before they can register with a provincial regulatory body. They must complete an accredited undergraduate degree in nutrition, an accredited dietetic internship program AND complete the Canadian Dietetics Registration Exam. Some also complete Masters and/or Doctorate programs.

Regulated health professionals must practice ethically, are held accountable for their actions, and must complete annual professional development to stay up to date. Dietitians can provide both general nutrition education and medical nutrition therapy (e.g., for medical conditions such as diabetes, Celiac disease, and IBS).

There are regulatory colleges in each province that oversee dietitians and hold them accountable for their actions. The purpose of the regulatory colleges is to protect the public, not dietitians. If a dietitian practices unethically they will lose their license.

Despite the name, dietitians do not promote fad diets or sell supplements. Instead, dietitians help you to make practical and sustainable changes to improve your long-term health. There is a misconception that because dietitians are regulated health professionals, they are only allowed to teach the food guide. This is simply false. A dietitian may sometimes use Canada’s Food Guide as a teaching tool for certain groups to educate generally about healthy eating. It is definitely not the only educational tool dietitians use. Dietitians don’t just focus on individual nutrients, but instead take a holistic view of your diet, health, and wellbeing. They consider all of the many factors that can influence health and take an evidence-based approach, which means all their nutrition recommendations are supported by quality research.

difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist in canada

Dietitians work in many different areas, including hospitals, family health teams, public health units, community health centres, food service, and private practice.

There are various terms for dietitians around the world. In the US, it is sometimes spelt “dietician”, and in Australia, the title is Accredited Practising Dietitian.

Nutritionists

There are various titles nutritionists use, including Registered Nutritionist, Holistic Nutritionist and Nutrition Coach. If a nutritionist is not also a dietitian, they are not regulated by any provincial college, even if they include “registered” “certified” or “licensed” in their title. If a nutritionist acts unethically, there is no regulatory college to hold them accountable.

Nutritionists are not qualified to provide medical nutrition therapy.

Some nutritionists have education/training in nutrition, but some do not. An online certificate in nutrition or a personal health success story is not equivalent to a university degree in nutrition. I am not telling you to not see a nutritionist, but emphasizing the importance of always checking a person’s credentials and education before following their advice.

difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist in canada

What am I?

I am proud to be able to call myself a registered dietitian; I worked very hard to earn that title! I have a four-year Bachelor’s degree in nutrition (University of Guelph), and a two-year Master’s degree in public health and nutrition (University of Toronto). I completed my dietetic internship as part of my Master’s degree and my primary placement was at Sherbourne Health Centre in downtown Toronto. Now I am registered with the College of Dietitians of Ontario. and I passed the Canadian Dietetics Registration Exam. (Note: now that I have moved to Alberta, I am now registered with the College of Dietitians of Alberta)

As a dietitian, I will always provide professional and ethical service and will be held accountable for my actions by the college. I will never try to sell you food products or supplements. I became a dietitian to help improve the health and wellbeing of Canadians, not to make money by selling supplements.

difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist in canada

Final Thoughts

To sum up, a dietitian can call themselves a dietitian and a nutritionist, but a nutritionist can only call themselves a nutritionist in most Canadian provinces. A dietitian goes through rigorous training and is a regulated health professional. There are no standards or regulations for nutritionists in Ontario.

If a person is trying to sell you products such as supplements or diet foods, I would recommend you get a second opinion from a health professional. You should make sure those products are truly necessary/healthy for you before giving them your hard-earned money.

Please talk to your doctor and seek the help of a registered dietitian if you have a medical condition such as a digestive disorder, heart disease, diabetes, etc.

You can learn more about dietitians from the College of Dietitians of Ontario.

Considering dietetics for your career path? Learn more about how to become a dietitian here.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Kelly Wood says

    Thanks for differentiating the two, I have been wondering. I live in Ontario, how can I go about finding a registered dietitian in my area?

  3. Kathleen says

    Hi, I’m in grade 11 & doing a co-op with a dietitian & I LOVE it! But I’m not great at chemistry/math…I’d like a blunt and honest answer to how many chemistry courses you had to take & if I would be able to do them… I stuggled through chemistry this year.

  4. Susan says

    Thank you so much for explaining the difference between a dietician and a nutritionist (in Canada.) Your explanations and suggestions are so helpful. Also, it was impressive and reassuring to see the education you/dietitians have had.

  5. Chrystal says

    Good day Lauren,

    Is there such a thing as a holistic dietitian?
    And what about if your working on merging from a diet that includes meat to a plant based diet? I have many questions but wanted to get at least a couple answered.

    Thank you for you time.

  6. Judy says

    Hi I’m having a little trouble with meal planning …partly because that is not my style..l was always able to cook what ever the mood would hit….now at 69 ,I’ve become gluten intolerant …then bite of tick ,made me allergic to all mammal and their by products and milk…soon after I showed signs of IBS…gastric sent me to dietician who said follow lowfodmap diet ….struggle for 18 months now and I know I need more vitamins in my food because I’m kinda always tired …wondering if you have recipes to start after elimination part of low FODMAP diet…keep having reactions so keep going back to elimination

  7. Mary says

    Hello, can you recommend a dietitian in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario that specializes in IBS-C and has experience with the LOW FODMAP diet? I have been to Women’s College Hospital in Toronto and was surprised and frustrated not to have been referred to anyone to help me with treating my IBS-C. All the items/supplements the GI doctor recommended 2 years ago made my condition worse as well as wasted a lot of money.

    I am now doing extensive research and educating myself to get to the source of my problem and could really use some trained and experienced individual to guide me. Much appreciate your input. Thank you.

  8. Karen says

    Hi Lauren!
    Thanks for sharing such an informative post. Would you be kind enough to clarify my doubt about becoming a Registered Dietitian in Canada as I’m highly interested to be one. I have a Bachelors in Science with a major in microbiology. How do I go about becoming a dietitian? Do I need to start from scratch by taking another Bachelors degree in dietetics, or is there a way around without doing that in Canada?
    Please do let me know as it will be very helpful. Thanks a lot!

    • Lauren says

      Hi Karen, I apologize for the delay in my response! In Canada we have a very specialized and great dietetics program. Unfortunately that means that yes you would need to do an undergraduate degree in nutrition in an accredited program. You may be able to skip some of the courses you have already completed. I know many many dietitians who completed a different undergraduate degree before going back to become a dietitian. I believe your previous degree could be a great asset in a dietetics career.
      Good luck!
      Lauren
      PS If you would like to ask more questions I recommend emailing me at dietitian@laurenrenlund.com and I will respond within 2 days.

  9. Cindy says

    Hi. Thanks for your blog. I have a dietician that does not talk to me about foods, only about different drugs. My doctor took me off of drugs because I was doing well without them, (better). The dietician seems to be more of a pill pusher. When I talk about food, she talks about pills with no side effects. I get home, check them out on their website and do a lot of research and find out they Do have side effects. How can I get through to her that I want to talk about food, not drugs? without being rude?

    • Lauren says

      Hi Cindy, sorry for the delay in my response. I’m sorry to hear that you are not happy with your health care. I don’t know the whole situation but I think it would be polite to say that you would like to focus on food with the dietitian and will discuss medications with your doctor or pharmacist.
      Best wishes
      Lauren

  10. Cindy says

    Thanks for your answer. I did try that but she kept insisting and even got a nurse practitioner to prescribe something. Two good things though. She had me get my A1C done so she could show me how much I needed those drugs. Then, when she got the results back, she just about made my husband and I fall out of our chairs…..she was shocked that my results were so good without her meds. And she no longer feels the need to push them. The second good thing is … she is expecting anytime soon. So maybe she`ll be preoccupied with getting ready. Don`t get me wrong, she is a very nice young lady and I hope her delivery goes well. I just don`t think a dietician should be so drug pushing happy.

  11. Anthony says

    Hi Lauren, Congrats on your accomplishment and move to Alberta!
    My G12 daughter is very keen on personal fitness and nutrition. On the nutrition side she is vegan and would like to make a career that supports this. In your degress and now work practice how much emphasis is given to vegan diets? And given the current trends (eg change in Canada’s food guide reducing dairy and meat) what would be your recommendations for her undergrad? she is aware of the AHN degrees and is hoping for a spot at UofGuelph.

  12. gezal says

    hi, thank for your beneficial writing. I have studied nutrition as a bachelor degree in Iran. now I wanne pursue my master degree in Canada as an international student. could you give me some information about job opportunities and salaries in Canada as a dietitian ? may I have your Email address?

  13. Vida says

    Hi, I have master of science in food technology from Ira.,Can you tell me what should I do to be come a RD in Canada?

  14. Sandra says

    Please what are the requirements for getting admission into a university and what university in Canada offer this course?Thanks