Simply said, all dietitians are nutritionists, but not all nutritionists are dietitians. A Registered Dietitian has additional qualifications that must be met, which include:
- Minimum of a bachelor’s degree with course work including food and nutrition sciences, food service systems management, business, economics, sociology, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology and chemistry
- Completed an accredited dietetic internship
- Passed the national Registered Dietitian examination
- Completes continuing professional educational requirements to maintain registration (75 every 5 years)
Brittany Jones, MS, RD, LD has her B.S. in Nutrition Science and Dietetics from Syracuse University, and her M.S. in Health Communications from Boston University. She completed her dietetic internship at the Medical University of South Carolina, and also holds her Certificate of Training in Adult Weight Management. She was named the Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year in 2014 by the Piedmont Dietetic Association, and received the Presidential Award in 2015 from the South Carolina Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Read more about Brittany and her nutrition philosophy here.