Everything you need to know about a career in nutrition, with Rhiannon Lambert
Nutrition is a broad and exciting field with numerous specialisms, from sports performance and gut health to plant-based and beyond.
A career as a nutritionist can be deeply rewarding, allowing you to empower people to achieve better health by influencing their food choices. And nutritionists do more than shape eating habits; they also help clients foster healthier relationships with food, rediscover the joy of eating, and achieve their performance goals.
The more we learn about nutritional science, the more we realise that the field is complex, nuanced and personal. As Tim Spector told the Food Matters Live podcast:
“Food is not a religion, the rules keep changing”.
With nutritional science becoming increasingly mainstream and research challenging long-held assumptions in the field, more and more companies will be looking to recruit nutritional expertise. These factors will also birth demand for nutritional communicators on social media and TV.
In light of this, we’ve compiled a collection of helpful content for budding nutritionists looking to break into the field. You’ll find out which courses are available, the most important soft skills to thrive in the role, and hear top tips from those currently working within the sector.
You’ll also hear from Rhiannon Lambert, one of the UK’s leading nutritionists, on her journey from singer to nutritional superstar. Let’s jump in:
Nutrition courses in the UK
Once you’ve decided that you want to be a nutritionist, you’ll have to narrow down which course you want to take. But with an incredible diversity of degrees and qualifications out there, it can be hard to know which one to choose.
To help you with this process, we’ve detailed a selection of undergraduate, postgraduate, and other nutrition courses available in the UK. Whether you want to focus on performance, weight management or disease prevention, there’s a course for you!
What does a career in food and nutrition look like? Industry insiders weigh in
Want to know what a career in nutrition actually looks like? Look no further! Our panel discussion featuring nutritional professionals explores the day-to-day responsibilities of the role, how to break into the industry, and which soft skills you’ll need to thrive. The featured experts all work within vastly different nutritional niches giving you a panoramic view of the industry.
Speakers: Ruth Smith from Anglia Crown, Corrine Toyn from Chickpea Marketing and Mariam Aigbe from Meatless Farm.
Food Matters Live sits down with Rhiannon Lambert, one of the UK’s leading nutritionists
Rhiannon Lambert is one of the UK’s leading nutritionists, a Sunday Times bestselling author, and chart-topping podcast host. She is also the founder of Rhitrition, a renowned Harley Street clinic specialising in weight management, sports nutrition, eating disorders, and pre- and post-natal nutrition.
As if that weren’t impressive enough, she has consulted as a nutritionist for the likes of Microsoft, Deliveroo, Samsung and The Four Seasons Hotel. She regularly appears on both TV and radio to discuss nutritional trends and has amassed a social media following numbering over 200k.
We sat down with Rhiannon to discuss how she went from a career in entertainment to one of the foremost nutritional experts in the country. Along the way, she offers her top career tips to budding nutritionists and explains why everyone needs a mentor.
5 tips to kickstart your career in nutrition
Looking to kickstart your career in nutrition? Check out 5 key tips on how to break into the industry courtesy of Nuna Kamhawi, Founder of Nutrition with Nuna and a Senior Nutritionist in the nutraceuticals industry.
Like many of the nutritionists we have spoken with over the years, she emphasises the importance of getting hands-on work experience and networking with those in your desired niche.
Sophie Medlin, Chair for the British Dietetic Association, on the joys of being a dietitian
In this episode of the Career Conversations podcast series, we sit down with one of the UK’s leading dietitians, Sophie Medlin.
Sophie has her own practice, City Dietitians, and is the London Chair of the British Dietetic Association. She’s incredibly passionate about encouraging young people to enter her profession and believes it’s one of the most rewarding careers out there.
For those that don’t know, dietitians and nutritionists aren’t quite the same thing. In simple terms, registered nutritionists focus on preventing illness, whilst dietitians treat those with clinical conditions such as Crohn’s disease, diabetes and arthritis.
Listen to the full episode to find out which types of skills you need to be a successful dietitian, the courses you need to study and why the NHS is the best apprenticeship for budding dietitians.
Key resources
The British Nutrition Foundation
The British Dietetic Association
