Why Do I Want to be a Registered Dietitian?

People often ask me what prompted me to want to be a Registered Dietitian.  I already had a career as a chef, so why change?

I have always had a passion for food; I grew up loving to eat it which turned into me loving to cook it.  I became the Executive Chef for a hotel in Laguna Beach by the time I turned 26.  People in the industry know this is not an easy achievement.
Before I reached this goal of mine, I had a chef who liked to challenge me.  The Aries in me loved this!  Unfortunately I didn't love the way he went about it.  It was always, "you can't do that," or "that is not a realistic goal Kelly!"  Well, for all of you Aries out there, tell us we CAN'T do something, and we WILL prove you wrong!  I had heard someone talking about going to school to be a dietitian and wanted to know more about what that entailed.  I asked my chef what was involved to the process of becoming a dietitian; he looked at me and said, "you don't want to do that!  You will never do that, it is too much schooling!"  I tabled it for the time being, but it grew more and more in the back of my mind.
After I became an Executive Chef, I was happy with my accomplishment, but I wondered if that was it.  I knew that I would never have learned all that I could learn in the culinary arts, but I also knew that I would not be learning anything further where I was, because there was no one above me to teach and mentor me.
As I mentioned before, I love a good challenge.  So I took this opportunity to really push my goals again.  I had already accomplished some pretty large goals in my life thus far, so why not add another on the list to tackle.
I decided to go back to school to become a Registered Dietitian.  This is going to be a longer process for me, because of two reasons.  One, I only took a few community college general educational classes out of high school, because I knew I wanted to be a chef and go to culinary school.  For this reason, I have to pretty much start from scratch at a community college.  The second reason is because I also work full time during the day to pay my mortgage payment.  For this reason, night classes aren't as easy to come by.  They fill up quicker and are not as easy to take two at a time because they overlap.  I have been taking all four terms per year, trying to get as much done as my schedule possibly allows.
I am only in general ed right now, but I am super excited for my new start.  My new journey down a different avenue of food should be a very exciting one!  I can't wait to share all of my ups and downs along the way. In-between all of those posts, I will be sharing recipes I have created, tried, liked, dis-liked... and sharing all of my experiences with everyone who is just as passionate about food as me.

*UPDATE*
I have completed and graduated (with an Associated of Science in Biological and Chemical Sciences) for the community college level.  I am now going to CSUN to continue my Bachelors degree, and next to the didactic program. 

What is the Difference Between a Nutritionist and a Registered Dietitian?

What is a dietitian?  What is a dietitian's salary? What is a dietitian vs nutritionist? These are just a few of the questions I am frequently asked when people hear that I am studying to be a Registered Dietitian.  I usually tell them that a Registered Dietitian requires more schooling than a nutritionist. In this post, I will answer all of these questions, and more...

A Nutritionist is a term that is used lightly.  The word is not legally protected, so many people who advise on nutritional matters, call themselves "nutritionists," even though they have no qualifications. One course in nutrition may be all it takes to call themselves a nutritionist.

Dietitians are obligated to meet certain professional requirements.  They are considered to be experts in food and nutrition.  A Nutritionists is NOT a Dietitian as dietitians are  registered to a national board, and accredited and nutritionists are not.

Dietitians play a role in planning meals and food guidelines for groups of people or individual people.  They prevent and treat illness by promoting healthy eating habits.  They modify diet plans and participate in research to educate people on specific eating habits.  As an example, a dietitian might teach a patient how to use less salt if they have a problem with high blood pressure.  Or a dietitian can help create a diet of reduced sugar and fat for an overweight client.

Four specialties of dietitians are clinical dietitians, community dietitians, management dietitians or consultants.

Clinical Dietitians provide their services to hospital patients, nursing facilities, and other types of institutions.  They survey the needs of patients, develop and implement nutritional programs and evaluate and report the results of said patients.  Dietitians also consult with doctors and other health care individuals to collaborate on nutritional and medical needs.  In addition, some clinical dietitians specialize in weight management or patients in care of renal (kidney), diabetic, or who are critically ill.  Clinical dietitians can also be in charge of the food care services' in the health care buildings where they work.

Community dietitians counsel individual people or groups of people on practicing healthy nutritional ways to prevent disease and promote health.  This type of dietitian works in places like public health clinics, home health agencies and health maintenance organizations.  Community Dietitians evaluate the needs of individuals and their families.  They counsel in home agencies to provide grocery shopping and food preparation to the elderly, children and individuals with special needs.

Management Dietitians work on a more large-scale planning program.  They work in, but are not limited to health care facilities.  Other facilities that management dietitians work in are company cafeterias, prisons, and schools.  Their job duties include hiring, training and directing other dietitians and food service workers.  They also budget for and buy the food, equipment and supplies for the facility's menu.  In addition, the management dietitian also enforces sanitary and safety regulations and prepare the appropriate records and reports for such sanitary stats.

Consultant Dietitians usually work under contract with health care facilities or within their own private practice.  These dietitians preform nutrition screenings for their clients and give advice on diet-related issues.  Some issues they might counsel on are weight loss and reducing ones cholesterol.  Some consultant dietitians work for wellness programs, sports teams, grocery stores and other nutrition related businesses.  They may also confer with food service managers, providing expertise in sanitation, safety procedures, menu development, budgeting and planning.

The dietitian salary can range from $44,000 to $62,000.  The average annual rate that is paid to Registered Dietitians in the United States is around $52,000.   This is the average salary for dietitians, and a dietitian supervisor's average salary in around $54,000 annually.