5 Nutritionist Specialisations

Qualified nutritionists have the skills and knowledge for a range of specialist career pathways.

Whether you want to work with athletes, kids, or in public health, you can choose to focus on many different areas in the nutrition and dietetics industry. Tasked with providing evidence-based advice based on the link between food and human health, nutritionists perform a vital role in healthcare.

If you’re thinking of enrolling in a nutritionist course, join us as we explore some of the most in demand nutritionist specialisations here.

Sports Nutritionist

Sports nutritionists dedicate their careers to providing athletes with dietary advice. Depending on the sport they play and their goals, athletes can have extremely specific dietary requirements. A football player may want to add bulk, while a sprinter might be aiming to build endurance. Sports nutritionists use their expert knowledge to make recommendations based on the individual needs of their clients.

Childhood Nutritionist

Childhood nutritionists help children and families eat well by providing food education and advice. From childhood obesity and diabetes, to fussy eaters and food allergies, many conditions can be treated with the help of a childhood nutritionist.

Tasked with helping babies, children and teenagers, childhood dieticians need to be skilled at communicating with children off all ages, as well as their parents.

Nutritionist Research

Nutritionists who work in research focus on studying how food works. They’re responsible for undertaking evidence-based studies to help nutritionists in client-facing roles make better recommendations.

For example, research nutritionists may investigate which food groups cancer patients can eat to help with their treatment, or test theories to explain the rising number of childhood allergies. There are endless things to work on in nutritionist research, with many areas of study focused on resolving health issues.

Gut Health Nutritionist

Nutritionists specialising in gut health support people with debilitating digestive conditions. They help with the treatment of issues such as irritable bowel syndrome, constipation and acid reflux. A gut health nutritionist will usually assess their client’s issues before providing them with a plan designed to identify which foods are triggering symptoms. As gut problems can be very painful and embarrassing, gut health nutritionists are in a position to help people regain their quality of life and confidence.

Public Health Nutritionist

Rather than focusing on individuals, public health nutritionists aim to provide nutritional support to entire populations. Focusing primarily on disease prevention and food education, they strive to help communities make better dietary choices. Public health nutritionists often work in hospitals or government settings and can influence food supply systems.

Decided on a specialisation? If you’re looking for nutritionist qualifications, learn about Foundation Education’s HLT43015 Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance (Nutrition and Dietetics Specialisation).

Next