For more information about this major at Bluffton University, please visit the department of family and consumer sciences Web page: www.bluffton.edu/fcs
Food and Nutrition
Want a career that will be exciting and challenging? You want to put your special talents to work so that you can succeed, excel, grow and feel good about what you do. If this describes what you're feeling, consider the field of food and nutrition. This major is designed to provide a broad base for those students who would like to prepare for a career in dietetics, consumer services and wellness. A major in food and nutrition can lead you into a career that is directly involved with nutrition, such as dietetics, or it can lead you into a number of related areas, such as food service management or public health. Dietitians are most often employed in clinical, educational or community settings. Administrative dietitians apply the principles of nutrition and sound management to large scale meal planning and preparation such as that done in school, hospitals, nursing homes and other institutions. Dietitians are also involved in public health nutrition and research.
Some Related Organizations:
The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences
1555 King Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.aafcs.org
National Restaurant Association
200 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036-60601
www.restaurant.org
The American Dietetic Association
216 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995
www.eatright.org
American Culinary Federation
10 San Bartola Drive
St Augustine, Florida 32086
www.acfchefs.org
Working Conditions: Most dietitians and nutritionists work a regular 40 hour week, although some work weekends. In some employment situations, dietitians and nutritionists are only part time, leaving room to pursue other related avenues. Dietitians and nutritionalists spend much of their time in clean, well-lighted and well-ventilated areas. However, some dietitians spend time in hot, steamy kitchens. Dietitians and nutritionists may be on their feet for most of the workday.
Some Related Occupations:
- Consumer Consultant
- Food Scientist
- Food Systems Manager
- Health Club/Spa
- Nursing Home Food Manager
- Product Development Specialist
- Public Health Nutritionist
- Teacher
- Test Kitchen Specialist
- Weight Control Clinic Consultant
Some Related Skills:
- Ability to computer chemistry type equations
- Ability to organize and maintain accurate records
- Understanding of basic chemistry
- Aptitude for self initiative
- Intellectual capacity to perform well in undergraduate and graduate curriculums
Dietetics
Dietetics studies the promotion of healthy eating habits to promote good health and to prevent illness. Dietitians and nutritionists plan nutritional programs and supervise the preparation and serving of meals. In nursing homes and hospitals, dieticians can function in clinical roles and also manage the food service department. In their clinical capacity, they may offer special group programs for diabetic or overweight patients. In public health clinics or home health agencies, they provide an educational role. For food manufacturers, they can perform food analyses, and serve as nutritional resources for marketing food products. Some dietitians function in specialized roles in wellness centers, for sport teams, or do nutritional screening, an example of this would be monitoring cholesterol levels.
Some Related Organizations:
The American Dietetic Association
216 West Jackson Boulevard, Suite 800
Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995
www.eatright.org
American Medical Association
515 North State Street
Chicago, Illinois 60610
www.ama-assn.org
Some Related Occupations:
-
Administrative Dietitian
-
Cafeteria Supervisor
-
Clinical Dietitian
-
Commodity Specialist
-
Consulting Dietitian
-
Corporate Wellness Manager
-
Diet Center Manager
-
Eating Disorder Program Manager
-
Educational Dietitian
-
Food Services Director
-
Gerontologist
-
Nutritionist
-
Nutrition Counselor
-
Nutrition Support Dietitian
-
Private Practice Dietitian
-
Public Health Nutritionist
-
Restaurant Manager/Owner
-
Therapeutic Dietitian
-
Weight Management Specialist
Some Relate Skills:
- Addresses problems before asked to
- Ability to allocate human resources
- Ability to read and interpret health regulations, recipes, and union administrative policies
- Ability to read menus, dietary information, written requests for dietary changes nutritional standards and government regulations and procedures related to food preparation, storage, and service
- Proficiency in developing menus, dietary information, nutritional standards
- Ability to develop budgets using business mathematics
- Ability to estimate food and beverage costs and forecast future budget needs
Wellness
Wellness is a dynamic and integrative process of becoming aware of healthy lifestyles, of learning to make informed choices, and of developing a balanced approach to living. Now more than any time in our history we have evidence that healthy lifestyles are effective in reducing risks of chronic disease and improving quality of life. A wellness program offers students the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge that are vital in developing a personal, lifetime wellness concept. The primary objective is for individuals to develop a life-span involvement in physical activity and health-related behaviors. Wellness includes the study of physical activity, sound nutrition, and management of stress, just to name a few.
Some Related Organizations:
National Institute of Health (NIH)
9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, Maryland 20892
www.nih.gov
American Alliance for Health, Physical Activity, Recreation, and Dance
www.aahperd.org
Some related values and personal attributes:
- Health
- Emotional Well-being
- Sensitive to the human need for recreation and balance
- Possess a good sense of humor and fondness for being around people
- Outgoing
- Dedicated
- Patient
Some related occupations:
- Personal Trainer
- Manager of a Health Club
- Exercise Specialist
- Strength and Conditioning Coach
- Health and Fitness Instructor
- Youth and Fitness Instructor
- Youth Program Director
- Group Fitness Instructor
Some related skills:
- Sensitivity to and understanding of others
- Intellectual capacity to do well in most undergraduate and graduate curriculum's
- Understanding of human development and behavior
- Good health, physical stamina, and body coordination
- Ability to interpret and clearly explain psychological research and tests of all types
- Ability to evaluate personal problems and make appropriate decisions
- Ability to organize and maintain accurate records
- Aptitude for self-initiative
