🍏This March, let’s celebrate the nutrition experts, create connections to our food and community, and dive into the science-based evidence of nutrition and health during #NationalNutritionMonth!
National Nutrition Month® is an annual campaign established in 1973 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. During the month of March, everyone is invited to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthful eating and physical activity habits!🍎
KEY DATES
* March 1 - 31 = National Nutrition Month®
* March 12 = Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) Day (always the second Wednesday of March ☺)
* March 13 = Nutrition and Dietetics Technician, Registered Day
This year's theme is "Food Connects Us." Food is a connecting factor for many of us. Food connects us to our cultures, our families and our friends. Sharing a meal is an opportunity to learn about its preparation, who made it and where the ingredients were sourced. Health, memories, traditions, seasons and access can all impact our relationship with food. While these factors influence the foods we eat, the foods we eat also affect our health.
Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) and Nutrition and Dietetics Technicians, Registered (NDTRs) play a critical role in helping people understand the connection between the foods individuals and communities eat, and how these foods impact health throughout life.
Cooking at home is a great way to connect with your food, as well as with your family, friends and culture. In celebration of #NationalNutritionMonth, discover eight tips to develop basic cooking skills, even if you’re on a tight budget: https://sm.eatright.org/CookatHome
Sharing a meal is a great opportunity to learn about its preparation, connect with who made it and find out where the ingredients were sourced. Here are a few easy-to-follow tips to help make family meals happen more often in your home: https://sm.eatright.org/familymeal
During #NationalNutritionMonth and beyond, include your favorite cultural foods & traditions or try new global flavors. This is extra perfect for a holiday such as St. Patrick's Day! (check out my Blog Post about this holiday to learn more!)
Check out a few examples of healthful menu items from cultural traditions: https://sm.eatright.org/globalfoods
Celebrate with 50 fun ideas to promote healthful habits for the office, home or school!: https://sm.eatright.org/nnm50ideas
Learn more about connecting with a nutrition expert for personalized advice and care!: https://sm.eatright.org/10RD
I hope you can take a few extra moments this National Nutrition Month to connect with some of your favorite foods, local flavors & cuisines, loved ones, and true nutrition experts!
🍓Graphics credit: @eatright_pro 🥦
YAY!! Registered Dietitian / Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day is March 12!!
Let's take a quick look at the journey it takes to become a Registered Dietitian and the difference between an R.D. and a Nutritionist! (*hint = biggg difference)
For starters, there are no 'requirements' to become a Nutritionist. It is not a regulated term. A nutritionist could have studied nutrition for 17 years or for 17 minutes before obtaining their 'certificate'. In fact, you don't have to actually study nutrition at all to be a nutritionist! If you know (or THINK you know) ANYTHING about nutrition - you can call yourself a nutritionist! This means my 7 year old daughter could consider herself a nutritionist - she knows a few bare basics.. such as 'milk helps our bones grow strong!' or that breastmilk is amazing to feed babies (yep, she knows about breastfeeding!).
I'm not sure I'd turn to her for nutrition advice or education though...
THAT is what a nutritionist is.
Alright, since I'm on my high horse here talking about being credentialed - what does it take to become a Registered Dietitian anyways??
I thought it might be fun to share the requirements via my personal journey! Let's take a look at what all went into becoming the R.D. that I am today!
Bachelor's Degree from an accredited university
Undergrad programs cover a wide range of courses and topics from anatomy, chemistry, basic nutrition, medical terminology, advanced nutrition.. to foodservice management, culinary, leadership types, business.. to public health, public speaking, stats, food science, and more nutrition. + lots and lots more...!
I completed my Bachelor's of Science in Nutrition from the University of Cincinnati in 2013! - GO BEARCATS!!
**NEW REQUIREMENT!* - As of 2024, all who want to be eligible to take the R.D. exam must complete their Master's Degree!
Since I have been working in the field for over 10 years now (including internship), I am considered to be 'grandfathered in'. TBH- there has been long debate in our field regarding how "worthwhile" a M.S. is in comparison to what most R.D.'s make in salary. Butttt that debate is no longer a debate as this requirement takes hold this year!
When I started at my first job out of internship, I had a pretty legit chat with my new coworker who did have her Master's Degree. At the time, she made $2/hour more than I did. My first job, no Masters. *The math ain't mathing.... I would come to find that this is often the case.. well, everywhere...
I think it's fair to say that majority of R.D.'s are very curious how this transition will shake out in all reality. Not saying it is a wrong or poor idea/transition - there are just some major gaps exposed for sure (I mean..healthcare right now as it is lol.)
Internship Completion - Complete Supervised Practice
Must complete at least 1,000 hours of supervised practice to gain real-world experience
Internships vary by what they offer! Some focus more in clinical while others focus more in foodservice management or public health. All internships expose ALL 3 main pillars in dietetics though!
Clinical - hospitals, outpatient clinics, dialysis centers, oncology treatment, medical nutrition therapy, etc.
Foodservice - management, business -literally run a foodservice department!, catering, culinary, grocery stores, etc.
Public Health - WIC, public assistance programs, Food Banks, government programs/education programs, etc.
You have to be matched to an internship program!
This has shifted over time, but this used to be the most difficult part!! In 2013, when I was applying for internships, there was ~50% match rate. That means that half of those who apply, don't match to their requested internship..! (*Mind blown & scared AF. I didn't have a back up plan)
Check out this Post from Build Up RDN's on the topic! - They share some pretty interesting stats on the topic of internship + some of the trends we are seeing in the Dietetics field overall.
I personally had a leg up luckily! My family had recently relocated to San Antonio, TX from Ohio. This opened the doors for me to feel comfortable to apply to internships in Ohio as well as Texas! I was matched with the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio, TX! I spent August 2013-May 2014 completing internship!
I had a really well rounded program with fairly equal parts to all 3 pillars! Here are a few specifics from my internship time!
Clinical Experience: 6 weeks in general clinical at Christus Santa Rosa Westover Hills, 2 weeks at the V.A., 2 weeks at a Dialysis clinic, 2 or 3 weeks in a nursing home, 2 weeks in outpatient / weight management...
Foodservice Management: 6 weeks managing the foodservice department at Northeast Baptist Hospital, School district, grocery store (H-E-B for the win!)
Public Health/Community: WIC, San Antonio Food Bank, Sisters Of Hope - local assistance program in San Antonio that provides education, food/meals, options for childcare, and more!
Pass R.D. Exam
Once you complete internship successfully, you are eligible to sit for the R.D. exam!
The exam is given at a national level and focuses on four domains: Principles of Dietetics (21%); Nutrition Care for Individuals and Groups (45%); Management of Food and Nutrition Programs and Services (21%); and Foodservice Systems (13%).
Each candidate will be given a minimum of one hundred and twenty-five (125) questions; one hundred (100) scored questions and twenty-five (25) pretest questions. The maximum number of questions possible is one hundred and forty-five (145); one hundred and twenty (120) scored questions and twenty-five (25) unscored pretest questions
Starting March 15th, an additional 30 minutes is being added to the test time for all candidates. This means the test duration will increase from 2.5 to 3 hours.
If you pass the exam - Congrats!! You are now an R.D.!!
If not - don't fret. You can try again! Attempts to take the exam are limitless, but there are stipulations, timeframes, and fees that must be adhered to.
You are a Registered Dietitian!!! Now What?!
Obtain state licensure - requirements and process varies by state. a few states don't have specific state licensure while others have strict requirements.
Maintain R.D. - 75 CEU credits / 5 year period - R.D.'s are required to continue their education about nutrition! This field is ever-changing and R.D.'s are always learning!
Maintain L.D. - state licensure requirements for maintenance vary as well
Have a great career!! The options are endless!!
Happy R.D. Day to all my fellow amazing, talented, smart, kind, innovative, determined, capable, worthy R.D.'s out there! Thank you for all you do for our field!
While you're here,
Just a casual reminder that your ability to read or pronounce scientific words doesn’t actually matter in how a compound reacts. Mispronouncing ingredients is a common struggle, especially when reading the back of a baby formula or food package. But does a complicated name mean something is bad? Poisonous? Not necessarily! Just because something sounds intimidating doesn’t mean it’s harmful.
For example, cyanocobalamin is just a form of vitamin B12, and tocopherol? That’s vitamin E. Oh, & ascorbic acid is just vitamin C, after all.
Food science isn’t too concerned about whether or not KaReN can pronounce their works👀🤷🏼♀️
The fact that someone can’t read or pronounce CARRAGEEN doesn’t mean that it is a crazy, hazardous poison leeching into your kids. It more likely showcases reading and launguage faults🤷🏼♀️🗣️ In fact, carrageen is made naturally from red seaweed, so it seems one of the BETTER options in our foods tbh🤷🏼♀️🗣️
Swipe to learn some commonly mispronounced & misunderstood ingredients that you may find in your food☝🏼👉🏼
*oh & spoiler alert👀🗣️👉🏼 the ability to read these ingredients doesn’t make them bad, useless, or anything beyond🗣️ & a little extra credit = 3rd slide is breastmilk 🤷🏼♀️🗣️
Still, misinformation thrives on what sounds unfamiliar. Fear-based marketing often preys on complex-sounding names, but breaking them down can help parents feel more confident about what they’re feeding their babies.
Here are a few more crazy sounding ingredients that are actually beneficial nutrients for us!
Vitamin A – Retinol, Beta-Carotene, Retinyl Palmitate, Retinyl Acetate
Vitamin B1 – Thiamine (Thiamine Mononitrate, Thiamine Hydrochloride)
Vitamin B5 – Pantothenic Acid (Calcium Pantothenate, Panthenol)
Selenium – Sodium Selenate, Selenomethionine
Chromium – Chromium Picolinate, Chromium Chloride
Whey Proteins – Including lactoferrin, alpha-lactalbumin, lysozyme, and immunoglobulins
Leptin
Ghrelin
Probiotics (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacteria)
& this is only a handful of possible ones I could share!
Don't be misled—pronunciation has nothing to do with food safety. An ingredient doesn’t become harder to pronounce just because it's more processed. These are not equivalent things.
In fact, majority of ingredients shared in the list directly above come from breastmilk 🙂
Food Storage Magnets & Feeding Checklists to aid your feeding journey on the Baby Food and Fun Shop!!
Starting solids can be stressful. You've just gotten used to a feeding schedule, and suddenly, it is time to start trying solids! Check out our magnet with Baby Food Storage Guidelines to help take some of the confusion and stress off your plate!
**Also available in Formula Feeding ; Breastfeeding ; and Combination Feeding
Not sure where to start when it comes to Starting Solids with your little one?
Get downloadable PDF files, "Starting Solids Checklist". Each part is broken down by age, so you'll have tons of ideas for foods to introduce during the first year! You can use this checklist as a shopping list & as a way to track foods your little one has tried!
**Note: Part 1 Checklist will pop up immediately. Parts 2 and 3 will be emailed within 72 hours of purchase! This email will also include a copy of Checklist Part 1.**
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Thank you for your support and love in this space! It means more to me than you will ever know.
I truly enjoy sharing this information and I hope you find the information provided valuable. If you do find this information helpful, I kindly ask that you consider sharing - via social media, word of mouth, email, etc. I would love to help support as many out there as I can! <3
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Jessica Enderle, R.D., L.D.
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