As a dietetic student studying nutrition, I’ve always been hit hard with stereotypes and misconceptions people have about my field. Some of the common questions/comments I get from people:
Them: Hey, so are you a vegetarian?
Me: No, I eat meat just like everybody else…
Them: What’s the difference between a nutritionist and a dietitian?
Me: A dietitian is licensed and regulated, unlike a nutritionist, we have to go through intensive training like an internship and write a board exam to become registered. Most hospitals only hire dietitians because we have actual training working in ICU and working with tubefeeds. Basically we can do whatever a nutritionist can do, but they can’t do what we can do.
Them: Oh I bet you don’t eat this *looks at their plate of food and feels bad*
Me: No, I eat them too! (Along with poutine, icecream… list of food continues)
What I want to say is that, “we”, the people studying and working in the dietetics field are just like every other person. We aren’t the food police! We just love talking about food and learning about how food can be used as a preventative measure to decrease risk of chronic diseases.
I love food and it means I will eat everything in moderation which means my plate isn’t just full of vegetables and fruits! My obsession with food is pretty crazy. To get a sense of the types of food I eat and think about, check out my list things I do as a nutrition student below. As you can see 90% of my spare time is food related. Continue reading →