Top Careers in Nutrition and Wellness

Published on: March 14, 2024

Smiling doctor sitting at a desk with fruit on it.

At one time, popular culture associated health and fitness with fad diets, calorie counting, excessive exercise and becoming as thin as possible. Fortunately, today, more people feel that the focus should be on general health, nutrition and wellness, allowing them to live happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives.

According to the Global Wellness Institute, the global wellness economy topped more than $5.6 trillion in 2022, making it a key industry. As a result, there are several new nutrition and wellness careers for people to consider.

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Growing Focus on Nutrition and Health and Wellness in Society

In recent years, people have started to discover that the key to happiness and peace can be found through wellness programs and initiatives. By prioritizing total mind and body wellness — and ditching those drastic fad diets that never led to long-term results — people around the world are finding that they can live healthier and happier lives.

Some of the most noteworthy wellness trends include:

High-tech, wearable devices that provide people with actionable data about their health and well-being.
An emphasis on being open and honest about feelings and seeking mental health care when needed.
A focus on long-term lifestyle changes that allow people to live better, healthier lives in a way that is sustainable.

Due to the ever-growing wellness industry, there are now a wide range of nutrition and wellness careers to consider. Many of these job opportunities and positions allow you to combine your personal interests with your professional experience to embark on a long-lasting, rewarding career.

What Can You Do With a Nutrition Degree?

If you choose to pursue an online Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Health, you will find that you can explore a myriad of careers in nutrition and wellness. These are a few of the most common positions that graduates with a nutrition and health degree pursue:

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)

Registered Dietitian Nutritionists, or RDNs, are credentialed practitioners who work to educate individuals and professionals with evidence-based information about nutrition. They not only serve as advocates for proper nutrition, but they also often work in collaboration with healthcare providers and those in the food service industry to create a nutritionally-sound menu and meal plans designed to meet the needs of their target audience. Per the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, RDNs may work in a variety of settings, such as hospitals, schools, sports facilities, universities and research facilities.

Wellness Coach

A wellness coach is a healthcare professional who typically works directly with clients to provide them with guidance and support on their wellness journey. Wellness coaches often create plans and goals for their clients based on their individual needs and preferences, and then they work to ensure that both the physical and emotional needs of their clients are being met. Wellness coaches may work to:

Help clients come up with meal plans that support their health and fitness goals.
Encourage their clients to adopt an active lifestyle.
Promote healthy habits that will improve the overall quality of life of their clients.

Holistic Nutritionist

Holistic nutritionists are nutritional experts who rely on their expertise in the field as well as their belief in alternative and holistic healing techniques to provide patients with a comprehensive care plan. They often strive to consider the entire person, including their diet, lifestyle and mental health. Rather than just focusing on symptoms or treatment options, holistic nutritionists work to provide their clients with a well-rounded nutritional plan that will help them improve physically, mentally and emotionally.

Sports Nutritionist

Sports nutritionists are professionals who work directly with athletes and coaches to provide nutritional advice and meal plans that will improve and enhance athletic performance. Some of the primary job responsibilities of a sports nutritionist include:

Evaluating the current dietary practices of athletes.
Assessing the overall health and well-being of athletes.
Developing personalized meal plans and snack ideas for athletes that will increase their energy levels and improve performance.
Ensuring that all athletes stay hydrated and have access to water during their workouts, practices and events.
Creating food and nutrition presentations to help athletes make informed choices.
Developing a food and menu plan for the athletic organization.

Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS)

A Certified Nutrition Specialist, or CNS, is a credentialed nutrition practitioner who works to create nutritional plans designed to optimize health and well-being. As indicated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), some of the job duties of nutritionists include:

Assessing the nutritional needs of their clients.
Providing clients with advice and feedback about healthy nutritional habits.
Creating meal plans that accommodate their clients' tastes, preferences, dietary needs, lifestyle and budget.
Documenting the progress of all clients and making adaptations to dietary and nutritional plans as necessary.

Nutrition Educator

Nutrition educators are experienced nutrition experts responsible for developing insightful, evidence-based nutritional education programs. These type of educators primarily work at colleges and universities, but they also may seek employment at hospitals, non-profit organizations, public health organizations and home care facilities. In addition to developing educational materials and programs, nutrition educators also may be responsible for soliciting nutritional-based coverage in the media, advocating for better nutritional programs within the community and creating training programs for other professionals about the importance of good nutrition.

Wellness Entrepreneur

A wellness entrepreneur is a business professional who wants to transform their passion for wellness into a new career. Wellness entrepreneurs may focus on creating wellness-based products to sell to individual clients or businesses who may be interested in reselling. Conversely, they may develop wellness subscription programs that they market to interested clients. Wellness entrepreneurs have the power and flexibility to carve out a nutritional career that aligns with their interests and passions.

Researcher

Nutrition researchers focus their efforts on studying the best nutritional practices and uncovering whether the latest trends are impacting people in a positive way. These researchers can reveal the data and information that nutritionists can use to develop evidence-based care plans for their clients. Nutrition researchers may work for the government, higher education facilities or non-profit organizations.

Preparing for Nutrition and Wellness Careers

The nutrition and wellness industry is thriving, and as suggested by the Global Wellness Institute, it is expected to continue to grow over the next several months and years. If you are interested in combining your passion for health and wellness with a science-based nutritional career, then you will find that now is an excellent time to get started.

This is what the typical career path looks like for those interested in nutrition and wellness careers:

Earn a Degree

Regardless of the specific position that you want to pursue in the field of nutrition and wellness, you will find that you will likely need a bachelor's degree or master's degree in a related field. To demonstrate, an online Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Health can provide you with a universal foundation about the best nutritional practices that you can build upon throughout your career. A degree program that offers a comprehensive nutrition and wellness curriculum will give you the knowledge and skills needed to launch your career, while also helping you uncover your interest in specific specializations.

Obtain Necessary Certifications

Depending on the position that you want to pursue, you may find that you need to complete professional certification programs to practice. Namely, Registered Dietitian Nutritionists are required to complete supervised practice hours and pass a certification exam to practice. Moreover, they can specialize in the field by pursuing additional certifications, such as pediatric nutrition, sports dietetics or oncology nutrition.

Gain Practical Experience

In addition to pursuing a health education degree, you also will have to gain practical experience in the field to develop the skills needed to work directly with clients. Many aspiring nutritionists and dietitians complete supervised practice hours as part of their degree or certification program, allowing them to work with patients while being guided by an experienced professional in the industry. Additionally, students pursuing a nutrition and health degree also can complete internship programs that allow them to explore various specializations in the wellness industry. This practical experience allows you to develop a better understanding of what life is like as a nutrition and wellness professional.

Continue Professional Development

Even once you have chosen your specialization and secured a position in the nutrition and wellness industry, you will want to prioritize professional development to advance your career. Professional development opportunities, such as certification programs, skills-based training, conferences and webinars, can help you stay abreast of the latest changes in the industry and the trends that will continue to define the wellness landscape. Through professional development, you can learn new skills and adapt to the latest technology, which is sure to continue to have an impact on the industry at large.

Earn Your Nutrition and Health Degree at Husson University

At Husson University, you can begin exploring the many different careers in nutrition and wellness by pursuing an online Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Health. This health education degree program explores the nutritional components of various types of food while also providing an overview of how dietary decisions can shape public health policies and initiatives.

Request more information about our online bachelor's degree and master's degree programs today.