When seeking trustworthy guidance for nutrition, it’s essential to consider the credibility of health professionals. Here’s a breakdown of who to trust:
-
-
The most reliable choice is an educated professional with real-world experience. This includes Registered Dietitians (RD’s), who hold accredited bachelor’s or master’s degrees in dietetics, completed 1,000 hours of supervised practice, and pass the nationally accredited RDN exam. They specialize in chronic diseases and are trained in a medical plan of action.
-
Other reliable, educated professionals in the fitness industry, like personal trainers, have real world experience and can provide general nutrition information after passing the Personal Trainer exam. However, that certification alone limits their scope of practice to only general nutrition guidance, while the creation of detailed meal plans falls within the exclusive scope of RD’s. With these professionals, an important question to ask may be if they have additional education in the nutrition field such as a Bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Change, or Nutritional studies, etc. If so, these professionals become a fantastic resource for a generally healthy client (one that does not have a chronic condition) who is looking for a more affordable, integrated, and multifaceted approach to nutrition.
-
Individuals who lack formal qualifications but have gained knowledge through their own dramatic fitness transformation or online research can offer valuable insights. However, their expertise is limited to their personal journey and what worked for them. These individuals may not have a science based understanding of how the human body functions to be able to create a program that is specific for your individual needs. Finally, their knowledge is in question as they have no proof it was from a credible resource.
-
For those on a budget, conducting thorough and credible online research is an option. Some reputable resources include:
-
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- The Journal of Nutrition
- Scholarly Academic Journals (peer-reviewed articles)
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Websites ending in ‘.gov’ or ‘.org’ rather than ‘.com’
Remember, any effort to improve nutrition is beneficial, and relying on evidence-based resources can support informed decision-making.
