Why You Need a Dietitian on Your Team

There was an inevitable ice-breaker question you asked peers during the senior year of my nutrition undergrad; "What do you want to do after your internship?" To this question you had three choices; Clinical, food service, or long-term care. These were the status quo of professions available to Registered Dietitians. Thankfully organizations have realized the benefits of having a qualified nutrition expert on their teams. Bringing a background knowledge of direct customer connections, the ability to review scientific literature and solid business acumen Registered Dietitians can increase opportunities for companies to meet the expanding whitespace of health and wellness.

In the five years, I have have been a Registered Dietitian the largest "ah-ha" moment I had was understanding the attachment people have with their foods. Before any interventions can be made, Dietitians have to understand the reasoning for why clients make the choices they do. Only then can specific interventions be made that can be sustained over time. Having a Dietitian who knows how to excavate the connections consumers' have with a product to their values and lifestyle is needed to strengthen the connection with consumers.

Health and wellness is a growth opportunity for businesses. In 2019 the Food Marketing Institute cited that 71% of retailers saw health and wellness as a growth opportunity for expanding their business. However, the process of achieving impactful wellness initiatives is not always clear. As more consumers look for ways to incorporate health-focused practices into their lives, companies need to have qualified nutrition professionals on their teams who can quickly and accurately respond to questions.

When it comes to marketing the benefits of new wellness initiatives it is imperative to accurately represent claims made using factual evidence. Just recently The Kellogg Company settled a $31 million for using misleading terms such as "healthy" and "nutritious" for cereal products that contained nearly half (40%) of its calories from sugars. Having someone on your team with experience analyzing scientific publications, and can help to uphold promotional claims could help in hindering similar predicaments.

Food touches everyone's life. Having someone at that table who can speak to food and nutrition-related issues is valuable for all industries. Being able to explore deep connections consumers have with a product, the expanding market for wellness, and health claim fidelity are just a few of the many value-adds a nutrition professional can bring to your organization.