I hope you have found this series an invaluable resource of nutriton information. 

This is the fifth post in the series…

Best Books Written by Registered Dietitians

(Note: At the top of each post in this series, I have provided a description of what a dietitian is; therefore, if you have read any of the other posts in the series, you may want to skip down to the list portion.)

You may be asking…

So what exactly IS a Registered Dietitian, and why do I want to take note when a health and wellness book is written by a Registered Dietitian?

This site contains affiliate links (See full disclosure here.)

A registered dietitian, by definition, is considered the expert in the field of nutrition science. The term Registered Dietitian is actually different than a nutritionist. In fact, the term nutritionist is not a regulated term and has a more general meaning. The term registered dietitian, however, is regulated much like the terms doctor or lawyer. In other words, you are not allowed to call yourself a doctor unless you are a doctor, and you cannot call yourself a registered dietitian unless you have completed all the academic and professional requirements.

Requirements for Registered Dietitians

So what are the requirements? Is there some kind of certification you need to be a registered dietitians?

Actually, you cannot just get a certification to become a registered dietitian. Whereas there might be certifications available for nutritionists.

To become an RD you must:

1. Complete a Bachelors Degree at a college accredited by the Commission of Accreditation of Dietetic Education. Some of the required courses generally included are:

• Microbiology
• Medical Nutrition Therapy
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Organic Chemistry
• Anatomy and Physiology
• Evidence Base Nutrition
• Human Nutrition and Metabolism
• Nutrition Counseling
• and more

2. Complete 1200 hours of a competitive internship (The internship is usually completed in hospitals, community service agencies, medical clinics, etc)

3. Pass the CDR Exam

Just like a lawyer can’t practice law without passing an exam, an RD cannot become a registered dietitian without pasing the CDR.

4. By 2024, all register dietitian will be required to have a master’s degree as well. Many RD’s already do.

5. Complete Continuing Education Units throughout their career to keep their registered dietitian credentials.

So you can see why it is a plus when a health and nutrition book is written by a registered dieitian. I want to preface here that just because an RD is considered the expert, doesn’t mean you can’t get great nutrition information and advice from non-dietitians. People who have a passion for nutrition or people who have discovered something that works for them can write insightful nutrition books.

Many health and wellness enthusiasts have done extensive research on their own and have valuable information,  but if you are getting advice from non-dietitians, I would recommend looking for the following:

1. Are they getting their information from a Registered Dietitian? Are they seeing what multiple registered dieitians have to say about the topic before giving advice?
2. Do they know when it is time to refer their clients to a registered dietitian? Many informed people have general nutrition knowledge, but when a client or customer needs medical nutrition therapy; then, a dietitian may be needed. Dietitians are trained in nutrition as it relates to diseases, drug-food interactions, tube feeding, enteral nutrition (nutrients through the veins), and various other medical conditions. These topics can get complicated and even be dangerous if incorrect information is given.

For example, someone may tell a client to eat more bananas because bananas are healthy, after all, BUT if a person has kidney failure and is on dialysis, too many bananas could put someone in the hosptial or worse!

One Final Note..

So one final thought before we move on to the book lists. If a book is written by a non-RD, you may want to see if a registered dietitian has written a review about the book, recommended the book, or even written a forward for the book.

Nutrition books written by non-dietitians are not a deal breaker, by any means, but you can see why seeing that RD beside an author’s name in a nutrition book is a plus.

Okay now for the good stuff…

The fifth post in this series is…