Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day Date in the current year: March 11, 2026

Dietitians and nutritionists are specialists who focus on how diet and eating habits affect health and overall well-being. The main difference is that the title “nutritionist” is unregulated in many jurisdictions and can be used by people with varying levels of education or training in nutrition. In contrast, the title “dietitian” can only be used by a regulated health professional with accredited training and certification.

Additionally, there are dietitian titles that are specific to a country or certification organization. For instance, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a U.S. trade association of food and nutrition professionals, awards the title “Registered Dietitian Nutritionist” (RDN). Originally founded in 1917 as the American Dietetic Association, the organization has been known by its current name since 2012.

The Academy offers RDN certification to food and nutrition professionals, enabling them to work in private practices, hospitals, and academia. Requirements for RDN certification include a graduate degree in nutrition or dietetics (effective 2024; previously, a bachelor’s degree sufficed), completion of an accredited supervised practice program with 1,000 or more hours of training, and passage of a national registration examination. Additionally, RDNs must maintain their credentials by completing continuing professional education throughout their careers.

Many RDNs work in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities, such as long-term care centers, where they evaluate patients’ nutritional status, create medical nutrition therapy plans for conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and gastrointestinal disorders, and observe the impact of diet on recovery and disease management.

RDNs may also work in community health programs, government agencies, schools, sports and fitness facilities, research institutions, or the food industry, as well as run a private practice. They may counsel individuals on diet, design nutrition programs for populations, develop evidence-based dietary guidelines, conduct research, or advise organizations on food and health policy.

In 2008, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics established Registered Dietitian Nutrition Day to educate the public about RDNs and their role in healthcare, particularly in preventing chronic diseases that significantly burden the healthcare system. RDN Day is part of the broader National Nutrition Month campaign, which the Academy launched in 1973.

RDN Day highlights the difference between people on social media who call themselves nutritionists despite having no formal training or credentials, and certified professionals with extensive training and qualifications who promote healthy living using their expertise.