Some of you are probably meeting me for the first time. You know by now that I’m a dietitian. But every Registered Dietitian has a different path. I have been so lucky to have a variety of jobs in the food and nutrition space.
If you are interested to learn a bit more about my experience as a dietitian, read on!

Jump to:
Dietitian vs. Nutritionist
There is confusion between "nutritionist" and "dietitian". It's a question I get asked a lot so I want to give some insight.
While both work toward a common goal to provide nutrition and health education, there are some key differences. The biggest difference is the education requirements to become a dietitian.
A dietitian is a credentialed professional who can provide medical nutrition counseling and treatment. For example, a dietitian can work in the hospital and prescribe tube feeds (enteral nutrition) and IV nutrition (TPN or total parenteral nutrition). Dietitians have an undergraduate degree (typically in nutrition), have completed post graduate education, and must pass a national Registered Dietitian exam. In order to maintain their registration, dietitians also have to complete continuing education.
Nutritionists are not required to have a degree in nutrition or complete post-grad work, and do not have to sit for a national exam or complete continuing education.
I believe that both nutritionists and dietitians provide so much value in the health and wellness space, and I feel fortunate to wear the "nutrition expert" title among other great dietitians and nutritionists.
My Experience Working as a Dietitian with the Food Industry
For the past 6 years, I have worked for a nutrition related program called the Heart-Check Certification Program at the American Heart Association, a non-profit organization in the United States. I am the Senior Business Development Manager for the program and have the honor of working with an incredible team!
On a day-to-day basis, I work with food companies, retailers, commodity boards and farmers. We certify products and recipes that are heart-healthy and work with retailers to help shoppers understand what the Heart-Check means. The nutrition criteria for a product or recipe to become Heart-Check Certified is rigorous, and some brands even reformulate their products in order to make them more heart-healthy to qualify for the program.
As part of the nutrition team at the AHA, I also get to be in the room with professionals who work in the food landscape to change policies that drive the industry as a whole.
It's such a fun and rewarding job. It allows me to stay on top of what's happening in the world of nutrition while making an impact. I work alongside amazing people including my team at the AHA and marketing and R&D teams at food brands who are some of the most fun, innovative, and passionate people I've ever met.
My clinical experience as a dietitian
Prior to my current career, I was a clinical dietitian for about 7 years. I worked for 2 years in adult care and then pediatrics for 5 years. In adult care, I worked with a variety of patient populations including weight loss, diabetes, oncology, ICU patients at a level 1 trauma center and for a long term acute care hospital. I did nutrition counseling and inpatient nutrition support.
GI (Gastroenterology) Clinic
When I shifted to pediatrics, I started in a gastroenterology clinic as the lead outpatient dietitian for short-gut patients who did not have enough functioning gut to absorb the nutrition they need.
I provided nutrition support for babies and kids who were on long-term tube feeds and IV nutrition. I also gave nutrition counseling to parents of pediatric patients with liver diseases of various types, celiac disease, IBS, and poor growth.
Neonatal ICU (NICU)
I ended my time in clinical nutrition with the tiniest ones in a neonatal ICU where I worked for about 3 years.
I provided nutrition recommendations, from IV nutrition to tube feeds, for premature infants as small as 2 pounds who didn’t have a functioning gut, brain, or lungs yet. The ones who hadn’t had a chance to finish growing into a full human before making their way to the outside world. I made sure they got the nutrition they needed to continue developing.
It was a delicate balance between keeping their fragile body alive while giving them the nutrients they needed to develop the right organ, at the right time, in the right order so everything could function properly together.
I calculated macronutrients and micronutrients. Things like a calcium and phosphorus ratio that wouldn’t calcify in the IV bag but would still give them what they needed to make strong bones. Or enough fat to grow their brain and the right amount of protein and carbohydrates to support their brand new cells.
I like to say that I grew babies for a living. But that's not really true. Yes, I gave preemies the nutrients their body needed to continue the growth process. But a big and important part of my job was helping to support the sweet parents who were fighting for them. And I provided nutrition counseling to the moms who were trying to maintain breastmilk supply until their infant was developed enough to be able to drink it.
Needless to say, I learned a lot about the human body and nutrition over my years working as a clinical dietitian. Those years and experiences also shaped a lot of my perspective about life in general and the value of getting to wake up every day. I am extremely grateful for all that I learned and for the lives that I got to help!
My Food and Recipe Blog as a Dietitian
I have always had an itch to do something a bit more creative in the food and nutrition world. I love to cook, I love to eat, and I enjoy hobbies like photography, writing, and videography.
So, in 2023 I took the dive and decided to start this blog. It's a space for me to share nourishing recipes, nutrition education, reviews of my favorite food brands, and to answer questions my friends and family ask. It's also an excuse for me to dig into articles on nutrition topics I am interested in and stay up-to-date on the latest research.
I am passionate about helping people feel their best through food. I believe that cooking and having a meal together is such a fun way to connect and build community and I hope that at least one person is positively impacted by my little kitchen here online. It means so much to me to have a space where I can share and we can grow together!
So dig in. Take what you need and leave what you don't and come back as often as you want! I'd love to hear from you so feel free to join my email list, leave comments, or get in touch on Instagram @mallorythedietitian
LOOKING FOR NUTRITION EDUCATION?
Here are some of my educational posts you may enjoy:
All nutrition education posts -->
Comments
No Comments