Management dietitians oversee large-scale meal planning and preparation in health care facilities, company cafeterias, prisons, and schools. Consultant dietitians work under contract with health care facilities or in their own private practice. They perform nutrition screenings for their clients, and offer advice on diet-related concerns such as weight loss or cholesterol reduction. Some work for wellness programs, sports teams, supermarkets, and other nutrition-related businesses. They may consult with food service managers, providing expertise in sanitation, safety procedures, menu development, budgeting, and planning.
Many dietitians work part time.
However, some dietitians work in warm, congested kitchens. Many dietitians and nutritionists are on their feet for most of the workday. Over half were in hospitals, nursing homes, or offices and clinics of physicians. Some were employed by firms that provide food services on contract to such facilities as colleges and universities, airlines, correctional facilities, and company cafeterias. Some dietitians were self-employed, working as consultants to facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes, and seeing individual clients.