In Canada, the title of Dietitian is typically regulated by law, but those who hold the titles of Registered Holistic Nutritionist, Certified Nutritional Practitioner, and other such titles are not always regulated by country law or state provinces. Regulation of nutritionist titles depends upon the province in which you work, as we will explain below. Read on to discover how you can become a dietitian or nutritionist in Canada.
Which Titles are Regulated and in Which Provinces?
It can become confusing to try to determine what education and credentials you need to become a dietitian or nutritionist in Canada, until you remember one thing: dietitians are typically regulated by provincial law and have protected titles, whereas not all nutritionists are regulated or have protected titles. In provinces where titles such as Nutritionist or Dietitian Nutritionist are regulated, that means that those titles equate to Dietitian and therefore follow the same rules regarding education, experience, and examination. The Alliance of Canadian Dietetic Regulatory Bodies is a national organization representing the provincial regulating bodies. The country’s regulating body, Dietitians of Canada, oversees the provincial bodies listed below.
| PROVINCE | TITLES REGULATED/PROTECTED | REGULATORY BODY |
| Alberta | Registered Dietitian (RD), Dietitian, Registered Nutritionist, Nutritionist, Dietetic Intern, Provisional Dietitian | College of Dietitians of Alberta |
| British Columbia | Registered Dietitian (RD) | College of Dietitians of British Columbia |
| Manitoba | Registered Dietitian (RD), Dietitian | College of Dietitians of Manitoba |
| New Brunswick | Dietitian, Dietician, Professional Dietitian, Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist, Registered Dietitian, P.Dt., RD, RDN and French titles of diététiste, diététicienne, diététiste ou diététicienne professionnelle, diététiste-nutritionniste, diététicienne-nutritionniste immatriculée, diététiste ou diététicienne immatriculée, Dt.P., Dt.I, Dt.N.I | New Brunswick Association of Dietitians |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Registered Dietitian, Dietitian, RD | Newfoundland and Labrador College of Dietitians |
| Nova Scotia | Dietitian, Nutritionist, P.Dt | Nova Scotia College of Dietitians and Nutritionists |
| Ontario | Registered Dietitian (RD), Dietitian, and French title dietetiste professionel (Dt.P) | College of Dietitians of Ontario |
| Prince Edward Island | Registered Dietitian, RD | College of Dietitians of Prince Edward Island |
| Quebec | Dietitian, Dietician, Nutritionist, RD, and French titles of P.Dt., dietetiste nutritionniste, dieteticien, Dt.P | Ordre professional des dietetistes du Quebec |
| Saskatchewan | Registered Dietitian (RD), Professional Dietitian (P.Dt), Dietitian | Saskatchewan Dietitians Association |
| Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut | No protected titles | No regulating bodies, follow guidelines for other provinces to obtain a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and experience from a program accredited by the Partnership for Dietetic Education and Practice and pass the Canadian Dietetic Registration Exam |
Canadian Dietitian Education and Experience
If you want to become a dietitian in Canada, you need a degree from an approved college or university. Each provincial regulating body maintains a list of approved programs at the websites listed above. Both education in nutrition and dietetics as well as practical experience are necessary to become a dietitian in any of the Canadian provinces.
The accreditation body for dietitian programs in Canada is the Partnership for Dietetic Education and Practice (PDEP). The program you choose must be PDEP-accredited. Some programs are known as “fully integrated,” providing all the necessary education and experience needed to become a dietitian. These programs take about five years to complete. Others are “partially integrated,” providing education with limited training upon which you will need to expand. Then there are master’s practicum programs, which combine education and experience that culminates in a graduate degree; and postgraduate practicum programs, which are internships providing experience only, lasting 35 to 40 weeks. A complete list of all accredited, approved programs throughout Canada as of 2024 is here:
Alberta
Undergraduate Degrees Fully Integrated (includes education and full experience):
- University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB:
British Columbia
Undergraduate Degrees Fully Integrated (includes education and full experience):
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC:
Manitoba
Undergraduate Degrees Not Integrated (includes education only):
- University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB:
Post Degree Practicums (includes experience only):
- Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, Winnipeg, MB:
New Brunswick
Undergraduate Degrees Fully Integrated (includes education and full experience):
- Universite de Moncton, Moncton, NB:
Post Degree Practicums (includes experience only):
- The Moncton Hospital, Moncton, NB:
Newfoundland and Labrador
Post Degree Practicums (includes experience only):
- Eastern Health, Mount Pearl, NL:
Nova Scotia
Undergraduate Degrees Partially Integrated (includes education and limited experience):
- Acadia University, Wolfville, NS:
- Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, NS:
- Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS:
Post Degree Practicums (includes experience only):
- Nova Scotia Health Authority, Halifax, NS:
Ontario
Undergraduate Degrees Fully Integrated (includes education and full experience):
- Universite d’Ottawa, Ottawa, ON:
- Baccalaureat specialize en sciences des aliments et de la nutrition
Undergraduate Degrees Not Integrated (includes education only):
- Brescia University College, London, ON:
- Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON:
- University of Guelph, Guelph, ON:
Post Degree Practicums (includes experience only):
- Brescia University College, London, ON:
- Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Thunder Bay, ON:
- Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON:
Combined Masters Practicum Programs (includes education and full experience):
- Brescia University College, London, ON:
- Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON:
- University of Guelph, Guelph, ON:
- University of Toronto, Toronto, ON:
Prince Edward Island
Undergraduate Degrees Partially Integrated (includes education and limited experience):
- University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PEI
Quebec
Undergraduate Degrees Fully Integrated (includes education and full experience):
- McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QB:
- Universite de Montreal, Montreal, QB:
- University Laval, Quebec, QB:
Combined Masters Practicum Programs (includes education and full experience):
- McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QB:
Saskatchewan
Undergraduate Degrees Fully Integrated (includes education and full experience):
- University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK:
Canadian Dietitian Examination
Once you have finished your college degree and practical experience, you must pass the Canadian Dietetic Registration Examination (CDRE). This exam is managed and administered by the Dietetic College within each province. The CDRE Preparation Guide can be a big help in preparing for the exam. Contact the regulating body within your province for information on scheduling and taking the examination. As of 2024, it costs $600 CAD to take the exam. After passing the exam, you must register with the regulating body within your province before you may legally practice.
Canadian Dietitian Wages and Employment
According to the Government of Canada’s Job Bank, Registered Dietitians in Canada earned the following hourly wages, in CAD, per province, in 2023:
| AREA | LOW | MEDIAN | HIGH |
| Canada as a whole | 23.98 | 40.00 | 50.00 |
| Alberta | 33.38 | 50.00 | 52.00 |
| British Columbia | 24.61 | 40.00 | 44.45 |
| Manitoba | 21.00 | 33.57 | 50.77 |
| New Brunswick | 36.00 | 37.58 | 41.00 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 35.38 | 37.85 | 43.59 |
| Northwest Territories | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Nova Scotia | 36.00 | 40.87 | 43.96 |
| Nunavut | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Ontario | 21.83 | 38.00 | 48.65 |
| Prince Edward Island | 34.91 | 36.50 | 44.00 |
| Quebec | 37.00 | 43.05 | 50.00 |
| Saskatchewan | 23.39 | 40.90 | 43.00 |
| Yukon | n/a | n/a | n/a |
*note: data for Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon was not available. Refer to the national wages for these provinces/territories
The Government of Canada’s Job Bank notes that employment opportunities for Registered Dietitians are expected to be good in New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan; moderate in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island; and undetermined in Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon.
In general, job openings for dietitians and nutritionists across Canada are expected to number 4000 between 2022 and 2031, with an estimated 4100 job seekers available to fill them.
Nutritionists in Canada
If you don’t want to become a registered dietitian, dietitian, registered nutritional therapist, or any of the protected titles listed above in Canada, you may decide to seek employment as a nutritionist. Remember, however, if you want to work in Alberta, Quebec, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island, nutritionist is a protected title and is equivalent to dietitian, so within these provinces, you must fulfill the educational, experiential and examination requirements for dietitians in order to call yourself a nutritionist. In other provinces, however, nutritionists may practice unregulated.
Some examples of nutritionist designations that are not protected or regulated across Canada include:
Certified Nutritional Practitioner (CNP): A CNP is a graduate from the Institute of Holistic Nutrition (IHN), an online school, holding a diploma in Applied Holistic Nutrition. Graduates of IHN are qualified to receive Natural Nutrition Clinical Practitioner (NNCP) designation from the Canadian Association of Natural Nutritional Practitioners (CANNP) or the Registered Nutritional Consulting Practitioner (RNCP) designation from the International Organization of Nutritional Consultants (IONC).
Natural Nutrition Clinical Practitioner (NNCP): This designation by the Canadian Association of Nutritional Practitioners (CANNP) requires that you complete a recognized program in nutrition education, listed here.
Registered Holistic Nutritionist (RHN): This designation is given by the Canadian Association of Holistic Nutrition Professionals (CAHNP). To receive the designation, you must complete one of the CAHNP’s approved programs of holistic nutrition education, listed here.
Registered Nutritional Consulting Practitioner (RNCP): This designation is offered by the International Organization of Nutritional Consultants (IONC). In order to earn this designation, you must complete one of the nutritional educational programs listed here.