What do nutritionists / nutrition therapists and nutrition coaches (certified) do? What does their day-to-day work look like?

Nutrition coaches help healthy people to become aware of their eating habits and needs and provide information about food, preparation and storage. They advise young and older people, athletes on questions of physical performance, sensible measures for weight reduction, nutrient requirements and food supplements or physical exercise.

Nutritionists and nutritional therapists also advise people with chronic illnesses, organic disorders or eating disorders in collaboration with doctors, hospitals or nursing homes. In personal consultations, they clarify the personal situation of those affected, show them the links between nutrition and the illness or disorder and support the implementation of agreed measures in everyday life with menu plans, recipes and practical tips.

Target group and skills: Who is the nutritionist training course suitable for? What qualities and skills are required?

The nutritionist training course with a "school certificate" is aimed at the following target group:

• People who work in a therapeutic or counseling profession
• Professionals from the healthcare, naturopathic or curative education professions
• Employees in housekeeping, gastronomy, health food stores and drugstores, in the sports or wellness sector
• Parents, teachers, educators and people with a personal interest in healthy eating

The following skills and personal characteristics are desirable in order to work successfully as a nutritionist (certified):

• Enjoy dealing with people
• Empathy and ability to listen
• Sensitivity and precision
• Good manners
• Service orientation
• Desire to pass on knowledge
• Interest and initiative to undergo regular further training in order to incorporate the latest findings from science and research into the consulting process.

Requirements for admission to the nutritionist training course:

In principle, there are no restrictions or prerequisites for admission to a nutritionist training course, i.e. no specific previous education or professional experience is required. Some providers require basic vocational training or a high school diploma, a minimum age of 18 years and a good knowledge of German (at least level B2).

Good to know about possible recognition:

Although at a legal level (KVV Art. 50a, no. 1, let. a) is clearly regulated as to who is considered a recognized nutritionist, there are still many providers with a similar job title (e.g. nutrition coach / nutrition trainer etc.). In order to distinguish yourself from such "lay consultants", it is important to provide appropriate proof of your own seriousness and professional competence.

This is usually done by registering with the ASCA and/or the EMR and/or by becoming a member of an association.

• Only legally recognized specialists are admitted to the Swiss Association of Nutritionists. Details can be foundhere.
• To be included in the ASCA register (Swiss Foundation for Complementary Medicine), 150 hours of basic training in conventional medicine and an additional 300 hours of in-depth training in conventional medicine are required for the methods "TEN nutritional counseling", "TCM nutritional counseling" and "AVM nutritional counseling".
• Supplementary guidelines also apply for inclusion in the EMR register (empirical medicine register); for example, 340 hours of basic training (conventional medical knowledge) must be demonstrated (as of March 2024).

Input: Why is registration in the ASCA and/or EMR registry important?

Both the ASCA and the EMR are quality labels for activities in complementary medicine. They both maintain a so-called list of methods, which specifies how many hours of basic medical training and specialist training (method) must be completed in order to be registered with the ASCA and/or the EMR.

Many health insurance companies are based on the ASCA and EMR. This means that therapists who are registered with the ASCA and/or the EMR can often work with health insurance companies. But beware! This is not always the case.

More and more health insurance companies are demanding an industry certificate or a federal diploma from professional organizations (OdA AM, OdA KT, OdA MM, ODA ARTECURA, Swiss Association of Osteopaths FSO-SVO) in order to be able to work in a way that is recognized by health insurance companies. This will continue to increase in the future.

Subject matter and content of the training

Schools that offer specialist training to become a nutritionist with a "school certificate" compile their own course content. The subject matter can therefore vary from school to school.

The following topics are often covered:

• Fundamentals of dietetics
• Basics of nutritional pathology
• Basics of food science (nutrients, food components, etc.)
• Overview of the digestive system, metabolism, biochemistry
• Psychology and psychosomatics
• Nutrition in different life cycles
• Diets, fasting, veganism, etc.
• Medical history and diagnostics
• Advice in practice

Note: Courses that also include the "Medical Basics" (as a prerequisite for admission to the ASCA and/or EMR register) usually deal with these in a separate module.

Tip: In the yes-answer you will receive suitable help on the question: How do I find the right school and course?

Costs and financing of further training

The costs for nutritionist training are determined independently by the schools. They therefore vary from school to school.

You should expect the following costs for a part-time specialist training course (i.e. course excluding medical basics) of around 7-12 months:

• Course feesBetween CHF 1463.- and CHF 5750.-, as a rule this also includes theExamination feeincluded.
• Some providers requireExtra costsfor
  • Teaching aids
  • Training documents etc.

Please contact the provider of your choice directly for information on possible extra costs.

Course structure, duration of study, training options, teaching format and learning effort

• Structure:The nutritionist training course is generally designed to be completed alongside work and has a modular structure. This means that each module is taken and completed individually. This makes it possible to progress at your own pace and according to your own abilities.
• Duration:The duration of the specialist certification courses in nutritional counseling varies greatly and depends on the provider, the course offered and the level: As a rule, the courses last around seven to twelve months.
• Variants:The lessons take place on different days depending on the school. There are courses in which the lessons take place on one working day per week (full day), for example, in others on two half days or evenings per week or in the intensive variant on two full days per week. Depending on the course, lessons may also take place on Saturdays. Due to the large number of possible variants, it is therefore advisable to find out about the course dates directly from the provider of your choice.
• Teaching formats:Nutritionist training generally takes place in face-to-face classes. However, many schools also offer online formats, such as blended learning, hybrid and online teaching. Please enquire directly with the provider of your choice about the teaching formats and seek advice.
  Do you no longer have an overview of the different forms of teaching?This pagehelps you to see the big picture.
• Expenditure:You should allow sufficient time for preparation and follow-up of the lessons and self-study time - how much depends on your previous knowledge, working style and learning speed. We recommend that you allow at least 4-6 hours per week as a precaution.

Degree, diploma and title

The modular structure of most nutritionist training courses means that each module is completed individually.

Those who have successfully completed all modules can sit the final examination for the "school's own certificate".

As a rule, the final examination consists of a theoretical and a practical part.

With some providers, however, a course attendance of at least 80% is sufficient to obtain the school's own certificate.

Diploma and title

Successful graduates receive a school certificate / diploma from the respective school: "Nutritionist [name of school]" or "Graduate nutritionist [name of school]".