How to Become a Registered Dietitian in Iowa

Designated the Ice Cream Capital of the World, Iowa is home to the largest family run dairy in the entire world. Around 90% of the state’s land is devoted to agriculture, from corn to soybeans and raising of livestock. Much of the state’s economy is centered around corn. In a state that places so much importance on agriculture, dietitians and nutritionists fill major roles across the state. If this is a career that interest you, read on to learn how to become a dietitian in the state of Iowa.

Requirements to Become a Dietitian in Iowa

Basic Requirements

• Age: Iowa dietitians must be legal adults.
• Education: A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institute of higher education is required, as well as completing an accredited dietetics program from ACEND.
• Licensure: A license is required, which is overseen and administered by the Iowa Department of Public Health and requires registration with the Commission of Dietetic Registration.
• Degree: An accredited bachelor’s degree is required, focused on nutrition, dietetics, food systems management or similar.
• Experience: 1,200 hours of supervised internship experience is a requirement.
• Citizenship: You must be legally eligible to work in the United States.
• Additional Requirements: You must provide your official transcripts, verification of internship, proof of status as a registered dietitian.
• Examination: The American Dietetic Association has a required exam.

Application Process

• Licensure: Along with the license application, you must provide proof of your supervised internship, your official transcripts, and proof of your status as a registered dietitian, along with the license registration fee of $120. You must also provide verification of any licensure held in other states. Your license will have to be renewed every two years; renewal will require an additional 30 hours of continuing education.

Degrees Related to Dietitians

To become a practicing dietitian in Iowa, you must have a related degree in a field like food and nutrition, food systems management, nutritional studies or the like.

Major Cities in Iowa

• Des Moines, the capital of Iowa, has a population of over 3.1 million people.
• Iowa city, the only UNESCO-awarded City of Literature in the country, has around 67,862 people.
• Cedar Rapids, with a population of 128,429, is the second largest city in the state.

What Does a Nutritionist Do?

• Nutritionists and Dietitians have similar job duties, working with clients to create diet and meal plans and generally encourage a healthy way of life, through evaluation and analysis of the client’s eating habits, followed by suggestions for altering their dietary habits.
• Professionals in this career also sometimes specialize in providing nutritional education, either one-to-one, or in formalized groups.
• In some cases, professional nutritionists focus on creating and providing meal plans for major institutions, be they corporate, nonprofit, educational, or medical in nature.

Related Careers

The most closely related careers to a dietitian are the nutritionist, who shares almost identical job duties and functions, and the dietetic technician who helps to provide specialized diet plans to people with special needs like diabetics.

Employment Numbers in Iowa

The most current employment numbers according to the BLS indicate that 550 dietitians are employed in the state of Iowa. By the year 2020, the profession is expected to grow by 16.77 percent.

Salary Ranges in Iowa

The annual mean salary for a dietitian in Iowa is around $54,710.

Nutritionist and Dietitian Programs in Iowa