Dietary Management
Encyclopedia
Dietary management, also known as “foodservice management”, is the practice of providing nutritional options for individuals and groups with diet
concerns through supervision of foodservice
s. Practitioners in dietary management, known as dietary managers, work in hospitals, long-term care facilities, restaurants, school and college cafeterias, correctional facilities, and other foodservice settings, usually implementing meal plans established by a dietitian
or nutritionist
. They are responsible for supervising the work of other nutrition personnel such as cooks and dietary aides.
of dietary managers vary across countries and employment settings, but usually include some formal (postsecondary) education and/or on-the-job experience in nutrition
care and therapy, management of foodservice operations, human resource management, and sanitation and food safety
. Dietary management is not usually subject to professional regulation, although voluntary certification is preferred by many employers.
In Canada, dietary managers with recognized training in areas such as diet therapy, menu planning, food safety and food production may become members of the Canadian Society of Nutrition Management.
In the United States, dietary managers with a composite of education and experience may take a certification exam offered by the Dietary Managers Association (DMA), known as the Dietary Manager Credentialing Exam. Eligibility requirements to take the exam include a DMA-approved diploma in nutrition, foodservice management, culinary arts, hotel-restaurant management, institutional foodservice management, or military dietary manager training. Training may have been taken at a designated school or through distance learning. Passing the exam allows use of the title “Certified Dietary Manager” or “Certified Food Protection Professional”.
Diet (nutrition)
In nutrition, diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. Dietary habits are the habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat. With the word diet, it is often implied the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management...
concerns through supervision of foodservice
Foodservice
Food Service or catering industry defines those businesses, institutions, and companies responsible for any meal prepared outside the home...
s. Practitioners in dietary management, known as dietary managers, work in hospitals, long-term care facilities, restaurants, school and college cafeterias, correctional facilities, and other foodservice settings, usually implementing meal plans established by a dietitian
Dietitian
Dietitians supervise the preparation and service of food, develop modified diets, participate in research, and educate individuals and groups on good nutritional habits. The goals of dietitians are to provide medical nutritional intervention, and to obtain, safely prepare, serve and advise on...
or nutritionist
Nutritionist
A nutritionist is a person who advises on matters of food and nutrition impacts on health. Different professional terms are used in different countries, employment settings and contexts — some examples include: nutrition scientist, public health nutritionist, dietitian-nutritionist, clinical...
. They are responsible for supervising the work of other nutrition personnel such as cooks and dietary aides.
Training and regulation of dietary managers
The professional requirementsHealthcare provider requisites
Healthcare provider requisites refer to the regulations used by countries to control the quality of individual healthcare workers practicing in their jurisdictions and to control the size of the health labour market...
of dietary managers vary across countries and employment settings, but usually include some formal (postsecondary) education and/or on-the-job experience in nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
care and therapy, management of foodservice operations, human resource management, and sanitation and food safety
Food safety
Food safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness. This includes a number of routines that should be followed to avoid potentially severe health hazards....
. Dietary management is not usually subject to professional regulation, although voluntary certification is preferred by many employers.
In Canada, dietary managers with recognized training in areas such as diet therapy, menu planning, food safety and food production may become members of the Canadian Society of Nutrition Management.
In the United States, dietary managers with a composite of education and experience may take a certification exam offered by the Dietary Managers Association (DMA), known as the Dietary Manager Credentialing Exam. Eligibility requirements to take the exam include a DMA-approved diploma in nutrition, foodservice management, culinary arts, hotel-restaurant management, institutional foodservice management, or military dietary manager training. Training may have been taken at a designated school or through distance learning. Passing the exam allows use of the title “Certified Dietary Manager” or “Certified Food Protection Professional”.
External links
- Canadian Society of Nutrition Management
- Dietary Managers Association (United States)
Further reading
- Home Economics Archive: Tradition, Research, History (HEARTH)
An e-book collection of over 1,000 books on home economics spanning 1850 to 1950, created by Cornell University's Mann Library. Includes several hundred works on nutrition in this period, itemized in a specific bibliography.