Culinary Nutrition: How to Prepare for an Exciting Career in this Industry

Written by Kristen Rohrer, Nutrition/Arts & Sciences Faculty at the Culinary Institute of Virginia

You may have heard the saying that success is where preparation and opportunity meet. There is no doubt that preparation is the unsung hero behind any success story, particularly if you are interested pursuing a degree in the explosive and competitive new world of culinary nutrition.

But, what kind of preparation would best solidify the foundation of a future culinary nutritionist? The answer to this question is as vast as the opportunities in the culinary field, because as with any skill, if you don’t use it, you lose it. So any chance to apply culinary concepts is going to pay off in dividends when applying concepts within a culinary nutrition program.

Advice for Budding Culinarians

The best piece of advice for an aspiring culinary nutritionist is to jump right in and start cooking, whether at home, work, for family or friends. Volunteering at community events can be a fantastic way to not only get your feet wet in the catering world, but it may even provide opportunities to learn from other volunteer chef organizations, or even regular volunteers with a knack for cooking and food knowledge.

Another great way to prepare, for someone who may not have many hands-on opportunities, is to read articles about the latest scientific findings in the nutrition world. See what you can uncover about the best cooking techniques that boost nutrient availability.

Answering questions like, ‘why is frying considered unhealthy’ or ‘how are acrylamides formed in the process,’ can propagate the right mindset before even setting foot on campus. Never underestimate the power of real-world knowledge, especially when contemplating a career in culinary nutrition.

Secrets to Success

Did you know that you might be able to set yourself up for maximum success before you even take your first practical exam? If this sounds desirable to you, it may be in your best interest to start seeing the proverbial glass as half-full because mounting evidence actually shows that people with a positive attitude are more resilient, successful, have increased attention spans, and may even perform better on assessments!

With this in mind, a positive mindset can take you very far, even before your first day of class, but it cannot work alone to get you across the finish line. Other qualities may be just as important, like being responsible, punctual, flexible, having focus, engaging respectfully with others, and most notably, believing in yourself and your personal goals. Coming into a program in culinary nutrition with the right mindset and attitude from the get-go can set you apart from the competition and pave the way to success from day one.

Standout with This One Simple Tip

As with any program or skill, the work you put into it is what you can expect to get out of it. This is great advice for anyone to contemplate prior to pursuing a degree in culinary nutrition because it is not necessarily about the amount of work it takes to complete a program, it is more about the knowledge base you create along the way.

The old adage that states life is a journey and not a destination is something that can be applied to many scenarios, but it is particularly applicable to culinary nutrition because this field broadens every time new research is discovered. Having a constant hunger for knowledge and staying up to date with the latest evidence-based research can make a huge difference between a novice nutrition student and a culinary nutritionist.

Are you ready to start your future career as a culinary nutritionist? If you want to earn an Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts and Applied Nutrition, ECPI University's Culinary Institute of Virginia offers this program at an accelerated rate. For more information about this exciting program, connect with a friendly admissions advisor today.

It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

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Gainful Employment Information – Culinary Nutrition - Associate’s

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