If you’re considering a career in health and nutrition coaching, you have many educational options to choose from, which is great but can also feel daunting. How do you choose, and more importantly, how do you feel confident in your decision?  

The school you choose will play a large role in your success, especially if they are able to provide not only the education you need, but also the tools and ongoing resources you need to navigate the ever-changing coaching landscape. 

Here we’ll walk you through the key things to consider when choosing a nutrition school, such as: 

• What’s covered in the curriculum, who will be teaching you, and how aligned the program is with your career goals 
• The credibility of the school, including whether the school is accredited or globally recognized 
• Price, duration, and nature of the program (in-person or virtual) 
• Post-graduation resources and services provided 

Curriculum

What you will learn to become a nutrition coach is one of the most important aspects of choosing a nutrition school. Write a list of a questions you want answered, such as: 

• What topics are being taught?  
• What is the school’s approach to nutrition? 
• Am I able to take a sample class that will emulate my learning experience? 

To become a health and nutrition coach, you will want to find a program with an expansive and comprehensive curriculum to ensure you’re learning a wide range of nutrition topics that you can apply in the real world.  

Despite the claims of diet culture, there is no one-size-fits-all diet. The food that works for you may not work for the person next to you, and that’s OK. In fact, that exemplifies IIN’s core concept of bio-individuality, which is the foundation for The Health Coach Training Program’s approach to nutrition. Students learn from over 95 of the world’s leading experts on holistic health and nutrition, as well as explore over 100 dietary theories, walking away from the program with a deep understanding of how to coach clients effectively on nutrition within their scope of practice. 

You may want to also consider whether the curriculum and program are hosted online or if you’ll need to attend classes in-person. Most health and nutrition courses are online, which offers flexibility and freedom to learn from anywhere and fit your education to your lifestyle.

Career Goals

As the coaching industry expands rapidly, so do your career options. One of the best ways to determine if a program will meet your career goals is to explore what graduates of the program have achieved with their education. 

Health and nutrition coaches can work in a variety of wellness and healthcare settings, such as spas, gyms, wellness centers, health food stores, doctors' offices, and insurance companies.  

You can also explore wellness entrepreneurship with your nutrition coach education like many IIN graduates have, such as writing books, becoming a social media influencer, creating food, beauty, or self-care products, running group programs or retreats all over the world, and going into practice for yourself seeing clients one on one.

Accreditation

Accreditation refers to the validation of the quality of education by an outside organization. For health and nutrition schools, this often refers to the recognition of the program’s curriculum for preparing a graduate to sit for a board-certification exam. As the health and nutrition coaching profession grows, the need to standardize education and create gold-standards for practitioners becomes more important. 

Accreditation can also look like recognition and approval for earning continuing education, whether you are looking to earn a nutrition education that accelerates your path toward becoming a more traditional nutrition professional or is eligible for credits that apply toward maintaining your current profession. IIN is recognized by many institutions for its excellence in health and nutrition coaching, providing graduates with a multitude of ways in which they can thrive in their careers. 

Certification Costs

Enrolling into an accredited nutrition course that aligns with your career goals as well as your budget is another important factor in your decision. Costs incurred will include the base cost of accessing the program itself plus any additional materials that are required to participate in the program, such as textbooks or workbooks. Costs will also depend on the duration of the program, whether it’s online or in-person, and the resources provided throughout the program.

IIN’s Health Coach Training Program can be completed in six or 12 months and is hosted completely online, with opportunities to network and connect with the global community in person. The online platform on which the program is hosted is inclusive of everything a student needs to complete the program and earn your certificate, no extra textbooks, workbooks, or items to purchase separately. Many programs will offer flexible payment plans to make their education more accessible.

Find the Right Nutrition School for You

When you find the right program and school for you, it will feel like an easy choice, knowing that you have gotten the answers to your questions and are ready to dive into an exciting career as a coach. Earning an education in the health, wellness, and nutrition field is an honorable endeavor, as the world needs people who can support others in living their healthiest, happiest lives. Learn more about what it means to become a health and nutrition coach with IIN by taking a sample class of our Health Coach Training Program today.