What do nutritionists cost and how to choose a nutritionist?

You have decided you want help with improving your health, your diet, or the health of someone you love but there are so many barriers in the way. Is cost a barrier?

Like all services, there will be a range of prices people charge. You may well have hired a plumber and wondered why some charge twice as much as others and questioned which one offers the best service. Higher prices don’t always mean a better service but here are some things to look out for when hiring a nutritionist:

1. Are you going to feel happy sharing your fears, frustrations, joys and tears about food and health with them? – A great way to test this is to read their blog, or social media feeds and see if they seem like they are approachable and share some of your values, you might not always agree with them but they need to be someone you could trust
2. Are you able to access their services – do they open at a time which suits you, can you access their clinic, can you speak to them over the phone or over Skype?
3. Are they qualified to help you? – To ensure you are going to get the best service for your money, check they are registered with the Association for Nutrition (Registered Nutritionists) or the Health and Care Professions Council (dietitians). Nutrition is a huge field so no Registered Nutritionist or dietitian will be an expert in everything, they should be able to help you find the right support though if they are not able to help you themselves.
4. Do they have experience? – not all those who are qualified have experience. Experience helps in navigating some of the challenges faced around food. Food and nutrition are complex.
5. What do other people say about them? Look at reviews and how people interact with them on social media.

How much do nutritionists charge?

Some nutritionists charge you for different parts of the service separately for example for a consultation there is one price and for the analysis of a food diary there is another. Some will offer packages if you book a certain number of sessions in one go. Some charge different amounts for a first consultation to a followup.

Some non registered nutritionists will try to sell you products. These can be expensive and you can feel obligated to use their products. The best nutritional products are food. If you need a supplement, then any brand is fine. You might want to look at whether the person you are looking at hiring is linked to a brand because you may have cheaper consultation fees but end up with a much more expensive shopping basket.

I charge £75 for a consultation. I don’t add on extras for looking at food diaries and I won’t try and sell you any products. This is an investment in your health. I will save you time and effort sifting through all the advice and giving you specific advice and support to suit your needs.

What does my consultation fee cover?

£75 for a consultation fee might sound like a lot for 45 minutes but the fee covers much more than the time you see me. It covers:

• the correspondence with you before you come
• the preparation for the consultation
• the consultation itself
• an email sent after the consultation with a copy of the client notes and any other related information, eg recipes or handouts
• my insurance and professional registration fees so you know you are in safe hands with back up if anything happens
• a little towards my office overheads

I hope this has helped you in your search for a nutritionist and clarified my fees for you. If you would like to book an appointment please complete the form here