How Brazil and Portugal Train Nutritionists Differently
A quiet revolution in nutrition education is underway, and it's reshaping how future dietitians learn to feed the world.
Imagine two future nutritionists, one in Lisbon and one in São Paulo. Both are passionate about using food to improve health, but their educational journeys take strikingly different paths. One spends significantly more time learning how to actually educate people about food. The other delves deeper into the exact sciences behind nutrition. This isn't a hypothetical scenario—it's the finding of a revealing two-country comparison that examined the very fabric of how nutritionists are trained.
A groundbreaking study conducted a critical analysis of undergraduate nutrition programs in Brazil and Portugal, dissecting the precise "clock hours" dedicated to Food and Nutrition Education. The research uncovered a curriculum imbalance with profound implications for the future of public health and the professional capabilities of the next generation of nutritionists 2 .
Understanding the biochemical processes and nutrient functions in the human body.
Translating complex scientific information into actionable advice for individuals and communities.
Nutrition is not merely a biological science; it is a behavioral one. The most sophisticated knowledge of biochemistry is useless if a practitioner cannot effectively communicate with a client to change their eating habits. Food and Nutrition Education (FNE) is the specialized field that bridges this gap. It equips future nutritionists with the skills to translate complex scientific information into actionable, understandable advice for individuals and communities.
Despite its critical role, evidence suggests this area often gets short shrift in academic programs. A study analyzing 26 curricula from Brazil and Portugal found that the FNE axis was the second smallest component of the entire curriculum, representing a mere 2.2% of total instructional hours 2 .
This discovery raises an urgent question: in a world facing a double burden of malnutrition and obesity, are we training our food professionals to do more than just calculate nutrient requirements?
To move beyond anecdotal evidence, a team of researchers designed a systematic, comparative study to objectively measure the presence of FNE in undergraduate nutrition programs.
The research team employed a method known as Document Analysis to collect and dissect the official curricula of fifteen Brazilian and eleven Portuguese higher education institutions offering nutrition degrees 2 .
Gathering the complete required coursework and credit hours for each program.
Each course in the curriculum was classified into a specific "thematic axis" or professional practice area. The key axis of interest was "Food and Nutrition Education." Other axes included Human and Social Sciences, Public Health, Exact Sciences, and Biological and Health Sciences 2 .
The team performed a statistical analysis on two key variables: the total clock hours of instruction dedicated to each axis and the semester distribution of these courses throughout the program.
This rigorous approach allowed for a direct, apples-to-apples comparison of how two closely linked but distinct educational systems prioritize this crucial skill set.
Systematic review of educational curricula
Categorizing courses into knowledge domains
Identifying significant differences
The analysis yielded several significant findings, highlighting a clear divergence in educational philosophy between the two countries.
Emphasis on interdisciplinary education with focus on societal context of food.
Curriculum more firmly rooted in foundational "hard" sciences.
| Thematic Axis | Brazilian Institutions | Portuguese Institutions |
|---|---|---|
| Food & Nutrition Education | Significantly greater total hours 2 | Fewer total hours 2 |
| Human & Social Sciences | Significantly greater total hours 2 | Not reported as a strength |
| Public Health | Significantly greater total hours 2 | Not reported as a strength |
| Exact Sciences | Not reported as a strength | Greater total & proportional hours 2 |
| Biological & Health Sciences | Not reported as a strength | Greater proportional hours 2 |
| Characteristic | Brazilian Institutions | Portuguese Institutions |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Distribution | Wider dispersion across the program | More concentrated distribution |
| Relative Weighted Mean | Lower | Higher |
Note: Percentages are illustrative for comparison purposes only
The reduced presence of FNE in both countries, but particularly in Portugal, is a concern that echoes challenges in other health fields.
For instance, studies in the United States have repeatedly found that medical nutrition education for physicians is consistently inadequate, despite nutrition being a major factor in chronic disease management 5 .
This global gap between knowledge and its practical application highlights a critical point: training healthcare providers—whether doctors or dietitians—is not just about filling them with facts. It is about equipping them with the skills to counsel, motivate, and educate. As the Brazilian-Portuguese study concludes, the relative neglect of FNE in the core curriculum could have long-term implications for the professional identity and effectiveness of nutritionists 2 .
The call is not to replace biochemistry with communication, but to find a more balanced and integrative approach. The future of public health may depend on creating a new generation of nutrition professionals who are not only scientists but also skilled educators, capable of turning nutritional knowledge into real-world health outcomes.
The next time you sit down with a nutritionist, consider the journey they took to gain their expertise. The conversation you have is likely a direct reflection of the subtle, but powerful, priorities embedded in their academic training.