Dietary Cook Education Requirements And Courses

Dietary cook education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Usually, dietary cooks don't need a college education. The most common degree for dietary cooks is high school diploma with 41% graduates, with only 27% dietary cook graduates earning associate degree. Dietary cooks who decided to graduate from college often finish University of Phoenix or Johnson & Wales University. Some good skills to have in this position include patients, food handling and food service.

Popular dietary cook certifications include ServSafe Alcohol, Certified Food Manager (CFM), or Food Safety Manager Certification. To improve dietary cook qualification and skills, we prepared some online courses to help in dietary cook education paths.

What education do you need to become a dietary cook?

What degree do you need to be a dietary cook?

The most common degree for dietary cooks is high school diploma, with 41% of dietary cooks earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 27% and associate degree degree at 14%.

High School Diploma, 41%

Associate, 27%

Diploma, 14%

Bachelor's, 11%

Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a dietary cook?

You should major in culinary arts to become a dietary cook. 29% of dietary cooks major in culinary arts. Other common majors for a dietary cook include business and general studies.

Culinary Arts, 29%

Business, 15%

General Studies, 7%

Nursing, 5%

Other Majors, 44%

Best majors for dietary cooks

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Culinary Arts	29.1%
2	Business	14.6%
3	General Studies	7.4%
4	Nursing	5.1%
5	Health Care Administration	4.8%

Show more common dietary cook majors

20 best online courses for dietary cooks

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1. Child Nutrition and Cooking

Eating patterns that begin in childhood affect health and well-being across the lifespan. The culture of eating has changed significantly in recent decades, especially in parts of the world where processed foods dominate our dietary intake. This course examines contemporary child nutrition and the impact of the individual decisions made by each family. The health risks associated with obesity in childhood are also discussed. Participants will learn what constitutes a healthy diet for children...

2. Cooking for Busy Healthy People

Cooking is one of the most powerful ways in which we can optimize our enjoyment of great quality food while protecting our health. Even on a tight budget, cooking can be a cost-effective, joyful and rewarding way to love the food that will love us back for a lifetime. In this course, you’ll learn some basic recipes from a home cook and two professional chefs who prioritize healthful eating. You’ll also learn some of the fundamentals of principle-based cooking that can help you break free from...

3. Cook Real Food: How to Make Simple Plant-Based Meals

4.6

(1,644)

Learn how to cook whole plant foods to make quick, easy, and healthy vegan meals for practical everyday eating...

4. Fun food safety and sanitation course

4.6

(539)

The food safety course will help prepare you for safely working in a kitchen and food handler tests like Servesafe...

5. Aligning Diet and Exercise

When considering body composition goals, modifications to both diet and exercise are inevitable. Most often, an individual’s dietary interventions do not align with their exercise regimen, which may diminish the potential for success. This course explores the energy pathways and how macronutrients fuel exercise across intensity and duration, in addition to popular dietary interventions and their alignment with exercise recommendations. After completing this course, students will have a clear...

6. ISO 22000:2018. Food Safety Management System

4.4

(976)

Understand the requirements for a food safety management system applicable for any organization in the food chain...

7. Vegan Nutrition: Build Your Plant Based Diet & Meal Plan

4.8

(462)

Learn How To Set Up A Vegan Diet For Weight Loss, Building Muscle, Healthy Eating, Meal Planning & Vegan Bodybuilding...

8. Food Safety for Managers and Supervisors

4.3

(489)

The Highfield Food Safety Level 3 syllabus presented in two hours of video tutorials. Boost your food safety knowledge...

9. OSHA Workplace Safety (General Industry 6 Hr Class)

4.5

(2,583)

Learn the requirements and standards associated with OSHA and workplace safety. Safety best practices for the workplace...

10. OSHA Safety Pro: Personal Protective Equipment

4.5

(1,881)

Impress management or get that job with you your ability to display life and dollar saving work place safety practices...

11. Internationally Accredited Diploma in Keto Dietary Advisor

(650)

The Only Course you will need to become a Master Keto Coach...

12. Diploma Certificate in Dietary Supplements Advisor

4.5

(1,164)

Become an advisor/expert in selecting the best supplements for weight loss, muscle building and for good health...

13. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer

4.7

(18,204)

Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...

14. Complete Health and Safety Auditor Course. OHSAS 18001.

4.5

(2,235)

How to implement and audit a health & safety management system and obtain certification to OHSAS 18001 Standard...

15. Advanced Process Control & Safety Instrumented Systems SIS

4.5

(783)

Learn how the main process equipment such as chemical reactors , pumps , compressors & heat exchangers are controlled...

16. OSHA Safety Pro: Deadly Concrete Dust. Crystalline Silica.

4.4

(478)

OSHA's General, Construction, and Maritime Industries Hazard Prevention and Safety Standard...

17. SAP Customer Service (CS/SM) - Service Management module

4.4

(960)

Real World SAP CS and SD, Repair Orders, Service Orders, Service Contracts...

18. ISO 22000 (HACCP and PRPs) for Food Safety

4.4

(618)

Standards, analysis, control points, and risk management related to ISO 22000 for food industry professionals...

19. Nutrition Certification: Advanced Diet & Meal Planning

4.6

(1,607)

Advanced Diet And Nutrition Coach Strategies Dieting Certificate For Meal Plans, Fat Loss, Health & Sports Nutrition...

20. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience

4.6

(2,666)

Customer service, customer support, and customer experience training. Loyal clients through world-class customer service...

Average dietary cook salary by education level

Dietary cooks with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $29,157 annually. With a Associate degree, dietary cooks earn a median annual income of $28,489 compared to $27,868 for dietary cooks with an High School Diploma degree.

Dietary cook education level	Dietary cook salary
High School Diploma or Less	$27,868
Bachelor's Degree	$29,157
No Education	$27,546
Some College/ Associate Degree	$28,489