Nutrition and Food Service Management

Every meal served in a hospital or long-term care home has to meet a resident’s medical, cultural and texture needs. Nutrition and Food Service Management is a two-year Ontario College Diploma, delivered over four semesters at Cambrian College’s Barrydowne campus in Sudbury, and it is the only programme of its kind in northern Ontario.

Semester one covers Food Service Management Foundations, Applied Math for Food Service Management, Principles of Nutrition and Food Science, Food Safety and Sanitization and Professional Practice for the Nutrition Manager. Semester two adds Food Production and Modification, Food Service Management I, Nutrition Care I, Nutrition and Health Promotion, Cultural Foods and Community Health and Nutrition Across the Lifespan. In semester three you study Menu Development and Planning, Procurement & Cost Control, Nutrition Care II, Human Resource Management, Applied Nutrition in Healthcare Settings and Nutrition Assessment and Education.

The curriculum is aligned with Canadian Society of Nutrition Management (CSNM) requirements, and lab work happens in real settings such as the Cambrian College Student Life Centre, the health unit and local high schools. Semesters one to three run on campus, while semester four moves online and off-campus with Food Service Management II, a Food and Nutrition Comprehensive Review, Interprofessional Practice in Nutrition and Food Service Management and a Field Placement in a hospital or long-term care facility. Students also have opportunities to earn extra certifications such as a Food Handler Certificate.

Graduates work as nutrition managers, food service supervisors, dietary managers, diet technicians, menu planners and community nutrition assistants. The diploma suits organised, caring people who enjoy food and science, can lead a kitchen team, and want to advocate for the dietary needs of patients and residents.