Support the Industry

By aligning your school with CAIN, you're supporting the values that CAIN represents: Practitioner professionalism, competency based education, a clear and defined scope of practice and code of ethics, and a commitment to advocate on behalf of holistic nutritionists.

Why We Need Recognition

Registration of professional Registered Holistic Nutrition Practitioner™ (RHNP™) exists to protect the public from people who are not qualified to practice, just as licensure of physicians protects the public from people who are not qualified to practice medicine.

The continual upsurge in the popularity of Registered Holistic Nutrition Practitioners™ for those seeking alternative and complementary care has emphasized the need for competent, educated professionals and rigorous standards for professional training. 

Voluntary registration with a recognized professional association that independently promotes and maintains curriculum standards is a benchmark for distinguishing knowledgeable, well trained practitioners and the educational institutions training them.

Benefits of Becoming an Approved School

Becoming an approved school reaps many rewards, not only for your program, but your students as well.
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  • Your curriculum will be listed as an elite program that meets the strict standards of CAIN. 
  • Added exposure for your programs, only those approved will be included in our listings to potential students 
  • For those programs outside of Canada, you are offering an important service to your students by becoming approved.  They will then be able to have access to all of the Canadian resources that cannot be offered outside of Canada.  This will draw more Canadians to your program.
  • Registration with Canadian Association for Integrative Nutrition helps ensure that the general public can find properly trained, knowledgeable practitioners and sound guidance.
  • Ability to list additional programs as CEC accredited courses to our entire member base
  • Added recognition and credibility for your graduates
  • Higher success rates for your graduates
  • Being part of a community of Registered Holistic Nutrition Practitioners™, Registered Health Coaches and advocates supporting industry growth​

Educational Requirements

Holistic Nutritionist and Functional Nutritionist Programs

 The following educational standards must be met in order to receive CAIN approval and to assure your students and graduates that their nutrition program provides sufficient education to qualify them as a professional member.
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Upon approval of your program, graduates will automatically qualify for the "Registered Holistic Nutrition Practitioner™" (RHNP™) Designation.  RHNP Programs approved by CAIN must meet or exceed a minimum of an additional 1000 hours of study inluding topics listed in the RHNC (SEE RHNC REQUIREMENTS BELOW) for Holistic Nutritionists including a demonstrated proficiency in the following post secondary subjects:​
  • Pathophysiology, Illness & Nutrition 
    • Nutritional support of the body (digestive, lymphatic, immune, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, nervous, integumentary)
    • Health and disease in relation to environmental influences
    • Symptomatology of insufficiency and excess nutrients
  • Introduction to Anatomy & Physiology of the Human Body
  • Introduction to basic Chemistry & Biochemistry
  • Introductory Herbology (minimum of 20 herbs covered)
    • Including uses and contraindications 
  • Life Cycle
    • Sports nutrition 
    • Pediatric
    • Geriatric
  • Comparative Dietary Systems
    • In depth diet analysis & planning
    • Cultural influences on food choices
  • Supplementation
    • Contraindications and interactions with herbs, foods and medications
    • Indications of need for supplementation 
  • Nutrition Assessment
    • Health assessments 
    • Understanding lab results
The program also must contain a combined minimum of 30 hours of case study work and client sessions. 

The programs must include at least one final exam (proctored if distance learning) and at least one thesis/research paper. 
RHNC Designation Requirements
  • Fundamentals of Nutrition (full macro/micro nutrients coverage)
  • Nutrition Sciences - Including Fundamentals of Chemistry & Biochemistry
  • Nutritional Support of the Body Systems, Environmental Influences on Health
  • Life Cycle Nutrition  (Pre/Post Natal, Pediatrics, Men, Women, Geriatric)
  • Fundamentals of Sports Nutrition
  • Preventative Health Care
  • Microbiome
  • Detoxification
  • Nutritional Supplementation:  indications, contraindications / interactions with herbs, medications, and foods
  • Nutrition Assessment: health assessments
  • Nutritional Counselling and Coaching Skills
  • Introduction into Herbs
  • Cooking With Whole Foods and Meal Planning
  • Psychology of Habit Change
  • Facilitating Behaviour Change
  • Coaching Skills
  • Counselling and Coaching Skills including Listening Strategies, Client Engagement, Motivational Interviewing
  • Coaching Clients with Chronic Conditions
  • Goal Setting - Habit Change, Healthy Lifestyle, Physical Activity
  • Weight-loss Management including Physical Assessments, BMI, Behaviour Therapy, Mindful Eating Habits, Identifying Triggers, Pantry Cleanse
  • Clear Scope of Practice
  • Physical Activity
  • Managing Stress
  • Standards of Care / Ethical Practice
  • Working / Partnering with Primary Caregivers
  • Case Studies and/or Skills Labs​
  • Section Knowledge Tests
  • Final Exam consisting of a miniumum 100 questions

Optional/Recommended Courses:
  • Nutrition Business Fundamentals
  • Nutritional Research Applications
  • Business Basics
  • Evidence Based Health Coaching in a Clinical Setting
  • Corporate Wellness​
Don't quite meet the requirements above? 
Not to worry, visit our partner organization the Health Coach Alliance (HCA) to find out what the requirements are to qualify your students to apply for the Registered Health Coach™ and/or the Registered Health & Nutrition Counselor™ official title.   ​

Continuing Education Course Submission

If you are a CAIN approved educational institution offering other programs in addition to your Holistic Nutritionist or Health Coaching certification to Canadian Students (inclusive to international schools offering online programs accessible to Canadian students), you are invited to submit your program and/or courses for continuing education approval at 50% off. This will allow graduates and members to fulfill their CE credit requirement through your school.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if my application for approval is denied?
We typically have a pretty idea of whether or not you would be approved before we suggest you apply, however, should we deny your application for any reason, take it as an opportunity to really fine tune your course.  We will create a report of information we feel is missing and give you one year to add the missing pieces.  

There will be no charge for a second review for approval within a six month time period.  Thereafter, a full review will again be required.
 
​If you opt not to add the materials we require for designation approval, you may be considered to have your course added as a Continuing Education course for credit.
do i pay the fee upfront or when my program is approved?
Please make payment with your application for approval.  This fee is for review of the program, not a fee to be approved..
what is the fee and how often do i have to pay it?
The initial fee for review is a one time payment of $1000.00 CDN.
Thereafter you will be required to renew your approval once a year for $500.00.
If you change your course or should our requirements change, we may need to do another review and full review fees will apply.  
It is the responsibility of the school to advise CAIN of any of such changes to your curriculum.  
my program is not based in Canada.  Can I still qualify for approval?
Absolutely!  Not only will you begin attracting a larger Canadian audience, you will be doing your Canadian students a huge favour by getting approved in Canada.  Associations outside of Canada cannot offer the full spectrum of resources required to create a successful and thriving practice.  These resources include but are not limited to Canadian Scope of Practice guidance, Liability Insurance, Group Medical & Dental, discounts to products and services and events.
I have additional courses that I want to share with your members, is that possible?
Our members are an eager bunch and they are always asking for ways to expand their expertise and knowledge.  As an Approved School, you have the option to add your additional courses to our ever growing list of Continuing Education courses to be counted towards their 35 credit per year requirement. The review for CE courses is 50% off for approved programs within the first year after approval.  You can learn more here.
I am already approved with another association, why do I want to join another?
It is our experience that most schools benefit from being accredited by multiple associations worldwide as potential students / members tend to pick their schools based on their preferred association or location.  

CEC Courses

Are you an educator looking to get your course approved for continuing education credits?