Registration

Dietary Manager Course

Idaho’s Online Nutrition and Food Professionals Course is divided into two modules. One module covers Nutrition Fundamentals and Medical Nutrition Therapy and the second module covers Foodservice Management. Students may join the course at the start of either module. Students may not join the course during the middle of a module.

Schedule

Module	Registration Deadline	Module Start Date	Notes
Nutrition Module	na	3/16/26	Class in session
Foodservice Operations, Safety, and Sanitation	7/10/26	8/10/26	Registration is open

If you have questions about this course, contact Leslie Bell, Program Director leslie4rd@gmail.com

Register

How to Register is an instructional document that will take you through the registration and payment process step-by-step.

Additional Information

Students must finish the course within two years of registration, or re-enrollment will be required at the full tuition price ($899).
Students desiring to retake a module during the first two years of enrollment will be charged a $300 per module fee.
All online course registrations are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Students need a preceptor for both modules. For the Nutrition Module, the preceptor must be a registered dietitian with at least one year of experience in long term care. For the foodservice module the preceptor may be a certified dietary manager, certified food protection professional with at least 1 year experience in non commercial food service, or a registered dietitian.

Course Overview

Idaho’s Online Nutrition and Food Professionals Course is approved by the Association of Nutrition and Food Professionals (ANFP). Successful completion of this course qualifies a person to sit for the nationally recognized Certified Dietary Manager, Certified Food Professional (CDM, CFPP) Exam.

Certified Dietary Manager, Certified Food Professionals are nationally recognized experts at managing foodservice operations and ensuring food safety. When you earn the credential, you prove your competence in the areas of foodservice management, personnel and communication, nutrition, safety and sanitation, and business operations.

A certified dietary manager is a trained food service operations professional that manages the food service department of healthcare facilities, schools and correctional institutions.

This online distance learning course is designed for students who are looking for a career change or are currently employed in foodservice but aspire to be credentialed as a Certified Dietary Manager, Certified Food Protection Professional. (CDM, CFPP)

Nutrition Fundamentals & Medical Nutrition Therapy

March – July

This module focuses on foundational nutrition principles, nutrition screening, and the nutrition care planning process. Participants will develop an understanding of common health conditions and the corresponding diet planning strategies used in the prevention and treatment of disease.

Instruction is provided by a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) with extensive healthcare experience. Learners will develop skills in conducting nutrition screenings, identifying individuals at risk for malnutrition and dehydration, and making appropriate referrals to a Registered Dietitian.

Managing Foodservice Operations, Food Safety & Sanitation

August – February

This module is designed for food service professionals working in facilities that serve large populations, including schools, healthcare facilities, and correctional institutions. Topics include service and delivery systems, menu development, recipe standardization, inventory management, purchasing, receiving and storage procedures, food production, budget management, and financial controls.

Foodborne illness remains a significant public health concern. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that millions of foodborne illnesses occur annually in the United States. Participants will learn the causes and prevention of foodborne illness, including proper receiving, storage, preparation, cooking, holding, and service procedures. The module emphasizes the distinction between cleaning and sanitizing kitchen facilities and equipment in accordance with state food codes and industry standards.

This module also includes human resource components including staffing and scheduling, employee motivation and empowerment, performance evaluations, change management and diversity, recruitment and retention strategies, leadership development, policy and procedure development, staff training, and professional development.

This course blends the following components:

Online earning activities.
150 hours with a qualified Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and Certified Dietary Manager (CDM, CFPP) preceptor for in–field learning activities

Fees

Tuition:

$899.00 includes both training modules for the 12-month course.
Fees paid are non-refundable and non-transferable once the student begins their first training module of the course.
If a student desires to retake a module, there is a $300 charge per module.

Preceptor: If you are unable to locate a Preceptor that meets the qualifications outlined for this course, a non-refundable service fee of $500 may be added to your tuition fee, and a preceptor will be provided (when available).

Textbooks:

Textbooks are purchased separately and directly from ANFP.
Books are offered at member pricing if you FIRST join ANFP as a Pre-professional.
These textbooks need to be purchased through the “Marketplace” at: www.anfponline.org
Textbook ordering procedures HERE.

Required Textbooks (4th Edition) are:

Nutrition Fundamentals and Medical Nutrition Therapy, © 2025, Editor in Chief Deborah Eck, MA, RDN
Foodservice Management by Design, © 2025 Editor in Chief Deborah Eck, MA, RDN

Requirements

Prerequisites:

Be a high school graduate or have a GED certificate;
Be currently employed (at least part-time) as a food service employee in healthcare, corrections, or school lunch program, OR arrange for 140 hours of field experience in a food service department;
Submit a signed MOA from an administrator of a facility where you will complete your field experience;
Locate a Certified Dietary Manager & Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who meets ANFP’s qualifications that will act as your Preceptor;
Verify that both you and the Preceptor are comfortable with computers and can meet the technical requirements listed;
Complete your own work with honesty and integrity. Copying other students’ work or copy and pasting from web resources is dishonest and may result in dismissal from the course.

Preceptor Qualifications:

Must be aRegistered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) with no less than one year full-time equivalent employment, post-certification, in a practitioner role, for the Nutrition Module. A Certified Dietary Manager, Certified Food Protection Professional or a Registered Dietitian may precept the Foodservice Module.
He or she is responsible for guidance and supervision of students, and coordinates the field experience activities.
Twenty-five (25) of the nutrition-related hours MUST be directly supervised by a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.

Technical Requirements:

Computer with Firefox, Google Chrome, Edge or Safari.
Personal e-mail address (not your work email)
Adobe PDF viewer

Partnership

The Idaho Dietary Managers Online Course is provided and approved and in partnership with the following agencies:

Association of Nutrition and Foodservice Professionals

PO Box 3610
St Charles, IL 60174-2165
800-323-1908

College of Western Idaho

Nampa Campus Micron Education Center
5725 E. Franklin Road
Nampa, ID 83687
Office: (208) 562-2703

Idaho Health Care Association

13945 W Wainwright Drive, Suite 101
Boise, ID 83713
Office: (208) 343-9735

By registering and paying for this course, you are acknowledging that you have read and understood the policies and procedures for this course.