MARKET RESEARCh

In 2018 a few people, who would soon become the MNA founders, began advocating for nutrition professionals in Missouri. They soon realized there is a startling amount of these credentialed professionals who exist, many of whom are not working in their chosen vocation. That lead to bigger questions and a more in depth look at who we are.

Problem 1

There are thousands of individuals with nutrition training ready to help Missourians lead better lives. This number increases every year. Yet most people will eventually quit working in this sector within 1-3 years after they discover Missouri’s licensure law. They find it difficult to market successfully, find employment, or make a living wage. Many people end up moving on or burning out.

But there’s more to it than restrictive laws. The public is not well informed of this area in the health and wellness sector. Contradicting messages about what is health and different professional designations confuse the layman. There also is no entity that includes, supports, and leads all of these professionals in solidarity as one movement.

This sector needs a localized, hands-on, collaborative effort to continuously engage and educate the public about what we do. This is how we legitimize our profession, prove our worth, and gain the trust of our communities. This is the MNA mission: To unite credentialed professionals in order to create healthier communities.

Problem 2

Missourians are dying for real change.Three generations of relying on convenience foods has only made our health worse. The number of people not getting well continues to rise, despite the increasing cost of health care. The MNA has organized in direct response to the persistent degradation of food quality and lack of food education existing in our culture today. We have a league of people trained and ready to address this problem.

• 37% of missourians are obese, ranking #9 in the US (source)

• 90% of healthcare in the US is spent on treatable chronic health conditions (source)

• 20% of our children are considered obese nationwide (source)

Solving Problem One + Problem Two = Real Change

The MNA formula is simple: Put qualified nutrition professionals to work by educating their communities about what they do. This is a win-win for all. Professionals increase their visibility, experience, and marketability, while their neighbors receive food education and increase their sense of community. This is how the MNA will execute its mission.

Here’s How We’re Going to Do It

• Community kitchen classes learning about real foods with our neighbors.

• MNA member lead whole foods cooking classes geared toward our children and teens.

• Nutrition professionals actively volunteering in their community to share more of what they know.

• Marketing our members as experts in their field, because they are.

Join us in healing our communities and raising awareness of the field of nutrition. If you are a nutrition professional, or member of your community that supports this change we welcome collaboration with you.

Members, Donors, Volunteers