Find a food and nutrition professional near Frederick, MD

Hiring a personal chef usually costs anywhere from $40-$100 or more per person. Request free cost estimates from personal chefs in your area so you’ll know exactly how much it will cost to hire one for your needs. For an accurate quote, be sure to let the chefs know the number of people they’ll need to feed, what you’d like on the menu and other relevant details. 

To learn more about the factors that impact the cost to hire a personal or private home chef, read our cost guide.

Nutrition counseling can be a critical component of good health care, especially for people recently diagnosed with diabetes or high cholesterol who need to adhere to a specific diet. People also meet with nutritionists for help developing a healthy vegetarian or vegan diet, developing an eating plan to lose weight or gain muscle, or improving their sports performance by changing their diet. Nutritionists may be covered by health insurance depending on your reason for meeting with them. Nutrition counseling is more likely to be covered if it is part of a doctor-prescribed treatment for a particular medical condition, such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure or coronary heart disease. For example, Medicare covers medical nutrition therapy services only for people diagnosed with diabetes or kidney disease, as long as they get a referral from their doctor. Also, insurance providers more often cover nutrition visits if the patient has been referred to a registered dietitian within the carrier’s network of providers. Insurance plans vary greatly, so research your benefits before visiting a nutritionist.

You can take private cooking classes to have fun, to learn a new skill, to improve your health, to bond with your partner, to enjoy a playful first date or to have a unique birthday party experience. Nationally the average cost of private cooking lessons ranges between $100 and $150. Prices can vary, depending on where you live, the type of cooking class you’re taking, the ingredients the chef provides, and the reputation of the chef. Cooking classes with Anthony Bourdain will clearly cost more than classes with a local restaurant owner. The number of people in the class will also affect the cost, with group lessons often priced per person to account for the cost of ingredients. For example, for group lessons, a brunch workshop may cost an average of $70 per person, a steak dinner with sides could cost an average of $80-$85 per person, and a sushi lesson could cost an average of $100 per person. Ingredients play a major role in cost, as the chef will pre-purchase the food you will be working with. Weekday classes will usually cost less than weekend classes.

A nutritionist provides expertise and guidance to help clients with all diet-related health matters, including losing weight, gaining muscle, improving their sports performance, and managing diabetes or high cholesterol. Nutritionists can help people learn to follow special diets in a healthy way, such as becoming vegetarian or vegan or developing a low-sodium or gluten-free eating plan. The average national cost of a nutritionist is $60 to $100. Nutritionists often require an initial consultation with a new client, during which they’ll take a medical history, assess the client’s nutritional needs, and determine the best course of action; this first meeting usually averages $100-$120 for a 45-minute to 90-minute consultation. Subsequent nutritional counseling sessions generally cost less, ranging from an average of $45 for a half-hour session to $60-$90 for a one-hour session. Like many professional service providers, nutritionists may offer discounts through package pricing. For instance, a one-month package with two sessions and email support costs an average of $190; a three-month package with three sessions and email support costs an average of $360; and a six-month package with six sessions and email support costs an average of $540.  

You can find local personal chefs by searching on Thumbtack. Once you enter in your details (how many guests the chef needs to feed, the date, your zip code, etc.), you’ll see a list of chefs who fit your needs.

A private chef is usually employed by one household or client, and they work full time for that client. They are in charge of preparing all the meals for the day. Private chefs often cook fresh meals and prepare snacks throughout the day. 

To hire a personal chef, start by searching on Thumbtack. Here, you’ll find a list of top-rated personal chefs in your area. Read the chefs’ customer reviews and profiles so you can learn more about their specialties, quality of work, reputation and professionalism. 

Before you hire a personal chef, ask them a few questions about their process, skills, references and prices. Request price quotes from at least three chefs so you can hire one who’s great at what they do and offers reasonable prices.

The main difference between a personal chef and a private chef boils down to their clients. A personal chef typically prepares meals for multiple clients or households, whereas a private chef will usually work full time for one client or household. Both types of chefs can shop for your ingredients and prepare meals for formal events. 

Personal chefs typically have multiple clients, and they create customized meal plans for those clients. They’ll discuss your dietary needs, create menus, shop for ingredients and prepare the meals. Some personal chefs may also prepare a meal for a special event. They might even offer cooking lessons.