The Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist™ (CFNS) course is CEU accredited across four bodies: 1.9 CEUs through NASM, 15 CECs through AFAA, 1.0 CEU through NCCPT, and 20 CEUs through ISSA. We've held approved CEU provider status since 2003, making CFNS the first CEU accredited nutrition program on the market.
Key Takeaways
- CFNS carries 1.9 NASM CEUs, 15 AFAA CECs, 1.0 NCCPT CEU, and 20 ISSA CEUs, more accrediting bodies recognizing one course than most single-credential programs offer.
- We've been an approved CEU provider since 2003, the first CEU accredited nutrition certification on the market.
- The Commission on Dietetic Registration requires a $500 non-refundable application fee before it will even review a certification for CPEU approval.
- Registered dietitians completing an RD-tied certification can earn 75 CPEUs under Commission on Dietetic Registration rules, compared with 50 for a degree-tied certification and 25 for a high-school-level one.
- CFNS has no prerequisites, a 90-day completion limit, and a typical finish time of 4 to 6 weeks studied at your own pace.
How Many CEUs Does the Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist Course Offer?
CFNS is approved for 1.9 CEUs through NASM, 15 CECs through AFAA, 1.0 CEU through NCCPT, and 20 CEUs through ISSA. That's four separate accrediting bodies recognizing the same course, which matters if you hold more than one credential and need to satisfy renewal requirements across all of them.
| Accrediting Body | Credits Awarded for CFNS |
|---|---|
| NASM | 1.9 CEUs |
| AFAA | 15 CECs |
| NCCPT | 1.0 CEU |
| ISSA | 20 CEUs |
If you're a personal trainer holding an NASM or NCCPT credential, an AFAA-certified group instructor, or an ISSA-certified specialist, CFNS applies toward whichever renewal cycle you're already tracking. You don't need to pick one accrediting body over another. You just need one course that all four recognize, which is exactly what CFNS is built to do. You can preview the material yourself through the free sample lesson, which walks through our proprietary 5-step process for building custom nutrition plans before you commit to the full course.
What Makes a Nutrition Certification CEU Accredited?
A CEU-accredited certification meets standards set by the accrediting body itself: an exam requirement, a defined validity period, and recertification criteria. For dietitians specifically, the Commission on Dietetic Registration sets its own separate bar for CPEU eligibility, which is stricter and narrower than general fitness CEU accreditation.
According to the Commission on Dietetic Registration, a certification must be accredited by either the National Commission for Certifying Agencies or ISO/IEC 17024:2012, and it must require an exam, a defined validity period, and recertification. Beyond that, the Commission on Dietetic Registration requires the certifying organization to submit an application and pay a non-refundable $500 fee for review, whether or not the certification is ultimately approved.
That's a meaningful gate. It filters out programs that hand out a certificate after a weekend webinar with no exam and no expiration date. When you see a certification advertise "CEU accredited," ask which body accredited it, what the exam covers, and how long the credential stays valid before you need to renew. CFNS has carried CEU approval from NASM, AFAA, NCCPT, and ISSA since 2003, with a defined 90-day completion limit and a full lifetime certification once you pass.
How Long Does It Take to Complete a CEU-Accredited Nutrition Certification?
CFNS has no prerequisites, gives you a 90-day completion limit, and most students finish in 4 to 6 weeks studying at their own pace. The course runs as home study, distance learning, with 24/7/365 online access from a computer, smartphone, or tablet.
That timeline matters when you're comparing programs against a CEU renewal deadline. A course with no prerequisites and self-paced access lets a personal trainer, sports coach, registered nurse, or diabetes educator start the same day they enroll, rather than waiting on a cohort start date. The course includes a Business in a Box component and DFY (done-for-you) formulas alongside the certification material itself, so you're not just earning credits, you're leaving with usable client tools. You can review full program details on the Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist Course page or start with the CEU-only overview if credits are your primary reason for enrolling.
Do Registered Dietitians Earn CPEUs From Fitness-Focused Certifications?
Whether a certification qualifies for CPEUs depends entirely on Commission on Dietetic Registration approval, not on how many CEUs a fitness accrediting body has already granted it. The Commission on Dietetic Registration awards 75 CPEUs for certifications tied to the RD credential, 50 for degree-tied certifications, and 25 for high-school-level ones.
If you're a registered dietitian evaluating any nutrition certification, including CFNS, check the Commission on Dietetic Registration's own list of approved certifications before assuming your fitness-based CEUs transfer to your RD renewal cycle. NASM, AFAA, NCCPT, and ISSA are the accrediting bodies that recognize CFNS. Registered dietitians should confirm CPEU eligibility directly with the Commission on Dietetic Registration for their own renewal purposes.
What Does It Cost to Get CEU-Accredited and Add a Business System?
The CFNS course runs $497 on its own, with no prerequisites and full lifetime certification once completed. If you want the course paired with ongoing coaching support, the CFNS PLUS Silver Coaching Program activates the course for $7 today, then $39.95 every 30 days until you finish, against that same $497 regular course price.
| Option | Today | Recurring | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CFNS Course only | $497 | None | No prerequisites, 90-day limit |
| CFNS PLUS Silver Coaching | $7 | $39.95 every 30 days | Runs until course completion |
| Silver Coaching Program alone | Free for 30 days | $39.95 every 30 days | Coaching subscription only |
We built the CFNS PLUS Silver Coaching bundle for the person who wants live coaching support while they work through the CEU material, rather than earning credits in isolation with no one to ask when a case study gets complicated.
Tools That Extend Your Certification Once You're Credentialed
A CEU credential is only as useful as what you can do with it once you're certified. That's why the CFNS course includes access to What Works® Custom Nutrition Software™, a click-and-choose online tool for building custom meal plans, with graduate pricing available at a reduced rate once you finish the course.
For hands-on client work, we also carry body composition calipers and a measuring tape built for the same measure-first approach the course teaches. Our slogan sums up the method plainly:
Measure. Plan. See What Works. Do more of that!
That's not a tagline we bolted on after the fact. It's the same 5-step process taught in the sample lesson, applied with the same tools you'll use with real clients.
Business Support That Comes With Your Certification
Earning CEUs is one part of building a nutrition coaching practice. The other part is knowing what to do with the credential once you have it. We run the PROFITS & AUTOMATION private Facebook group free for health and wellness entrepreneurs working on exactly that, plus our Health & Wellness Business Profit Systems coaching, which covers nutrition systems, sales systems, marketing systems, and residual income systems with live weekly Q&A.
If you'd rather see the DIY route first, the CFNS DIY pass or fail option lets you work through the certification at your own pace before deciding whether ongoing coaching makes sense for your practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can one nutrition certification satisfy CEU requirements for more than one fitness credential at once?
Yes, if the certifying body has been approved separately by each accrediting organization. CFNS carries CEU approval from NASM, AFAA, NCCPT, and ISSA, so a single course completion can apply toward renewal requirements across any of those four credentials, depending on which one you currently hold.
Is there a prerequisite to enroll in the CFNS course?
No. CFNS has no prerequisites and is open to beginner and advanced personal trainers, certified life coaches, sports coaches, registered dietitians, certified nutrition coaches, certified diabetes educators, RNs, and certified fitness nutritionists. You have 90 days to complete it, though most students finish in 4 to 6 weeks.
What happens if I don't complete the CFNS course within the coaching subscription period?
Under the CFNS PLUS Silver Coaching Program, the $39.95 charge continues every 30 days until your course is complete, against the $497 regular course price. If you enrolled through an employer, cancellation before course completion can only be processed by the employer, so confirm that arrangement before activating.
Does a higher CEU count from one accrediting body mean a stronger certification?
Not necessarily. CEU counts reflect each accrediting body's own scale and review process, not a universal ranking of quality. A course showing 20 ISSA CEUs and 1.9 NASM CEUs for the same content isn't inconsistent, it just reflects how each organization measures continuing education hours differently.
If you're weighing CFNS against your own CEU renewal deadlines, or you want to know exactly which credential our course will count toward for your specific certifications, send your question through the enquiry form below this article and we'll walk you through it directly.
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