RD Exam Ready Podcast

Knowing the methods and criteria used to diagnose malnutrition is essential for exam day. In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak Kaesberg reviews the criteria used to identify moderate and severe malnutrition, including weight loss, energy intake, muscle and fat depletion, fluid accumulation, and grip strength.

You’ll also review the nutrition-focused physical examination and how to recognize signs of muscle and body fat loss. The episode wraps up with practice questions to help you apply these concepts to clinical scenarios.

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Happy studying, RD2Be 💙

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak Kaesberg breaks down grain structure, whole versus refined grains, and the differences between enrichment and fortification. We also review gluten vs. gluten-free grains, types of flours, and properties of starch including gelatinization, dextrinization, and retrogradation.

Join the RD Exam Ready email list for new podcast episodes, upcoming YouTube Lives, and PDF notes from live review sessions:
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In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak Kaesberg breaks down validity vs. reliability, sensitivity vs. specificity and positive predictive value (PPV) vs. negative predictive value (NPV).

You’ll learn how to distinguish these concepts, recognize them in research questions, and apply what you’ve learned through practice questions.

📢 JOIN RD EXAM READY LIVE — OCTOBER 14!

Join Zak on YouTube for a live practice-question session focused on test-taking strategies and applying your knowledge to exam-style questions. Tune in live or catch the replay afterward!
Link to Live Session

Join the RD Exam Ready email list for new podcast episodes, upcoming YouTube Lives, and PDF notes from live review sessions:
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Happy studying, RD2Be 💙

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak Kaesberg breaks down inborn errors of metabolism and the Medical Nutrition Therapy concepts you need to know for the RD Exam.

You’ll review amino acid disorders, acidemias, urea cycle disorders, galactosemia, and glycogen storage disease, with a focus on the nutrition interventions and key concepts associated with each condition. The episode wraps up with practice questions to help you apply what you’ve learned.

Join the RD Exam Ready email list for new podcast episodes, upcoming YouTube Lives, and PDF notes from live review sessions:
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In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak Kaesberg breaks down FIFO and LIFO inventory management and inventory valuation methods that are helpful to know for the exam day. Don't get mixed up on this topic, come study it with Zak. You’ll review inventory rotation, valuation methods, and how FIFO and LIFO differ when determining inventory value and cost. The episode wraps up with practice questions to help you apply these concepts on exam day.

📢 JOIN RD EXAM READY LIVE — SEPTEMBER 16!

Join Zak on YouTube at 7:00 PM Central Time for a review of community nutrition programs and community needs assessments.

https://www.youtube.com/live/yASHI5g6ecU?si=k9Wgs0BOnlN5lsga

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In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak Kaesberg breaks down the different tools used to measure body composition and the key concepts you need to know for the RD Exam.

You’ll review body composition models, what different measurement tools assess, and when certain methods may or may not be appropriate for different populations. The episode wraps up with practice questions from body composition and other RD Exam domains to help you apply what you’ve learned.

📢 JOIN RD EXAM READY LIVE THIS WEDNESDAY!

Join Zak Wednesday 9/2/26 7:00 PM Central Time for another live review and practice question session on YouTube!

https://www.youtube.com/live/0pT6wyhleRg?si=VlFprN9y3peAM4p8

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Happy studying, RD2Be 💙

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak Kaesberg breaks down the gallbladder and pancreas, focusing on the anatomy, digestion and absorption, and medical nutrition therapy concepts you need to know for the RD Exam.

You’ll review gallbladder disease, pancreatitis, nutrition interventions, and the differences between acute and chronic pancreatitis. The episode also covers pancreatic enzymes, nutrition support, and key MNT considerations, followed by practice questions to reinforce the material.

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Happy studying, RD2Be 💙

Food Science: Fats & Oils

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak Kaesberg breaks down the food science of fats and oils and the key concepts you need to know for the RD Exam. You’ll review the functions and properties of fats, different types of fats and oils, and how their characteristics affect food preparation and quality.

The episode also covers cooking with fats, smoke points, rancidity, storage, and other important food science concepts. Practice questions at the end help reinforce what you’ve learned and prepare you for exam day.

Join RD Exam Ready LIVE on Wednesday, August 19th at 7:00 PM Central Time:
https://www.youtube.com/live/Cc8wSaDz88E?si=-dHmodNrjMtJXjBr

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Happy studying, RD2Be 💙

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak Kaesberg breaks down leadership concepts you need to know for the RD Exam. You’ll review types of power, leadership styles, and situational models while learning how to recognize these concepts in exam questions.

The episode wraps up with practice questions to help you apply what you’ve learned and prepare for exam day.

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Happy studying, RD2Be 💙

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak Kaesberg breaks down the nutrition needs of older adults and the key concepts you need to know for the RD Exam. You'll review the physiological changes that occur with aging, how those changes affect energy and nutrient needs, and the nutrition recommendations most commonly tested on exam day.

This episode covers calorie, protein, fluid, and micronutrient needs, age-related physiological changes, and the federal nutrition programs available to support older adults. The episode concludes with practice questions to reinforce these essential life cycle nutrition concepts.

Join RD Exam Ready LIVE on Wednesday, July 29th at 7:00 PM Central Time:
https://youtube.com/live/GZuazSMS0S8?feature=share

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Happy studying, RD2Be 💙

In this episode, Zak Kaesberg breaks down how to choose the best nutrition problem statement using the PES format. You'll learn how to distinguish between the intake, clinical, and behavioral-environmental domains, prioritize nutrition diagnoses, and identify the most appropriate problem statement in common RD Exam scenarios.

Through several patient case studies, Zak walks you through the critical thinking process behind selecting the primary nutrition problem, writing effective PES statements, and avoiding common mistakes when interpreting assessment data. The episode concludes with practice questions designed to strengthen your clinical reasoning and prepare you for exam day.

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Happy studying, RD2Be 💙

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak Kaesberg breaks down nutrition assessment—the first step of the Nutrition Care Process and one of the most important concepts for the RD Exam. You'll learn the purpose of nutrition assessment, how to prioritize patients based on nutrition risk, and the key assessment domains that guide nutrition diagnosis and intervention.

This episode also reviews common nutrition screening tools, anthropometric measurements, biochemical data, nutrition-focused physical exams, comparative standards, and the role each plays in evaluating a patient's nutrition status. The episode wraps up with practice questions to help reinforce these essential assessment concepts.

Join RD Exam Ready LIVE on Wednesday, July 15th at 7:00 PM Central Time for another live practice question session:
https://youtube.com/live/-B2Gd0_MJac?feature=share

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Happy studying, RD2Be 💙

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak Kaesberg breaks down the different types of community program evaluations to help you confidently answer public health questions on the RD Exam. You'll learn how to distinguish between formative, summative (outcome), impact, process, structure, and fiscal evaluations, when each is used, and the clues that help you identify the correct answer on exam day.

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Happy studying, RD2Be 💙

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak Kaesberg breaks down religious diets and cultural food practices to help you confidently answer RD Exam questions involving food restrictions, dietary patterns, and special considerations.

You’ll review key religious dietary practices including Judaism and kosher diets, Islam and halal foods, Mormon dietary practices, Hinduism, Buddhism, Seventh-day Adventists, and Catholic traditions. Zak also connects these concepts to cultural food patterns among different populations and discusses common nutrition concerns you may see in practice.

Join RD Exam Ready LIVE on Wednesday, July 1st at 7:00 PM Central Time for a food science review with practice questions:
https://youtube.com/live/fTx_6b7htjM?feature=share

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Happy studying, RD2Be 💙

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, we review the respiratory system and medical nutrition therapy (MNT) for pulmonary conditions that you need to understand for the RD Exam.

We’ll cover respiratory anatomy and physiology, gas exchange, acid-base balance, and how lung dysfunction impacts nutrition care. We’ll also discuss MNT considerations for conditions including COPD, cystic fibrosis, pneumonia, and enteral nutrition recommendations for ventilated patients.

Want the notes from live sessions and updates on new episodes? Join the email list here:
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When you subscribe, you’ll get notified about new podcast episodes, upcoming YouTube Lives, and receive PDF notes from live review sessions directly to your inbox.

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Happy Studying, RD2Be 💙

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, we review the nutrition labeling concepts you need to know for the RD Exam. We discuss Nutrition Facts label requirements, ingredient and allergen labeling, and which foods and restaurants are required to provide nutrition information.

We also break down the differences between nutrient content claims, structure/function claims, and health claims, including common examples that frequently appear on RD Exam questions.

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In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak breaks Quality Improvement in a clear, exam-focused way. You’ll learn about cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, performance improvement models, tools, and much more! We finish with 3 practice questions to prepare you for exam day.

📺 Join RD Exam Ready Live
🗓 June 3 at 7:00 PM Central Time
👉 https://www.youtube.com/live/zchUa5mgJSU?si=cTZ0NRqADWP3_GM_

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In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, we review the food science concepts behind fruits and vegetables that you need to remember for the RD Exam. Zak breaks down the structure of plant cells, carbohydrates found in produce, important vitamins and minerals, ripening processes, storage techniques, cooking methods, and USDA grading standards for fruits and vegetables.

We finish with three solid questions to practice your learning from today's session and test your knowledge.

Want the notes from live sessions and updates on new episodes? Join the email list here:
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When you subscribe, you’ll get notified about new podcast episodes, upcoming YouTube Lives, and receive PDF notes from live review sessions directly to your inbox.

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Happy Studying, RD2Be 💙

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak break down Anemias. He expands this into the labs, deficiencies, and ways to differentiate each anemia from the other. We finish by doing 3 practice questions to test our knowledge.

RD Exam Ready Live 5/20/26 7:00 pm Central
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Happy studying, RD2Be 💙

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak breaks down Foodservice Production Systems to help you feel confident tackling these concepts on exam day. This episode focuses on the four major systems you’re expected to know — conventional, ready prepared, commissary, and assembly serve — and how each one operates in real-world settings.

You’ll review how food is prepared, transported, and served within each system, along with key differences in labor, skill level, equipment needs, and cost considerations. Zak walks through relatable scenarios to help you clearly distinguish between centralized and decentralized service, and understand when each system is most appropriate.

Want the notes from live sessions and updates on new episodes? Join the email list here:
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When you subscribe, you’ll get notified about new podcast episodes, upcoming YouTube Lives, and receive PDF notes from live review sessions directly to your inbox.

Follow RD Exam Ready for more exam prep:
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Happy Studying, RD2Be 💙