RD Exam Ready Podcast

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 Join the email list for notes and updates: http://eepurl.com/jvGxaA Follow RD Exam Ready: Instagram: @RDExamReady TikTok: @rd.exam.ready YouTube: RD Exam Ready Listen or watch anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast Subscribe, rate, and share with your study group. Happy studying, RD2Be 💙

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 Join the email list for notes and updates: http://eepurl.com/jvGxaA Follow RD Exam Ready: Instagram: @RDExamReady TikTok: @rd.exam.ready YouTube: RD Exam Ready Listen or watch anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast Subscribe, rate, and share with your study group. 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. Join the email list for notes and updates: http://eepurl.com/jvGxaA Follow RD Exam Ready: Instagram: @RDExamReady TikTok: @RDExamReady YouTube: RD Exam Ready Listen or watch anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast Subscribe, rate, and share! 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 Join the email list for notes and updates: http://eepurl.com/jvGxaA Follow RD Exam Ready: Instagram: @RDExamReady TikTok: @RDExamReady YouTube: RD Exam Ready Listen or watch anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast Subscribe, rate, and share with your study group. 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. Join the email list for notes and updates: http://eepurl.com/jvGxaA Follow RD Exam Ready: Instagram: @RDExamReady TikTok: @RDExamReady YouTube: RD Exam Ready Listen or watch anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast Subscribe, rate, and share with your study group. 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 Join the email list for notes and updates: http://eepurl.com/jvGxaA Follow RD Exam Ready: Instagram: @RDExamReady TikTok: @RDExamReady YouTube: RD Exam Ready Listen or watch anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast Subscribe, rate, and share with your study group. 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. Join the email list for notes and updates: http://eepurl.com/jvGxaA Follow RD Exam Ready: Instagram: @RDExamReady TikTok: @RDExamReady YouTube: RD Exam Ready LIVE and RECORDED Lessons Listen or watch anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast Subscribe, rate, and share with your study group. 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 Join the email list for notes and updates: http://eepurl.com/jvGxaA Follow RD Exam Ready: Instagram: @RDExamReady TikTok: @RDExamReady YouTube: RD Exam Ready Listen or watch anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast Subscribe, rate, and share with your study group. 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. Join the email list for notes and updates: http://eepurl.com/jvGxaA Follow RD Exam Ready: Instagram: @RDExamReady TikTok: @RDExamReady YouTube: RD Exam Ready Listen or watch anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast Subscribe, rate, and share with your study group. 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 Join the email list for notes and updates: http://eepurl.com/jvGxaA Follow RD Exam Ready: Instagram: @RDExamReady TikTok: @RDExamReady YouTube: RD Exam Ready Listen or watch anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast Subscribe, rate, and share with your study group. 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: http://eepurl.com/jvGxaA 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: Instagram: @RDExamReady TikTok: @RDExamReady YouTube: RD Exam Ready Listen or watch the podcast anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast Subscribe, rate, and share with your study group. 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. 📱 Follow RD Exam Ready: Instagram: @RDexamready TikTok: @rd.exam.ready YouTube: @RDExamReady with LIVE Lessons! 🔔 Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review to help support the podcast and share it with other future RDs.

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_ 📲 Follow RD Exam Ready Instagram: @RDExamReady YouTube: @RDExamReady TikTok: @RDExamReady 🎧 Listen or watch the podcast anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast

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: http://eepurl.com/jvGxaA 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: Instagram: @RDExamReady TikTok: @RDExamReady YouTube: RD Exam Ready Listen or watch the podcast anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast Subscribe, rate, and share with your study group. 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 Join the email list for notes and updates: http://eepurl.com/jvGxaA Follow RD Exam Ready: Instagram: @RDExamReady TikTok: @RDExamReady YouTube: RD Exam Ready Listen or watch anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast Subscribe, rate, and share with your study group. 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: http://eepurl.com/jvGxaA 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: Instagram: @RDExamReady TikTok: @RDExamReady YouTube: RD Exam Ready Listen or watch the podcast anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast Subscribe, rate, and share with your study group. Happy Studying, RD2Be 💙

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak breaks down Community Needs Assessments and program planning to help you feel confident tackling these concepts on exam day. This episode focuses on how to approach community nutrition questions, understand the flow of a needs assessment, and apply critical thinking to identify the next best step in a given scenario. This episode emphasizes how to think through questions the way the RD Exam expects—focusing on sequence, decision-making, and practical application—then wraps up with practice questions to help you apply what you’ve learned. Want the notes from live sessions and updates on new episodes? Join the email list here: http://eepurl.com/jvGxaA 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: Instagram: @RDExamReady TikTok: @RDExamReady YouTube: RD Exam Ready Listen or watch the podcast anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast Subscribe, rate, and share with your study group. Happy Studying, RD2Be 💙

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak breaks down phytochemicals and plant pigments to help you feel confident tackling these food science topics on exam day. You’ll review major phytochemical groups like polyphenols, carotenoids, glucosinolates, and phytoestrogens, their food sources, and their roles in health. Zak also explains how plant pigments such as carotenoids, flavonoids, and chlorophyll change under certain conditions. The episode wraps up with practice questions to help you apply what you’ve learned and reinforce key concepts for the RD Exam. Get your notes and stay updated: Join the email list for live session notes, new episode alerts, and PDF review sheets: http://eepurl.com/jvGxaA Follow RD Exam Ready for more exam prep: Instagram: @RDExamReady TikTok: @RDExamReady YouTube: RD Exam Ready Listen or watch anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast Subscribe, rate, and share with your study group. Happy studying, RD2Be 💙

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak breaks down Wounds and Wound Healing MNT to help you feel confident tackling these topics on exam day. This episode focuses on the nutrition foundations behind wound healing — including pressure injuries, staging, and how nutrient needs change based on severity. You’ll review the phases of wound healing, types of wounds, and how to identify and understand pressure injury stages. Zak connects this directly to Medical Nutrition Therapy by walking through calorie, protein, and fluid needs across each stage, along with the role nutrients play in supporting healing. He also ties in real clinical considerations like metabolic stress, malnutrition risk, and when supplementation becomes necessary — then wraps up with practice questions to help you apply what you learned. Join us live on YouTube March 25, 2026 at 7:00 PM Central (5:00 PT | 6:00 MT | 7:00 CT | 8:00 ET) as we break down practice questions and strategy for exam day: https://youtube.com/live/f5GkbjRVxfg?feature=share Want the notes from live sessions and updates on new episodes? Join the email list here: http://eepurl.com/jvGxaA 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: Instagram: @RDExamReady TikTok: @RDExamReady YouTube: RD Exam Ready Listen or watch the podcast anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast Subscribe, rate, and share with your study group. Happy Studying, RD2Be 💙

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak walks through toddler and preschool nutrition and the key life cycle concepts you need to understand for the RD Exam. You’ll review how growth assessment changes at age two when we transition from WHO growth standards to CDC growth charts, including BMI-for-age classifications for overweight and obesity. Zak also covers feeding development, appropriate portion sizes, choking hazards, and how children develop food preferences through repeated exposure to new foods. The episode also reviews important nutrient needs for toddlers and preschoolers, including protein requirements, energy needs, and key micronutrients such as iron, zinc, calcium, fluoride, fiber, and vitamin D. Want more free RD Exam prep content? Follow RD Exam Ready on social media: Instagram: @RDExamReady TikTok: @RDExamReady YouTube: RD Exam Ready Mailing List: If you want to get notified when new episodes release, hear about upcoming YouTube Live sessions, and receive PDF notes from those live review sessions, join the RD Exam Ready mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/jvGxaA Listen or watch the podcast anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast If you’re finding the podcast helpful, make sure to subscribe, leave a rating, and share it with other students studying for the RD Exam. Happy Studying, RD2Be 💙