What Is a Registered Dietitian? An Interview with Khursheed Navder, PhD, RDN

Most of us would be hard-pressed to go a day without thinking or talking about food and nutrition. After all, everyone needs to eat. But what about those who want to make nutrition their career? In honor of National Nutrition Month, we’re exploring the world of registered dietitians (RDs): what it takes to become an RD, what sets them apart from other similar-sounding specialties, and how the field of nutrition is changing and adapting to new healthcare challenges. For this two-part series, we interviewed Dr. Khursheed Navder, a professor and director of the nutrition program at Hunter College in New York City, where she oversees the undergraduate, graduate and dietetic internship programs. She created the master’s of science in nutrition curriculum at Hunter and has worked to provide unique pathways for inner-city students to pursue a full-time nutrition education. She has been a recipient of the Outstanding Dietetic Educator Award from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and she has held several elected positions within the Academy and the Commission on Dietetic Registration. What first made you interested in nutrition as a career path? KN: I was always fascinated by the basic sciences, by how chemistry, biology, physiology, biochemistry were all so woven into the fabric of nutrition courses. I came from India to pursue my PhD, and back then, in the mid-80s, I had absolutely no intention of working toward the RD credential since I felt I was going to be working in academia and research. Boy, am I glad my major professor at Kansas State University pushed me to pursue this credential, because this has opened many doors for me! As we all know, there is a tremendous shortage of PhD-RDs, and having had this credential has allowed me to move up the administrative ladder in academia. In […]

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Parents and Caregivers are Focused on Their Kids’ Nutrition, but Obstacles to Healthy Eating are Common

(Washington, D.C.)— Our dietary habits as young children have an especially strong influence over how we eat for the rest of our lives, demonstrating the importance of promoting good nutrition early on. Yet the past year has shone a spotlight on the challenges of raising children while balancing many other priorities. Understanding the decisions made by parents and caregivers—and the hurdles they face while trying to provide food for their children—provides valuable information for improving the dietary habits of children nationwide.     A new survey by the International Food Information Council (IFIC), “Knowledge, Understanding and Behaviors When Feeding Young Children,” examines how parents and caregivers consider current diet recommendations for kids ages 2 to 10, how they interpret and implement nutrition advice, and what information sources adults rely on when making food and dietary choices for children.  While parents and caregivers report having good access to nutrition information and overall feel confident that they’re meeting their child’s nutritional needs, many cite obstacles, such as how to introduce variety into kids’ diets and how to translate aspirations into positive behaviors.   “As a parent myself, the contrast between knowing what a healthful diet looks like and actually getting a child to eat nutritiously is extremely relatable,” said Ali Webster, IFIC’s director of research and nutrition communications. “We all want to provide the best we can for our kids, and this research highlights that when it comes to nutrition, the decisions parents and caregivers make around their children’s diets aren’t always straightforward – everything from taste, price and nutrition to personal and cultural preferences need to be considered.”  Eating Habits of Young Children  When asked about the consumption of different types of foods, two in three respondents (69%) said their children eat dairy products two or more times a day, while 74% and 63% said their kids eat protein and fruit two or more times per day, respectively. Just one in five (19%) said their child eats grains at least three times a day. While 91% said that their children eat vegetables at least once per day, only one in five (19%) said they eat them 3 or more times daily.  Indeed, vegetables emerged as […]

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The Not So Creepy Crawly Side of Alternative Proteins

I had only eaten a bug once before learning about the significant health benefits of edible insects. The first time, I was in the second grade, and my brother dared me to eat it. I don’t think I’m too different from most people since I likely would have never thought to eat a bug after a dare. Years later, with some convincing from some persuasive articles online, I decided to revisit the thought of eating insects. While eating insects sounds like a bad challenge on a reality game show, turns out they are actually a sustainable and nutritious option and have inspired me to be a bit more adventurous with cooking. Do people really eat bugs? Unfortunately, in the United States, there is a stigma against eating these proteins. From a young age, most children are taught to avoid insects as much as possible. Edible insects like mealworms, grasshoppers and many others are a part of the culture and cuisine of many other parts of the globe like in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. These cultures incorporate edible insects into their diets as a way to obtain protein, iron, calcium and  vitamin B12. Using alternate protein sources can be a creative way to supplement your diet if you are unable to get the recommended amount of protein through traditional means. In addition, these products can also eliminate the need to use wheat, dairy or soy products which are all part of the primary eight allergens recognized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). How can insects be used in our food? Bug protein products are formed into a powder or flour by grinding up roasted, edible insects. This flour can be used by itself or in a variety of products including baked goods and protein powders. One of the more […]

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Taking Another Look at GMO Crops: Q&A with a Farmer

Food production practices have evolved over the years to support food availability and choices for our ever-growing population. One of the tools is biotechnology. This technique has been used for over 20 years in food production and has been scientifically proven to be a safe and effective way to support our food system. You may have previously read an article or two of ours talking about how biotechnology and GMO (genetically modified organism) crops help to decrease food waste, give multiple populations nutritious food options, and help farmers use less pesticides. But what about getting more info on GMO crops straight from the horse’s…uh, farmer’s mouth? To do so, we recently caught up with farmer Katie Pratt. Katie and her husband have a family farm in northern Illinois, where they grow 7,500 acres of corn, soybeans and seed corn (field-corn seed that can be used to grow future commercial corn crops). Q: What crops do you grow that are genetically modified? A: All our commercial corn and soybeans are genetically modified. We also grow GMO and non-GMO seed corn. Q: Why do you grow GMO crops? A: We have seen that our GMO crops require less pesticide applications. We spray our fields before planting GMO seeds for weed control, and then we won’t spray again until right before the crop canopies. After that, we don’t have to spray for weeds again. Our insecticide applications are lower on GMO crops as well. We plant some hybrid crops that are resistant to corn borer [an insect that can significantly damage corn and other grain crops]. Since the crop has the ability to fight its own battle against these pests, we don’t need to spray for these particular insects. We have been able to decrease our pesticide applications, which means we are not […]

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Four Heart-Healthy Snack Ideas

According to our 2024 Food and Health Survey, 73% of consumers report snacking at least once a day, which is consistent with 2022 data but represents an increase from the 58% who said the same in 2021. The 2024 survey found that 30% are seeking out heart and cardiovascular health benefits from their food choices. Let’s bridge the gap and share a few heart-healthy snacks. Nuts Nuts are full of healthy fats, including mono- and polyunsaturated fats. Research suggests that eating 1.5 ounces of most nuts per day as part of a low-saturated-fat diet may reduce the risk of heart disease. And with nuts, there are also a ton of options to meet your taste preferences: Peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, and walnuts are just a few common varieties of nuts. Nuts also pack in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals; have a long shelf life; and are portable, making them a great on-the-go snack option. Dairy Including fat-free and low-fat dairy products in your diet is recommended for an overall healthy dietary pattern that also supports heart health. Just keep in mind that this doesn’t mean you should avoid fat altogether, especially healthy unsaturated fats like those found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and fatty fish. Besides milk, dairy products include yogurt, cheese, and fortified soymilk, which are sources of protein and micronutrients like calcium, potassium and vitamin D. Some go-to dairy snacks include yogurt cups, string cheese, or snack-sized milk or soymilk. Whole Grains Whole grains have been shown to promote heart health in a variety of ways, including by lowering cholesterol, blood lipid levels, and blood pressure. Studies show that individuals with three or more servings of whole-grain foods per day have a 20 to 30 percent lower risk for cardiovascular disease compared with those who have lower intakes […]

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Emulsifiers: Mending the Differences in Our Foods

Eggs Benedict is a brunch staple, and what makes or breaks the plate is—you guessed it—the Hollandaise sauce. This personal favorite is a combination of egg yolk, butter, water, and lemon juice or vinegar, making for the ultimate emulsion. What’s an emulsion, you may ask? It’s a common component of many of the foods we eat, and while not everyone is a food scientist, there are a few interesting things you might be curious to know about emulsifiers in our food. What are emulsifiers? Emulsifiers are found in many food products we buy at the grocery store. Beverages, milk, ice cream, and dressings often feature emulsifiers as additives to keep the mixture of ingredients stable. What exactly do we mean by that? Well, have you ever tried mixing together oil and vinegar for a simple salad dressing? For a short time, the two may appear homogenously mixed, but after a few minutes they are completely separated. Emulsifiers keep two components that normally do not mix well together from separating. Because oil and vinegar are so chemically different, they can often be challenging to mix. As food scientists, if we want to overcome this challenge, we can add an emulsifier. Said in a different way? If water and oil were a fighting couple, an emulsifier would be the therapist that mends their relationship. Specifically, food scientists and producers use continuous stirring and sometimes heat to add emulsifiers to two previously unmixable components—helping to keep them together over the course of the final product’s lifetime. What foods contain emulsifiers? Emulsifiers can either be naturally present or added as additional ingredients. In the case of the highly stable emulsion of mayonnaise, an egg yolk protein called lecithin aids in stabilizing the oil, egg, and lemon juice mixture that is the foundation of mayonnaise. Lecithin […]

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Going Low-Fat? Here’s What Your Diet Might Be Missing

It’s no secret that low-carbohydrate diets have enjoyed the spotlight for the last several years, but another nutrient-specific diet has been on the scene for even longer: low-fat. For decades, “eating fat makes you fat” was widely viewed as a dieting mantra, tied largely to the fact that fat provides more calories per gram (nine) compared to the other macronutrients, protein and carbohydrates (which each provide four calories per gram). Though the tides have shifted in recent years and fat isn’t feared like it once was, low-fat diets are still heavily associated with weight loss and dieting culture. We’ve written about dietary fats on several occasions (and made this helpful video), but in this article, we’re taking a different approach: laying out exactly what your diet may be missing if you drastically cut back on fat. What is Fat and Why Do We Need It? Fats are an essential part of a healthy diet. They provide us with a major source of energy, help us absorb vitamins and facilitate communication between the cells in our body. Fats also contribute to our enjoyment of food by adding taste and texture, like the creaminess of ice cream or the flakiness of a pie crust. The fats we eat can be either saturated or unsaturated. Polyunsaturated (PUFA), monounsaturated (MUFA) and trans fatty acids are all considered to be unsaturated fats, which means that they have a double bond in their structure that causes a “kink” in the chain. As a result, unsaturated fats tend to be liquid at room temperature (think olive or vegetable oils) because the fatty acids can’t pack as tightly together. Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature because their fatty acids are able to pack tightly together. They’re found in foods like butter and other dairy products, fatty […]

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Nutrition 101 Video Series: Fundamentals of Fats

This is the first installment of a video series highlighting the basics of several nutrition topics in partnership with Osmosis, an organization that focuses on health science education. You can view a playlist of our video collaborations with Osmosis here. Fats are an essential part of a healthy diet—they’re involved in everything from providing us with a major source of energy, to helping us absorb vitamins, to refereeing communication between the cells in our bodies. As if these health benefits weren’t enough, fats also contribute to our enjoyment of food by adding taste and texture—like the smoothness of guacamole, or the flakiness of a croissant. The Basics of Dietary Fats: Chemical Structure and Naming Dietary fats usually have a three-carbon backbone—called glycerol—attached to one or more fatty acid chains, which are basically strings of carbon and hydrogen atoms. If there are three fatty acid chains, the structure is called a triglyceride. If there are only one or two fatty acid chains, the structure is called a monoglyceride or a diglyceride, respectively. There are various types of fatty acid chains, and one way to categorize them is by their length. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) have up to six carbon atoms. They can be found in dairy products and are also produced by our gut microbiome. Medium-chain fatty acids, like some of the fats found in coconut oil, have seven to 12 carbons. And long-chain fatty acids, like oleic acid in olive oil, have 13 or more carbon atoms in their fatty acid chains. Fatty acid chains are also categorized by whether they have single or double bonds connecting their carbon atoms. When a fatty acid has only single bonds, it’s called a saturated fatty acid because it has as many hydrogen atoms as possible—that is, it’s saturated with them! Triglycerides with […]

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