Exam Room Nutrition: Practical Nutrition for Healthcare Professionals
Nutrition advice is everywhere. Your patients need help sorting through misinformation, and you need practical guidance for communicating nutrition clearly and compassionately. Exam Room Nutrition is the podcast for physician associates, registered dietitians, and healthcare professionals who want to stay current on nutrition and feel more confident counseling patients. Hosted by Colleen Sloan, PA-C, RDN, each episode breaks down evidence-based topics including pediatric nutrition, weight management, diabetes, supplements, sports nutrition, and more. You’ll learn how to translate the evidence into realistic recommendations without judgment, shame, or overwhelming your patients.
Whether you are a PA strengthening your nutrition knowledge or an RD sharpening your counseling skills, Exam Room Nutrition will help you bring practical, compassionate nutrition care into every patient conversation.
Exam Room Nutrition: Practical Nutrition for Healthcare Professionals
139 | The New Food Pyramid: Experts React to the Dietary Guidelines
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The 2026 Dietary Guidelines for Americans just dropped and the new upside-down food pyramid caused quite the chatter online this week.
In this special Nutrition Newsroom roundtable, Colleen Sloan, PA, RDN, brings together nine nutrition experts to break down what the new guidelines actually are (and what they’re not), what stayed the same, what changed, and what’s missing.
You’ll hear respectful disagreement, real-world clinical concerns, and practical talking points you can use the next time a patient says, “So… butter is healthy now?”
Here’s what we discuss:
- What the Dietary Guidelines are designed to do and how they’re created. Plus what was different about the 2026 process
- Why the new pyramid graphic is creating mixed messages for clinicians and consumers
- The most controversial updates: saturated fat, full-fat dairy, added sugar guidance for kids, new protein targets, and alcohol recommendations
- How to translate all of this into patient-friendly counseling without fearmongering or food shaming
- What experts say the guidelines missed: fiber, cultural diversity, access/affordability, and community surrounding meals
What are your thoughts on the new guideline?
Resources:
Dietary Guideline Advisory Committee Process
Scientific Foundation for the New Guidelines
Connect with the experts:
Any Questions? Send Me a Message
Connect with Colleen:
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LinkedIn
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Disclaimer: This podcast is a collection of ideas, strategies, and opinions of the author(s). Its goal is to provide useful information on each of the topics shared within. It is not intended to provide medical, health, or professional consultation or to diagnosis-specific weight or feeding challenges. The author(s) advises the reader to always consult with appropriate health, medical, and professional consultants for support for individual children and family situations. The author(s) do not take responsibility for the personal or other risks, loss, or liability incurred as a direct or indirect consequence of the application or use of information provided. All opinions stated in this podcast are my own and do not reflect the opinions of my employer.
