RD exam (RD/RDN): Registration Examination for Dietitians

What is the main purpose of the sodium nitrite added to cured ham?

Choose a letter. The key opens with a short note under each of the choices.

1. APromoting Maillard browning during cookingCheck

   Maillard browning comes from reducing sugars and amino groups under dry heat; nitrite takes no part in it, and the cured pink color is a separate reaction.
2. BLowering the sodium content of the hamCheck

   Sodium nitrite brings a little sodium of its own, so it cannot lower the sodium of the ham; reduced-sodium cures use salt substitutes instead.
3. CInhibiting C. botulinum and fixing pink colorCheck

   Nitrite blocks the germination of Clostridium botulinum spores and binds myoglobin into the stable pink cured pigment, the two jobs it does in ham.
4. DIncreasing water retention and the cooked yieldCheck

   Water binding and a higher cooked yield come from salt and added phosphates; nitrite is used at levels far too low to hold water.

During a follow-up nutrition-focused physical exam, where should the dietitian look for loss of muscle?

1. ATriceps skinfoldCheck

   The triceps area is pinched to judge subcutaneous fat, so it answers a question about fat stores, not muscle.
2. BTemporal regionCheck

   The temporal region, over the temporalis muscle, is a standard NFPE site for muscle wasting; hollowing there signals lost muscle mass.
3. COrbital fat padsCheck

   Hollow, dark circles under the eyes reflect loss of the orbital fat pads, which is a fat finding rather than a muscle finding.
4. DBuccal fat padsCheck

   Flattened cheeks point to depleted buccal fat pads, another subcutaneous fat site that is easy to mistake for facial muscle.

When writing a new cycle menu, which item category should the planner schedule first?

1. AEntréesCheck

   Entrées are the costliest items and set the color, texture, and flavor pattern of each meal, so the rest of the cycle is built around them.
2. BStarches and vegetablesCheck

   Starches and vegetables are chosen next to complement the entrée; planning them first can force mismatched or costly main dishes.
3. CDessertsCheck

   Desserts are among the last items planned, picked to balance a meal whose heavier parts are already fixed.
4. DSaladsCheck

   Salads are fitted in after the main plate to add color and contrast, so they follow the plan rather than lead it.

A school food authority wants to credit a commercial breaded chicken product toward the meat/meat alternate component of a reimbursable lunch. Which documentation is required?

1. AThe product's Nutrition Facts panel and ingredient listCheck

   The Nutrition Facts panel lists grams of protein, but it cannot show how much creditable meat is in a breaded product.
2. BThe distributor's specification sheet and price quoteCheck

   A specification sheet and a quote describe the item for purchasing; neither is accepted as crediting documentation for a reimbursable meal.
3. CA certificate of analysis for protein content from the vendorCheck

   A protein analysis cannot separate meat from breading, binders, or nonmeat protein, so it does not establish a crediting amount.
4. DA Child Nutrition label or a product formulation statementCheck

   Only a CN label or a signed product formulation statement shows how many ounce equivalents of meat/meat alternate one serving supplies, which is what crediting needs.