Food Science: Meat, Poultry, & Fish

From RD Exam Ready Podcast by Zak Kaesberg MS, RD

March 9, 2026 · 25 min

About this episode

Zak reviews key concepts about meat, poultry, and fish for the RD Exam.

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak reviews the key concepts you need to know about meat, poultry, and fish for the RD Exam. You’ll walk through the physical and chemical properties of these foods, their nutrient content, and how structures like muscle, connective tissue, collagen, elastin, and marbling impact tenderness and cooking methods. The episode also covers USDA inspection versus grading, beef and poultry grading systems, and the common cooking methods used for different cuts of meat and types of seafood. Zak explains when to use moist heat versus dry heat cooking and how tenderness, connective tissue, and fat content influence preparation methods. Join the RD Exam Ready email list here: http://eepurl.com/jvGxaA When you subscribe, you’ll get notified about new podcast episodes, upcoming YouTube Live review sessions, and receive PDF notes from live sessions sent 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

People in this episode

Host: Zak Kaesberg MS, RD

Topics covered

meat science
poultry
fish
cooking methods
nutrient content
food properties

Keywords

meat
poultry
fish
cooking methods
USDA grading
nutrient content
tenderness
collagen
elastin
marbling

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: USDA