Todays Dietitian – March-April 2026

Summary

Today's Dietitian Vol. 28 No. 2 puts compensation front and centre: "The Fight for Fair Wages — RDs Speak Up About Compensation" (p.24) reports that the median RD salary still lags behind comparable healthcare professions by roughly 20%, citing data from the 2025 Compensation & Benefits Survey. The March/April 2026 Conference Issue also delivers a new consensus on dietary therapy for IBD, profiles 10 remarkable RDs in its annual TD10 feature, and offers a CPE Monthly on Alpha-Gal Syndrome — a tick-borne red-meat allergy that is sending more patients to outpatient nutrition clinics each quarter.

The IBD consensus (p.30) marks the first time major gastroenterology and dietetics organisations have agreed on a unified dietary framework for Crohn's and ulcerative colitis, ending the confusion between the CDED, IBD-AID, and SCD protocols. "TD10" (p.34) spotlights ten dietitians under 40 who are leading innovation in areas from prison nutrition to paediatric oncology. The CPE on Alpha-Gal Syndrome (p.40) covers mammalian-meat elimination, hidden ingredient sources, and the nutrition implications of a diagnosis that patients find bewildering. Regular columns include "Cultural Foodways" (p.8), exploring the Stone-Smart Diet for kidney health, and "LTC Concerns" (p.20) on hydration protocols in skilled-nursing facilities.

The issue's "FYI" department (p.18) flags a pending CMS rule change that could expand MNT reimbursement to pre-diabetes — a development every outpatient RD should track. "Trend Watch" (p.46) notes the rise of plant-based deli meats and the formulation challenges manufacturers face. Subscribers looking for ammo in salary negotiations or a clear IBD diet framework will find both in a single issue.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Story / Professional Advocacy

p.24 · The Fight for Fair Wages
A 6-page investigation into the pay gap between clinical RDs and physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists. The article includes salary tables by region, practice setting, and years of experience from the 2025 survey. Readers finish with a script for asking their director for a market-adjustment raise.

▸ Clinical Practice

p.30 · A New Consensus on Dietary Therapy for IBD
Four gastroenterologists and three RDs reconcile the Crohn's Disease Exclusion Diet, the IBD-AID diet, and the Specific Carbohydrate Diet into a stepped approach. The algorithm starts with exclusive enteral nutrition for severe cases and progresses to a whole-foods elimination framework. Practitioners can adopt this protocol in their next IBD appointment.

p.40 · CPE Monthly: Alpha-Gal Syndrome
A 2-CE course covering the IgE-mediated allergy to galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, triggered by lone-star tick bites. The authors list hidden mammalian ingredients in gelatin, glycerin, and magnesium stearate that patients miss. RDs leave with a client handout that explains label-reading for Alpha-Gal.

▸ Annual Feature

p.34 · TD10 — Ten Remarkable RDs Under 40
Profiles of dietitians working in food-bank systems, oncology private practice, correctional nutrition, and AI-driven meal planning. Each profile includes the RD's salary range and career path. The takeaway is a concrete sense of where the profession is heading — and what it pays at the leading edge.

▸ Regulars

p.8 · Cultural Foodways — The Stone-Smart Diet
A column examining traditional diets from the Mediterranean and Mesoamerica that happen to align with kidney-stone prevention guidelines. The author provides a sample low-oxalate Mexican meal plan. Practical for any RD counselling renal patients who miss their cultural foods.

p.50 · Culinary Corner — Batch Cooking for RDs
A short piece with five freezer-friendly recipes designed for dietitians who work 10-hour clinical shifts. Each recipe meets renal-friendly and lower-sodium criteria. The prep-time estimates range from 15 to 25 minutes, making the column genuinely useful rather than aspirational.

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Editor's Take

This is the issue every RD should hand their administrator. The wages feature is data-heavy, source-cited, and actionable — it gives dietitians the numbers they need to make a compensation case. The IBD consensus alone is worth the cover price, because it finally replaces the protocol-guessing game with an evidence-based algorithm. TD10 profiles are genuinely inspiring without being saccharine. The weakness is in the "FYI" and "Trend Watch" departments: combined they run only 3 pages, and the CMS rule-change item deserves more than a brief mention. Also, the Alpha-Gal CPE, while timely, repeats content that appeared in Dietetics Today 18 months ago. Still, a conference issue with this much clinical heft is rare.

Strengths
• Salary data gives RDs a concrete negotiation tool
• IBD consensus algorithm ends years of protocol confusion
• TD10 profiles show real career diversity and pay bands

Weaknesses
• CMS MNT expansion news buried in 3-page FYI section
• Alpha-Gal CPE overlaps with recent competitor coverage

Verdict: Essential — The wages and IBD features alone make this the most practically valuable issue of the year for clinical RDs.