CDN Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the CDN exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 CDN Exam Format at a Glance
📚 CDN Topics to Study (69)
✍️ Sample CDN Questions & Answers
1. A Haitian patient refuses to eat certain hospital foods, stating they are 'cold' foods inappropriate during illness. The dietitian's best action is to:
Understanding and accommodating Haitian hot-cold food beliefs while meeting nutritional needs demonstrates cultural competency.
2. A food service audit reveals a consistent 15% plate waste rate in a long-term care facility. What is the BEST first step to address this?
Conducting a systematic plate waste analysis identifies which foods, meals, or resident groups contribute most to waste before implementing interventions.
3. The Maillard reaction in food processing primarily affects which nutrients?
The Maillard reaction between reducing sugars and amino acids (especially lysine) during heating creates browning compounds and reduces the bioavailability of lysine.
4. A critically ill patient requires enteral nutrition but has high gastric residual volumes (GRVs). The MOST appropriate next step is to:
Post-pyloric (jejunal) feeding bypasses the stomach and reduces aspiration risk when high GRVs indicate impaired gastric motility.
5. The Healthy People initiative sets national health objectives on a how many year cycle?
Healthy People sets 10-year national health objectives; current edition is Healthy People 2030.
6. Food deserts are characterized primarily by:
Food deserts are areas with limited access to affordable and nutritious food, often in low-income urban or rural communities.