The 7 Best Dietitian-Led Podcasts for Free, Trustworthy Nutrition Advice

Navigating the nutrition space is challenging, to say the least. Nutrition science is constantly changing, making it nearly impossible to keep up. Couple that with diet culture, and it'll leave your head spinning when all you want is honest nutrition advice.

While the best way to navigate the field of nutrition (especially your own personal needs) is to work with a registered dietitian, that's not always possible for everyone. You might also just want to hear what the experts have to say about food science, body positivity, sports nutrition and intuitive eating — or all of the above — without meeting one-on-one.

With the help of registered dietitians Katherine Brooking, RD and Jessica Jones, RDN, we've rounded up some of the best nutrition podcasts led by dietitians that offer reliable (and free!) intel.

First off, you'll want to check the host's credentials. If they're talking about nutrition science, there should be "RD" after their name, which signifies "registered dietitian."

Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist, but nutritionists don't have the rigorous training or background in nutrition and dietetics that registered dietitians do. Registered dietitians, Brooking says, must:

• Complete a four-year degree that includes a specially designed, accredited nutrition curriculum
• Complete an extensive supervised program of practice at a healthcare facility, foodservice organization or community agency
• Pass a registration exam
• Maintain continuing education credits while they are practicing
  

It's also important to choose a podcast that focuses on evidence-based research, says Jones, who's the co-host of the ​Food Heaven​ podcast. (That, she says, will usually go hand-in-hand with an RD host.)

Once you've narrowed your choices down to those led by registered dietitians, check out the topics and find ones that are interesting to you and speak to your nutrition goals, Jones says.

And like any time you tune into a show or work with a clinician, you have to like their vibe, Jones says. "Personality is a big part of it," she says, adding that interview style and podcast format matter, too.

Here are seven nutrition-focused podcasts that check all of the boxes.

Hosted by Mary Purdy, RD, ​The Nutrition Show​ offers up — dare we say — easy-to-digest tips and advice about general nutrition topics and healthy eating.

Purdy, who has an extensive background in natural health, covers timely topics, including nutrition and COVID-19, and the effect of our diets on climate change.

"​The Nutrition Show​ addresses trending topics in a straightforward and evidenced-based way," Brooking says.

Registered dietitian and runner host Heather Caplan, RDN, gets real with nutrition on her highly recommended podcast, ​RD Real Talk​.

The anti-diet dietitian covers topics including intuitive eating, body image, eating disorder treatments and sports nutrition. While the majority of her guests are other dietitians, Caplan also interviews journalists, therapists and physicians.

Jess Cording, RD, explores diet and health trends and emphasizes the importance of wellness with ​Drama-Free Healthy Living​.

Cording, also a writer and recipe developer, speaks with a range of guests, including foodies, yoga instructors and holistic practitioners.

Like Caplan's ​RD Real Talk​, Christy Harrison, RD, tackles heavy subjects in the nutrition world, including people's relationships with food, body image, weight and the damage of diet culture.

​Food Psych​ focuses on stories of people who are unlearning lessons of unhealthy eating behaviors.

Christyna Johnson, RD, calls herself the "Encouraging Dietitian," and in a world of body-shaming, that really is comforting, isn't it?

In her podcast, ​Intuitive Eating for the Culture​, Johnson uses her personal story of overcoming disordered eating, negative body image and anxiety to help inspire others when it comes to food choices and their self-image.

​Food Heaven​ co-hosts Jones and Wendy Lopez, RD, emphasize the importance of a sustainable, inclusive path to wellness. They interview guests on topics that fall outside direct nutrition, including sleep, PMS and body image issues.

As for the latter topic, "So many people — men and women — struggle with weight and body image," Brooking says of the importance of these types of podcasts. "It's important to address the physiological components of weight loss as well as the psychological issues around weight and body image."

Registered dietitian Rebecca Scritchfield's podcast ​Body Kindness​, as its name suggests, emphasizes the importance of body acceptance.

"​Body Kindness​ is a very supportive podcast that emphasizes self-acceptance as a pathway to a healthier life," Brooking says. "Rebecca devotes a lot of time exploring our relationships to food in a way I believe can really encourage healthy changes."

Scritchfield interviews guests from all walks of life such as Bernie Salazar, who was the "At Home" winner of Season Five of NBC's ​The Biggest Loser​.