Cover: Scientific American Nutrition for a Changing World: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 3rd Edition by Jamie Pope; Steven Nizielski

Scientific American Nutrition for a Changing World: Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Third Edition  ©2026 Jamie Pope; Steven Nizielski Formats: Achieve, E-book, Print

Authors

  • Headshot of Jamie Pope

    Jamie Pope

    Jamie Pope, MS, RDN, LDN, FAND, is Adjoint Assistant Professor in Nutritional Sciences in the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. She has been with Vanderbilt University since 1986, working in the areas of obesity research, weight management, health promotion, and heartdisease prevention and—for over 20 years—teaching introductory nutrition courses. Jamie’s popular course brought together undergraduate students from a wide range of majors to learn about the science of nutrition and its application to their personal and future professional lives. She was the recipient of the Faculty Innovation in Teaching Award in 2013. 


    Beyond the classroom,Jamie adapted portions of her Vanderbilt courses to produce an open online course on the Coursera learning platform, which attracted more than 175,000 students from all over the world. Outcomes and application of this online course to dietetic practice and nutrition education were published in the Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics and presented at theAcademy of Nutrition and Dietetics Food and Nutrition Exhibition and Conference. Based on her professional and scholarly contributions, she earned the status of Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in 2017. Jamie was honored with the Dietetic Educator Excellence award by her peers in 2021. She serves on the executive leadership committee for Nutrition Educators of Health Professionals dietetic practice group. Jamie has also served as corporate nutrition consultant, media representative, and scientific advisor for several national companies and corporations. Earlier in her career, Jamie coauthored several popular press books, including The T-Factor Fat Gram Counter, which remained for more than three yearson the New York Times best-sellers list. She has authored or contributed to numerous other scientific and lay press publications. Jamie cherishes time with her family and friends and loves listening to historical fiction novels while she takes long walks with her dogs.

  • Headshot of Steven Nizielski

    Steven Nizielski

    Steven Nizielski, MS, PhD, earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Minnesota in Wildlife Biology and assisted in research projects involving Siberian tigers and gray wolves before entering graduate school. He earned his Master’s and Doctoratedegrees at the University of Minnesota in nutrition, with an emphasis in biochemistry. He was an Associate Professor in Biomedical Sciences at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, for 19 years before retiring in 2020.

    In his more than 25 years of teaching he has taught courses in introductory, clinical, life cycle, sports nutrition, and exercise physiology, as well as advanced metabolism. Past research activities include investigating brown adipose tissue thermogenesis and changes in adipose tissue gene expression in response to aging and exercise, and evaluating the campus food environment. Steve is a member of the American Society for Nutrition and of the American Physiological Society. He is an avid cyclist and enjoys cross-country skiing, hiking, camping, and cooking.

Table of Contents

Product Updates

What’s New in the 3rd Edition

This edition coincides with the release of the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, with updates across every chapter reflecting the latest USDA recommendations and the most current nutrition science.

We’ve also refreshed all chapters with updated statistics, new research references, and revised graphics to enhance accessibility and visual appeal. Each chapter includes a new “New for This Edition” reference list, highlighting the most recent research and data.

Five chapters now feature new storylines that explore cutting-edge research and contemporary nutrition issues:

  • Chapter 1 – The Science and Scope of Nutrition: “Exploring the Science of Nutrition”
     Expanded discussion on how a mother’s diet around conception can influence her baby’s long-term health, featuring Dr. Robert Waterland’s groundbreaking epigenetic research in The Gambia.

  • Chapter 2 – Healthy Diets: “From Factory to Fork”
     Examines the latest research on ultra-processed foods and explores whether they can have a place in a healthy diet.

  • Chapter 3 – Digestion: “Invisible Allies”
     Introduces students to the human microbiome, explaining how gut microbes interact with diet and affect health.

  • Chapter 6 – Protein: “The Protein Craze”
     Investigates the rising popularity of high-protein diets and the flood of protein-enhanced foods and supplements in the marketplace.

  • Chapter 12 – Nutrition and Fitness: “Eating to Win”
     Follows Vanderbilt University’s sports dietitians as they apply the science of sports nutrition to help football players achieve peak performance and long-term health.

Enhanced Digital Learning Tools

Nutrition for a Changing World remains the only product in the course that integrates AnalyzeMyDiet, a diet tracker with personalized, auto-graded analysis activities—saving instructors hours of grading time while giving students actionable feedback.

New Getting Started: AnalyzeMyDiet Interactive Video Tutorials help students master the AnalyzeMyDiet Tracker and Smart Worksheet Activities. These videos include troubleshooting support and interactive checkpoints to reinforce understanding.

In the enhanced ePub edition, Interactive Video Assignments have replaced traditional animation quizzes. These videos turn assessment into an active learning experience: students engage with key concepts, answer unpenalized reflection questions, and receive immediate feedback—all designed to foster metacognition and deepen understanding.

The Result

With its storytelling approach, contemporary science, and powerful digital tools, Nutrition for a Changing World, 3rd Edition equips students to think critically about the food choices they make—and empowers instructors with a course experience that’s engaging, current, and easy to teach

Authors

  • Headshot of Jamie Pope

    Jamie Pope

    Jamie Pope, MS, RDN, LDN, FAND, is Adjoint Assistant Professor in Nutritional Sciences in the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. She has been with Vanderbilt University since 1986, working in the areas of obesity research, weight management, health promotion, and heartdisease prevention and—for over 20 years—teaching introductory nutrition courses. Jamie’s popular course brought together undergraduate students from a wide range of majors to learn about the science of nutrition and its application to their personal and future professional lives. She was the recipient of the Faculty Innovation in Teaching Award in 2013. 


    Beyond the classroom,Jamie adapted portions of her Vanderbilt courses to produce an open online course on the Coursera learning platform, which attracted more than 175,000 students from all over the world. Outcomes and application of this online course to dietetic practice and nutrition education were published in the Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics and presented at theAcademy of Nutrition and Dietetics Food and Nutrition Exhibition and Conference. Based on her professional and scholarly contributions, she earned the status of Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in 2017. Jamie was honored with the Dietetic Educator Excellence award by her peers in 2021. She serves on the executive leadership committee for Nutrition Educators of Health Professionals dietetic practice group. Jamie has also served as corporate nutrition consultant, media representative, and scientific advisor for several national companies and corporations. Earlier in her career, Jamie coauthored several popular press books, including The T-Factor Fat Gram Counter, which remained for more than three yearson the New York Times best-sellers list. She has authored or contributed to numerous other scientific and lay press publications. Jamie cherishes time with her family and friends and loves listening to historical fiction novels while she takes long walks with her dogs.

  • Headshot of Steven Nizielski

    Steven Nizielski

    Steven Nizielski, MS, PhD, earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Minnesota in Wildlife Biology and assisted in research projects involving Siberian tigers and gray wolves before entering graduate school. He earned his Master’s and Doctoratedegrees at the University of Minnesota in nutrition, with an emphasis in biochemistry. He was an Associate Professor in Biomedical Sciences at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, for 19 years before retiring in 2020.

    In his more than 25 years of teaching he has taught courses in introductory, clinical, life cycle, sports nutrition, and exercise physiology, as well as advanced metabolism. Past research activities include investigating brown adipose tissue thermogenesis and changes in adipose tissue gene expression in response to aging and exercise, and evaluating the campus food environment. Steve is a member of the American Society for Nutrition and of the American Physiological Society. He is an avid cyclist and enjoys cross-country skiing, hiking, camping, and cooking.

Table of Contents

Product Updates

What’s New in the 3rd Edition

This edition coincides with the release of the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, with updates across every chapter reflecting the latest USDA recommendations and the most current nutrition science.

We’ve also refreshed all chapters with updated statistics, new research references, and revised graphics to enhance accessibility and visual appeal. Each chapter includes a new “New for This Edition” reference list, highlighting the most recent research and data.

Five chapters now feature new storylines that explore cutting-edge research and contemporary nutrition issues:

  • Chapter 1 – The Science and Scope of Nutrition: “Exploring the Science of Nutrition”
     Expanded discussion on how a mother’s diet around conception can influence her baby’s long-term health, featuring Dr. Robert Waterland’s groundbreaking epigenetic research in The Gambia.

  • Chapter 2 – Healthy Diets: “From Factory to Fork”
     Examines the latest research on ultra-processed foods and explores whether they can have a place in a healthy diet.

  • Chapter 3 – Digestion: “Invisible Allies”
     Introduces students to the human microbiome, explaining how gut microbes interact with diet and affect health.

  • Chapter 6 – Protein: “The Protein Craze”
     Investigates the rising popularity of high-protein diets and the flood of protein-enhanced foods and supplements in the marketplace.

  • Chapter 12 – Nutrition and Fitness: “Eating to Win”
     Follows Vanderbilt University’s sports dietitians as they apply the science of sports nutrition to help football players achieve peak performance and long-term health.

Enhanced Digital Learning Tools

Nutrition for a Changing World remains the only product in the course that integrates AnalyzeMyDiet, a diet tracker with personalized, auto-graded analysis activities—saving instructors hours of grading time while giving students actionable feedback.

New Getting Started: AnalyzeMyDiet Interactive Video Tutorials help students master the AnalyzeMyDiet Tracker and Smart Worksheet Activities. These videos include troubleshooting support and interactive checkpoints to reinforce understanding.

In the enhanced ePub edition, Interactive Video Assignments have replaced traditional animation quizzes. These videos turn assessment into an active learning experience: students engage with key concepts, answer unpenalized reflection questions, and receive immediate feedback—all designed to foster metacognition and deepen understanding.

The Result

With its storytelling approach, contemporary science, and powerful digital tools, Nutrition for a Changing World, 3rd Edition equips students to think critically about the food choices they make—and empowers instructors with a course experience that’s engaging, current, and easy to teach

Real Science. Real Stories. Real-World Relevance.

Where science meets storytelling.

Written and illustrated in the engaging, journalistic style of Scientific American, Nutrition for a Changing World connects students to the science of nutrition through real stories, real people, and real discoveries. Each chapter opens with a compelling narrative that brings the latest nutrition research to life, while stunning visuals and dynamic infographics help students see—and understand—how nutrition impacts health and well-being.

Now fully updated to align with the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the Third Edition reflects the most current science, refreshed graphics, and new data throughout. Five chapters debut brand-new storylines exploring cutting-edge topics—from epigenetics and the human microbiome to ultra-processed foods, protein trends, and sports nutrition.

In Achieve, Nutrition for a Changing World continues to lead the way with AnalyzeMyDiet, diet tracker and with personalized, auto-graded assignments. New interactive tutorials, video-based assessments, and instant feedback turn learning into an active, reflective experience—saving instructors time while deepening student understanding.

The result: a course that’s engaging, evidence-based, and designed for today’s students—connecting the science of nutrition to the choices we make every day.

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