CDRE study guide
CDRE · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Certified Dietary Manager (CDM) credential, administered by the Certifying Board for Dietary Managers, signals that a foodservice professional can run nutrition care and foodservice operations in settings such as nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living, schools, and correctional facilities. Candidates are typically cooks, foodservice supervisors, or nutrition staff moving into management, and many complete a board-approved training program before sitting the exam. The CDRE study guide has 7 sections and about 1,742 words.
01Nutrition and Food Science
Candidates must be able to move fluently between nutrient classes (macronutrients: carbohydrate, protein, lipid; micronutrients: vitamins and minerals), energy yield factors (carbohydrate 4 kcal/g, protein 4 kcal/g, fat 9 kcal/g, alcohol 7 kcal/g), and the dietary reference intakes (Estimated Average Requirement, Recommended Dietary Allowance, Adequate Intake, Tolerable Upper Intake Level). Know digestion and absorption sites, the role of fiber and glycemic response, protein quality (complete vs.
307 words, about 2 min02Food Service Systems and Operations
Understand the continuum of production systems: conventional (cook-serve), cook-chill, cook-freeze, sous-vide, and assembly/serve, and how each affects labor, equipment, shelf life, and nutrient retention. Know the flow of food through a operation: purchasing, receiving, storage, pre-preparation, production, holding, service, and waste.
241 words, about 1 min03Sanitation, Safety, and Environmental Management
Know the biological, chemical, and physical hazard categories and the five-step HACCP logic: hazard analysis, critical control points, critical limits, monitoring, corrective action, verification, and recordkeeping. Understand the temperature danger zone (41 to 135 F), the two-hour/four-hour cumulative rule, cooling from 135 to 70 F within two hours and to 41 F within six total hours, and reheating to 165 F.
281 words, about 1 min04Human Resource Management and Supervision
Understand recruitment, selection, orientation, training, scheduling, performance appraisal, and progressive discipline. Know the difference between a job description (tasks) and a job specification (qualifications).
224 words, about 1 min05Financial Management and Business Operations
Know the components of an operating statement: revenue, food and labor cost, other controllable expenses, and profit. Understand food cost percentage (cost of food sold divided by food sales), labor cost percentage, prime cost, contribution margin, break-even analysis, and the difference between fixed and variable costs.
255 words, about 1 min06Regulatory Compliance and Quality Assurance
Understand the regulatory framework: food safety regulations, inspection and permitting, labeling requirements, temperature and date-marking rules, and allergen disclosure. Know quality assurance tools: standards, specifications, audits, sensory evaluation, and continuous improvement cycles.
223 words, about 1 min07Education, Training, and Professional Development
Understand adult learning principles: relevance, immediate application, active practice, feedback, and respect for prior experience. Know how to write measurable learning objectives using action verbs and how to select methods (demonstration, job rotation, simulation, self-study) matched to the objective.
211 words, about 1 min