March is National Nutrition Month – a time to recognize the registered dietitians (RDs) who help us make sense of what’s on our plates. RDs are the experts and trusted voices in food and nutrition science.
That’s why we engage RDs—to understand what information and materials they are looking for and to provide accurate, science‑based facts and data about real sugar, including its plant origins and many roles in foods, so they can share with the people who count on their guidance.
We connect with them in a variety of ways: through farm and factory tours, conferences, educational materials, webinars, and newsletters.
Seeing is Believing
Our favorite way to engage with RDs and help them build a deeper understanding is to show them exactly where real sugar begins: on the farm. Our Farm‑to‑Table influencer tours provide nutrition professionals an up‑close look at how sugarbeets and sugarcane and are grown, harvested, and processed. Seeing the process with their own eyes—from the field to the familiar bag on the grocery shelf—helps them address common questions with clarity and confidence.
Building on our successful tour to Bay City with Michigan Sugar in October 2024, this January we visited some sugarcane with U.S. Sugar in Clewiston, Florida for our fifth Farm-to-Table influencer tour. We welcomed RDs for two days of hands‑on, boots‑on‑the‑ground learning about how sugarcane is cultivated and transformed into the real sugar consumers know.
Participants explored sugarcane fields, observed harvesting equipment in action, and met growers and agronomists who steward the crop from planting to cutting. At the mill, they followed the step‑by‑step process—watching raw juice become crystallized sugar—and had the opportunity to ask technical questions directly to the engineers and scientists who oversee production. Many RDs told us that physically seeing the refining steps demystified a process that is often misunderstood or misrepresented online.
The dietitians spent two days learning directly from the farmers and experts who grow and process real sugar. We shared highlights on our social channels (@moretosugar), and participants shared their own insights with their audiences.
The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. One RD told her followers, “I wish I could take you all on the tour with me!” Another participant noted, “Seeing how many people are involved and how passionate they are was so inspiring.” And perhaps the most powerful indicator of impact came from the RD who said, “Now that I’ve seen the process, it will be so much easier to educate my community… and really explain what refining means.”
These tours help nutrition professionals cut through confusion and better communicate real sugar’s simple, plant‑based origins. They also spark conversations that ripple outward—ultimately helping consumers better understand what real sugar truly is (and isn’t).
On the Road with Real Sugar: Connecting with Nutrition Professionals Nationwide
Our engagement doesn’t stop on the farm. Each year, we exhibit at major nutrition conferences across the country to connect directly with nutrition professionals, share science‑based resources and listen to what’s on their minds.
In 2025, we participated in three key conferences, including the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) in Nashville—one of the largest gatherings of nutrition professionals in the world. At these events, we introduce RDs to resources created in collaboration with nutrition experts, such as our RD Toolkit and other educational materials that explain sugar, added sugars, and sweeteners in clear, practical ways.
But the real value of these conferences lies in the conversations. Hearing what RDs are curious about helps us stay plugged into emerging trends—whether it’s questions about non-nutritive sweeteners, changes in dietary guidance, or how best to communicate about sugar in the context of overall eating patterns. These discussions also lead to lasting relationships with professionals who help enhance our materials, host webinars, and support our broader educational efforts.
Keeping RDs Informed Year‑Round
Nutrition guidance doesn’t pause between conferences—and neither do we. Clients and patients ask questions, new research emerges, and misinformation spreads on social media. That’s why our engagement doesn’t stop at in-person events. Throughout the year, we reach thousands of RDs through continuing education webinars, newsletters, sponsored email placements, and digital resources on our site www.sugar.org, designed to keep the latest science at their fingertips.
Empowering Trusted Voices to Share the Real Story of Sugar
We’ll continue to engage with RDs because they are the credible messengers consumers rely on for nutrition information. Real sugar is real food – one that plays important roles in cooking, preservation, and enjoyment across many nutritious, everyday foods. As we celebrate National Nutrition Month, we’re committed to supporting the dietitians and nutrition professionals who help Americans make informed, balanced choices every day.
(Our educational resources are available at: https://www.sugar.org/resources)
Originally published in Sugar Producer – March 2026
Get Social with #MoreToSugar