The journal was established in June 1925 as the quarterly Journal of the American Dietetic Association[1] and obtained its current name in January 2012 as part of an organization-wide name change.

[4] The journal bestows two awards each year honoring authors and researchers.

The Huddleson Award, named for Mary Pascoe Huddleson, editor of the journal from 1927 to 1946, honors a registered dietitian who was the lead author of a peer-reviewed article that made an important contribution to the dietetics profession and was published in the journal.

[6] The Monsen Award recognizes an academy member's body of research that encompasses a major component of his or her professional efforts and is published in a recognized peer-reviewed scientific journal.

This award is named after Elaine Monsen, editor emeritus of the journal, in recognition of her contribution to research literature in nutrition and dietetics throughout her 20 years as editor-in-chief.