September 2026 Newsletter, White Label Newsletter, and Toolkit
Happy September!
Hope you are enjoying all of your new tools.
A new Member Dashboard. Your libraries, videos, recipes, calculators, health calendar, linked handouts, and this newsletter now live together in one home base.
Faster searching. The Handout Library and the PowerPoint Library each now have a search box. We added and refreshed hundreds of handouts, bringing the collection to more than 1,650.
More PowerPoint shows, across many new categories. They are searchable, and you can see them in each category, too.
Stir It Up is heating up. Our cooking video series keeps growing and is a member favorite. Play the videos in your classes or at events.
Eight new health calculators, built just for members: BMI, calorie needs, hydration, blood pressure, cholesterol, a heart risk score, the CDC Prediabetes Risk Test, and a MyPlate daily score.
Your September toolkit is below. We hope you are ready for fall.
Cheers!
Judy
PS Have a comment, request, or question? Email me!
Preview This Month
This Month’s Articles
Fall is a favorite time of year for local produce! You get the tail end of summer plus a whole new batch of squash, apples, and pears coming into season!
A recently published large data analysis in the open-access journal BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health finds that eating more beans and soy foods may help reduce the chance of developing high blood pressure.
If it's been a little while since you last poked around your member area, you're in for a surprise. We've spent the last stretch rebuilding, expanding, and streamlining almost everything you use week to week — from the handout library to the calculators to how you print a lesson for class. Here's the full rundown.
If you’ve ever known someone with pre-diabetes, they may have been told that weight loss will lower their blood sugar. While research still supports this advice, a recent study suggests that lifestyle and diet changes alone may move the needle. 1, 2
Sparkling water is everywhere right now, and it's easy to see why: it's a calorie-free swap for soda and sweetened drinks. A recent study looked at whether the fizz itself might also give blood sugar and metabolism a boost. The short answer: maybe a little, but not enough to make a real difference on its own.
Summer is a great time to enjoy the outdoors, but too much sun and heat can lead to sunburn, dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. A few simple habits can help keep you healthy all season long.
Quinoa is a quick-cooking whole grain, and the Instapot makes it even easier — no watching the stove, no guessing when it's done.
No crust, no added sugar — just ripe peaches doing the work
The trick to this pie is patience, not sugar. Letting peaches ripen fully on the counter concentrates their natural sweetness to the point that no added sugar is needed at all. Skip the crust, skip the sugar, and let ripe fruit and a hot oven do the rest.
This Month’s Recipes

Chicken Lentil Veggie Soup
This huge pot of soup will be a hit every time you serve it! It is made from leftover roasted chicken, lentils, wild rice, and veggies.
Ingredients
- 2 cups lentils
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup wild rice or brown rice
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 3 stalks celery, sliced
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 can garbanzo beans
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- pinch red pepper
- 2 cups chicken meat, boneless, skinless
- 1 cup arugula or spinach
Instructions
- Place the lentils, broth, celery, carrots, and seasonings in a large Dutch oven style pot or soup pot. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, garbanzo beans, greens, and chicken. Cook for another 20 minutes.
- Serve hot.
- Refrigerate or freeze leftovers.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
271Fat
3 gSat. Fat
1 gCarbs
42 gFiber
14 gNet carbs
28 gSugar
4 gProtein
22 gSodium
250 mgCholesterol
16 mgDid you make this recipe?

Kale and Apple Salad
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale, rinsed, stems removed, sliced thin
- 1 apple, diced
- 1 cup mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the kale, rinse under cold running water in colander, pat dry and reserve.
- Slice the apples.
- Make the dressing: smash the berries in a large mixing bowl with a potato masher or fork. Add the oil and vineger and mix smooth.
- Toss the kale with the dressing, mixing well.
- Top with the apples.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to a day.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
87.32Fat
4.31 gSat. Fat
0.57 gCarbs
12.52 gFiber
3.46 gNet carbs
9.04 gSugar
8.3 gProtein
1.23 gSodium
66.97 mgCholesterol
0 mgDid you make this recipe?
From The Blog:
Here is a shopping list for foods to keep your brain powered and your mental health looking positive.
September Nutrition Education Resource Roundup - Over 60 New Products, free Handout Hub filled to the brim, September Hidden Sugar handout and special discount
If you have spent any time on social media lately, you have probably seen dense bean salads. These hearty salads are packed with beans, vegetables, herbs, and flavorful dressings, creating a nutrient-rich meal that can be made ahead and enjoyed for several days. Unlike leafy green salads that wilt quickly, dense bean salads actually improve as they sit, allowing the flavors to blend together.
Ancient grains are appearing in everything from ancient grain bread to snack foods. Are they worth the premium cost, or can affordable staples help you reach your whole-grain goals?
Staying physically active as a family can be a fun and rewarding way to build healthy habits and strengthen family bonds. Here are some ideas to help your family stay active together:
The updated Nutrition Standards for School Meals are rolling out on a schedule, and the biggest milestone is closer than it looks. The headline changes — the first-ever limit on added sugars across the week and the next reduction in sodium — take full effect in School Year 2027-28, beginning July 1, 2027. For directors planning menus, budgets, and vendor contracts, that is not a far-off deadline. It is the school year you are buying for now.
Here is a chart of all common sources of protein both animal and plant. It has a few surprises. Plant protein is lower in calories and higher in fiber. It is also lower in cost in most cases. Here is a printable PDF handout on protein comparisons as well as the original excel file so you can make changes. #eatrightPROnutrimag #makeevverybitecount #healthydoesnthavetobehard #simplehealth #funcionalwellness #wholewellness #wholebodyhealth #MyPlate #OnMyPlate #ChooseMyPlate #MyPlateStartSimplePROnutrimag!
"Ultra-processed" is everywhere right now — in headlines, on social media, and in your clients' questions. But the term gets used so loosely that it causes more anxiety than action. Here's the clear, balanced version you can share with clients, students, and patients with links to our dietitian’s article and PDF handout.
We just launched a free Nutrition Crossword Puzzle Maker, and it's built for exactly that moment. Type in your own words and clues — whatever you're teaching that day, whether it's MyPlate food groups, hydration, label reading, or anything else — and the tool instantly builds a complete, interlocking crossword puzzle around them, numbered clues and all.
Preventing Cyclosporiasis: Wash your produce. Refrigerate your leftovers. Good habits — but neither one stops Cyclospora, and cases are running high this summer. Here's what actually protects you, plus a free handout for your clients.
Free printable low-sodium grocery list. Aisle-by-aisle PDF with foods to buy, foods to skip, and the label rule that does most of the work. No sign-up required.
The USDA's new food pyramid is upside down. Here's what changed, what didn't, and free printable handouts for your clients — no sign-up required.
Here are 12 plated salad presentation ideas from a professional chef whose passion is to cook healthy and make a lot of salads.
Cooking Demo Tool Kit:
These 15 strategies for smoother cooking demos are very easy to do and they will make your next one make you feel like a star!
There are many ways to add flavor to tea without sugar, but many people still think of it as a bitter and unpalatable drink. End the misconceptions by demonstrating just how easy it is to make delicious iced tea at home...
White whole wheat flour is super versatile and a real crowd-pleaser. Check out how it adds the perfect whole grain boost to these tasty chicken calzones!
Today I took some of the key messages from one of our most popular posts of all time (Teaching a Cooking Class: Tips and Tricks) and turned them into a colorful infographic for your perusal...
It’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month, and what better way to celebrate than with a bright new strawberry dessert? Whipped cream, mango puree, and strawberries fresh from the market all come together to make this show-stopping dessert, which is topped with toasted almonds and freshly-chopped mint.
Are you ready to take your cooking demonstrations to the next level? In this post, I detail my cooking demo background and highlight some new ways to help students be creative.
NEW From Our Store:
Use code MEMBER15 for 15% off plus free shipping
Nutrition Education Store
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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII discovered her love of cooking at her grandmother's side, stirring raisin oatmeal on a Saturday morning. By 15 she had her first food service job. At 18 she was accepted to the Culinary Institute of America, where she graduated second in her class, then went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland to study pastry arts and baking. A decade with Hyatt Hotels followed before she founded Food and Health Communications with a single conviction: food that is good for you should taste extraordinary.
Judy holds a Master of Professional Studies in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, a Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales University (Summa Cum Laude), two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and the CIA's Pro Chef II certification. She has earned the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year award.
Today she develops every recipe on this site, shoots and styles food through her food photography and motion studio, and publishes nutrition education materials for dietitians, schools, extension offices, and health professionals through nutritioneducationstore.com. She uses the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to drive her creativity — whether that means a new twist on fajitas or Italian brownies made with toasted nuts and cooked honey. Her mission has never changed: help everyone make food that tastes as good as it is for them.

Using a portable induction stove for a cooking demo is a great idea. Here are the pros, cons, and success tips.