First Lady Michelle Obama and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced new school meal standards today, as part of the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act. The new standards are strongly supported by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Visit this USDA webpage to review the new standards, read a press release, and view a sample menu. 

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Governance/Legislation/nutritionstandards.htm

Do you need a refresher on assessing vitamin D status? Want to understand routine supplementation and treatment of vitamin D deficiency states?

Tune in to:

Vitamin D—A Moving Target presented by Sharon Groh-Wargo

PNPG is offering this free webinar presentation to members. Receive 1 CPEU after listening to the webinar and completing the associated quiz.

Stay tuned to the PNPG website and your email for availability…it will be soon!

Ekhard Ziegler MD and Susan Carlson MMSc, RD, CSP, LD, CNSC will be co-hosting a Neonatal Conference in Iowa City on May 20 - 22, 2012.  

This conference is designed for RDs, Neonatologists, Neonatology Fellows, and Nurse Practitioners interested in the nutrition management of the premature infant.  Details of the program are still being finalized and as more information becomes available, it will be posted to Pedi-RD.  

 Speaker Support Applications now Accepted for Summer-Fall Programs

PNPG is fortunate to have several members running for national office with the Academy!  Each week we will highlight one of these members.

Candidate Statement

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics President-elect

Sonja L. Connor 

The Building Block for Life, volume 35 number 1, is now available online.

Logged in members may access the full-text newsletter in pdf format.

The summary for this issue is accessible by clicking here. 

 Join the Jan. 18th webinar regarding recent Capitol Hill funding and policy developments and their effects on health and nutrition programs. The webinar, hosted by the Public Health Institute, will be held from 2:30-4:00pm EST.

Forwarding to you from the National PKU Alliance.

The future of medical food coverage (formula and foods modified to be low in protein) is now at risk.  Your help is needed!

**Click on READ MORE for details**

Emails should be sent to: essentialhealthbenefits@cms.hhs.gov.  HHS will only accept comments through January 31, 2012, so please act quickly!

White House petition related to the CMS decision regarding the RD’s role in intensive behavioral therapy for obesity reaches 25,000 signatures! 

White House Petition