Emerging research suggests a healthy gut microbiome supports health and well-being, and food appears to be more important to microbiome composition than genetics. Experts recommend eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains and beans, accented with herbs and spices.

The USDA has expanded online grocery shopping under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to 49 states and the District of Columbia and has added 44 retailers to the program in the past four months. The agency offers technical assistance to grocers interested in offering SNAP online purchasing, including small, independent stores.

Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient to promote nerve health, red blood cell production and energy, says registered dietitian nutritionist Heather Mangieri, and while most people get enough vitamin B12 from their diets, the body's ability to absorb the nutrient is affected by age, digestion, pregnancy and certain autoimmune diseases. Fish, shellfish, dairy products, beef, organ meats and fortified foods are good sources of B12, and because symptoms of a B12 deficiency can mimic other conditions, a dietitian should be consulted, Mangieri says.

Information of food labels is based on scientific research and may change as new knowledge is gained, says registered dietitian nutritionist Tara LaRowe. While labels are meant to educate consumers, they may be a bit difficult to understand.

Oncologists should recommend aerobic and resistance exercise to their patients undergoing treatment for cancer, according to a statement from the American Society of Clinical Oncology in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The authors stated that neutropenic diets should not be recommended during treatment, and too little evidence exists about other diets or weight management to make recommendations.

A World Health Organization report showed noncommunicable diseases kill 41 million people worldwide annually, surpassing the toll of infectious diseases and killing someone younger than 70 every two seconds. Noncommunicable diseases, most of which are preventable, account for 74% of global deaths, and among the top killers are cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes.

A new FDA report acknowledges the agency took too long to act in response to the US baby formula shortage and was hampered by obsolete data-sharing systems, a shortage of properly trained food inspectors, opaque supply chains and manufacturing procedures, and testing bottlenecks. FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said the agency will request authority to require manufacturers to submit key information, and former Commissioner Jane Henney is leading an external review of the agency's food division.

Eighteen percent of 1,236 US adults responding to an NPR/PBS Newshour/Marist poll said financial pressures led them to skip filling a prescription for medication or going to a medical appointment in the last six months. About one in 10 respondents said they had postponed or skipped paying insurance or medical bills to save money over the past six months, while 37% said their household finances had worsened in the last year.

Tennessee's Coordinated School Health program provides farm-fresh produce to schools, part of a statewide push to teach children to make healthful choices in school and at home. The program is being used to teach students about nutrition and cooking in the classroom while allowing schools to purchase local produce for lunch programs.

The whole family will love this easy one-pan meal. Chef Abbie Gellman

Members are invited to join President Ellen R. Shanley, MBA, RDN, CDN, FAND, on Sept. 29 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Central time for a town hall meeting to discuss important outcomes and next steps from the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health. You can review the Academy's recommendations for the conference and learn more about the Academy's efforts in its development.

Are you aware of the decades-long joint efforts of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and our Foundation to identify and reduce malnutrition in people who are hospitalized? This September Foundation Chair message capsulizes this expansive work on malnutrition and illustrates how the two Academy organizations work in sync to establish research findings and use these to advocate on behalf of all food and nutrition professionals to raise awareness of the value of our work. Learn more.