24 Free CEU Sources for Registered Dietitians (2026 Updated Guide)
If you've ever looked at your CEU tracker with six months to go and felt a low-grade panic set in, you're not alone. Staying credentialed is non-negotiable — but the cost of continuing education can add up fast, especially if you're running your own practice or building a side business while working full-time.
The good news: there's far more free, high-quality continuing education available to RDs than most of us realize. I've compiled and organized every legitimate free source I could find — 24 in total — covering everything from CDR's own offerings to industry-sponsored webinars, podcast-based CEUs, and the activity types that don't cost a dime because you're already doing them.
This list is organized by category so you can find what's relevant to you without wading through everything. Two notes before you dive in:
Always verify expiration dates before starting a course — free on-demand offerings change frequently.
CDR-Prior Approved and self-reported activities have different documentation requirements. Know which is which before you log hours.
📌 Start Here: CDR's Own List of Free Resources
CDR maintains a periodically updated list of currently approved free activities, and it’s worth bookmarking. cdrnet.org/cpeu-offerings-and-resources
The CDR Dietetics Preceptor Training Program is worth 8 free CPEUs upon completion, and its available through ACEND.
Precepting Credit (Activity Type 190): As of June 1, 2017, preceptors may record a total of 15 CPEUs per 5-year cycle for precepting and/or leadership on your Activity Log.
🖥️ RD CEU Platforms
These are the most comprehensive hubs, each with multiple free offerings across specialties.
One of the largest free CEU libraries for RDs. CDR Prior Approved webinars and self-study courses, most worth 1.0–1.5 CPEUs. Current topics include GLP-1 protein optimization, women's wellness, seed oils, dairy and cardiovascular health, and culturally inclusive counseling.
An annually updated roundup with free CEU sources organized by category, including ethics/health equity, clinical, and private practice topics. One of the best-maintained lists in the RD space.
An active community where members post newly available free CEU opportunities in real time — useful for catching short-lived webinars and new releases.
An international platform for RDs, providing webinars, podcasts, and other resources.
🏛️ Government & Professional Organizations
American Diabetes Association — Professional Education: Free webinars and self-study modules for diabetes care professionals. Free account required; paid ADA membership is not.
American Society of Nutrition: Free webinars and training courses.
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics — Journal Quizzes: Academy members can earn free CPE by completing quizzes on JAND articles. The membership itself isn't free, but once you're in, the journal CEUs are. DPG members also receive free CEUs through their practice group's webinars and publications.
🏥 Industry-Sponsored Free CEUs
These are fully legitimate and CDR Prior Approved — but they're funded by food and nutrition companies, which is worth being transparent about when counseling clients on those specific foods or products.
Clinical / Enteral Nutrition
Abbott Nutrition Health Institute (ANHI) — Free, accredited self-paced CE for dietitians and nurses.
Nestlé MyCE — Free CE approved for dietitians, supported by Nestlé Health Science.
Virtual Enteral CE Summit — Register here for the October 2026 conference.
ASPEN E-Learning Center — Journal CE is free to members, some on-demand CE courses free to all.
Pediatric Nutrition
Nutrition Masterclass — Free and paid on-demand pediatric CEUs covering late preterm infant nutrition, iron deficiency, growth failure, and baby-led weaning.
GI / Digestive Health
FODZYME Provider Education — Free CEU webinars on IBS management, digestive health, and food intolerance strategies.
Nestlé Pediatric (GI, Metabolics, Neurology, Adult Nutrition) — Free webinars across four clinical categories. Recordings available within 3 years of the live date.
Diabetes & Metabolic Health
Orgain Healthcare Professional Series — 1.0 CPEU per webinar for RDNs and NDTRs, live and on-demand. Topics include plant-based nutrition for diabetes, brain health, menopause, wound nutrition, and gluten myths.
Food Boards & Food Brands
National Pork Board — Free CEUs on lean pork nutrition, protein quality, and patient counseling strategies.
Soy Connection — Free CEUs covering soy research and clinical applications.
PepsiCo Health & Nutrition Sciences — Free resources on personalized nutrition and patient-centered counseling.
🎙️ Podcasts with Free CEUs
Perfect for the commute, the gym, or meal prep. Listen, then complete a short quiz for credit.
Sound Bites Podcast: Host Melissa Joy Dobbins, MS, RDN has delivered over 50,000 free CEU activities through this podcast. Some newer episodes carry a $5 fee.
🧠 Activity-Based CEUs You Might Be Overlooking
These require no course enrollment — and if you're already an engaged RD, you may already be doing them.
Journal Club (Activity Type 160) — A structured discussion of a peer-reviewed article with 3+ professionals. One CPEU per contact hour, no cap per cycle.
Grand Rounds / Live Professional Events (Activity Type 170) — Any live, dietetics-related event geared toward professionals qualifies — even without CDR pre-approval. No limit per cycle.
Research Credit (Activity Type 205) — Principal investigators can log up to 20 CPEUs per study; co-investigators up to 10. Maximum 60 per five-year cycle.
Professional Leadership / Board Service (Activity Type 190) — Elected or appointed roles in professional organizations earn up to 3 CPEUs per year.
A Few Practical Tips Before You Start
Check expiration dates first. Free on-demand courses often have hard stop dates. Confirm before you invest time.
Track as you go. Keep a simple log with the course name, CDR activity number, credit hours, and completion date. It makes recertification much less stressful.
Use free CEUs to explore new clinical niches. Zero-cost offerings are low-risk ways to test interest in a new specialty before committing to paid training.
Flag ethics CPEUs when you find them. They're harder to find for free. Both Sound Bites Podcast and Well Resourced Dietitian tag ethics-eligible offerings clearly — worth bookmarking those specifically.
Don't overlook the activity-based types. Journal clubs, grand rounds, and precepting hours are easy to forget to log — but they add up fast.
Staying credentialed and staying sharp don't have to cost a fortune. This list gives you more than enough to meet your CEU requirements using only free resources — the key is knowing where to look and staying organized.
If you're in the process of building or launching a private practice, the CEU question is just one piece of a much bigger puzzle. The business fundamentals — how to price your services, structure your offers, find clients, and build sustainable income — are where most RDs feel the biggest gap.
If you find a free CEU source I missed, let me know— I'll add it to the list.
Building a private practice while keeping up with CEUs?
The Dietitian's Guide to Private Practice: Launchis a book and 4-hour CPEU assessment designed specifically for RDs starting or growing a private practice. You earn CEUs while learning the business fundamentals they didn't teach in your internship. Every step of private practice is covered, from choosing your niche to credentialing, to billing, to marketing your practice, and more.
→ See The Dietitian’s Guide to Private Practice: Launch here
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