March is National Nutrition Month

National Nutriton Month – Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day!

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic has annually designated March as National Nutrition Month (NNM). Initiated 40 years ago as a weeklong event, "National Nutrition Week" became a month long observance in 1980 in response to the growing public interest in nutrition. This theme this year “Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day,” sounds very inviting and realistic for people who would like to make healthier eating choices, but not sacrifice their favorite foods.

Key messages to this year’s NNM theme is to personalize healthy eating lifestyles, based on the 2010 dietary guidelines and MyPlate nutritional recommendations. NNM encourages people to tailor an eating plan that includes their lifestyle, traditional foods in moderation, health needs and physical activity.

Helpful tips can be found at:

Balancing the food and beverages that you eat daily means paying attention to what you’re choosing to eat and making better food choices.

For those who would like to embrace a more helpful eating plan, the “Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day” message provides essential information and tools for you to make healthier food selections. These selections will help you enjoy and satisfy your appetite by allowing you to eat your favorite foods in moderation. United States Department of Agriculture recommends that you:

  • Enjoy your food, but eat less
  • Avoid oversize portions
  • Make half your plate fruit and vegetables
  • Switch to fat-free milk or low-fat one percent milk
  • Compare sodium in soup, bread, frozen meals and choose foods with lower numbers
  • Drink water instead of sugary drinks

Making small changes to your plate can help you consume fewer calories, especially from high salt and fat foods. For more on healthy eating, read about portion control. Michigan State University Extension promotes a well-balanced diet. NNM website offers helpful tips, games and resources that can be use individually or collectively with groups. To learn more about NNM visit http://www.eatright.org/nnm/.

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