Celebrate National Nutrition Month by Learning More About Making Good Food Choices

The month of March is designated as National Nutrition Month. This campaign is focused on learning healthy food and exercise habits, making good choices, and finding ways to incorporate those recipes in a way that works best for your. National Nutrition Month is a campaign from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 

The theme for this year is "celebrating a world of flavors", which is a perfect reminder that adding healthy options to your diet should not be boring. Sometimes, we tend to think of "diets" as boring, as we can often get stuck in a rut and not experiencing the variety and flavor available. But, learning to add new foods to your diet and learning different ways to prepare them can help you eat a better variety and make eating more fun. If you're craving a specific type of food, search for healthier versions of that food and find out ways you can make swaps. Additionally, fill up on veggies and enjoy the decadent parts of the meal in smaller portions. For example, Eat Right has a great blog post on healthy choices for southern favorites and soul food.  These choices and swaps can apply for many of your favorite meals and recipes. 

Nutritional choices and activity levels play a role in a number of diseases. There are a lot of factors that lead to diseases but nutrition and movement are two things individuals can change. Diet and exercise play roles in heart health, obesity, some cancers, osteoporosis, and diabetes. A varied diet of quality protein, high fiber foods, and a colorful assortment of fruits and vegetables, paired with 150 minutes of exercise per week for adults will help reduce the risk of disease progression. 

For more information about National Nutrition Month, you can visit EatRight.org and find blogs, recipes, videos, and other information pertaining to nutrition, diet, fitness, and health issues.