National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month, a nutrition education and information campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. 

The theme for 2017 is "Put Your Best Fork Forward," which acts as a reminder that each bite counts. Making just small shifts in our food choices, can add up over time. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest starting with small changes in order to make healthier lasting changes you can enjoy. This year's theme for National Nutrition Month inspires us to start with small changes in our eating habits – one forkful at a time. So whether you are planning meals to prepare at home or making selections when eating out, Put Your Best Fork Forward to help find your healthy eating style.

Key Messages:

1. Create an eating style that includes a variety of your favorite, healthful foods.
2. Practice cooking more at home and experiment with healthier ingredients.
3. How much we eat is as important as what we eat. Eat and drink the right amount for you.
4. Find activities that you enjoy and be physically active most days of the week.
5. Manage your weight or lower your health risks by consulting a registered dietitian nutritionist. RDNs can provide sound, easy-to-follow personalized nutrition advice to meet your lifestyle, preferences and health-related needs.

The Eat Fresh site at: http://eatfresh.org/ provides an online resource for CalFresh (SNAP, or food stamps) eligible individuals and families. It is also a great resource for anyone who wants to improve their health. Theri goals for the website are:

• To encourage cooking at home with fresh foods and minimally processed non-perishables
• To show users that healthy change happens even though barriers exist
• To better understand the link between lifestyle/diet choices with the prevention of chronic diseases