National Nutrition Month is an annual campaign celebrated every March.

It was created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). Throughout the month of March Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) and AND encourage all Americans to focus on the importance of developing healthy eating and physical activity habits. The overall theme for 2020 is Eat Right Bite by Bite.

Each week in March there is a different challenge or area to focus on to help all individuals make the best food choices available. The challenge for the first week of March is to eat a variety of foods every day. When was the last time you ate a vegetable, or fruit, or drank water? If it has been a few days think of these tips to get you started on the right foot today! Include healthy foods from each food group each day, choose healthy sugar free drink options, learn how to read Nutrition Facts Labels, and keep options from each food group in your home. Fresh, frozen, and canned options can all fit into a healthy meal plan.

The goal for the second week of March is to Plan your meals each week. Some helpful tips to meet this goal are to make and use a grocery list, choose healthy recipes to make during the week and get creative with leftovers, bring healthy snacks to enjoy at work, school, or on the road, and plan ahead when traveling to ensure there are options that will work for you while you are traveling and when you get to your destination.

For week three focus on learning skills to create yummy meals. This week try to do a pantry makeover and make a list of healthy items to keep on hand for quick meals/snacks. Also, practice proper food safety while preparing meals, cooking, and storing leftovers. Share meals with friends or family when possible to learn or teach new and healthy cooking techniques.  Try new flavors and foods and reduce food waste by trying new recipes. You may find ones you like from the American Heart Association or the American Diabetes Association.

We wrap up the month of March by encouraging all individuals to ask themselves if consulting a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) would be beneficial. Do you have questions about what foods would help you reach your target blood glucose? Have you been trying to lose weight for years without much success? Were you recently diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease and not sure what you should eat? If you can relate to any of these questions or have any other nutrition related questions ask your doctor for a referral to see an RDN to receive personalized nutrition advice to meet your health goals. RDNs are nutrition experts that specialize in certain disease states to best meet your individual needs.

Please contact any of the following UNC Lenoir Health Care dietitians for more information.

Holly White, RD, LDN, CDE
Phone: 252-522-7471

Mary Nocera, RD, LDN
Phone:252-522-7711

Emily Decker RD, LDN, CDE
Phone: 252-522-7616

Resources:

www.eatright.org
https://www.diabetes.org/
https://www.heart.org/

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