March is National Nutrition Month
What is nutrition?
Nutrition is the process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for health and growth. It is also science that interprets the interaction of nutrients and other substances in food in relation to maintenance, growth, reproduction, health, and disease of an organism.
Why is nutrition important?
Nutrients and food are an essential part of life providing the things our bodies need to function and stay healthy. Incorporating a variety of nutrient- dense foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats, supports a healthy immune system and helps to prevent chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.
Did you know?
The 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends 1.5–2 cup-equivalents of fruits and 2–3 cup-equivalents of vegetables every day. In 2019 only 12.3% of surveyed adults met the fruit recommendation and only 10.0% met the vegetable intake recommendation!
How should I be eating?
A healthy diet emphasizes whole foods like fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. A healthy diet is not a perfect diet; there is no perfect diet. It is an eating style that you can maintain. It should be enjoyable, sustainable, and flexible – and include a wide range of whole and processed foods. Healthy diets also need to be practical and consider the limited amounts of time, culinary expertise, and budget that many people face.
Here are some tips to get more of these foods into your eating pattern:
Try frozen fruits and vegetables. They have similar nutritional value to fresh ones and are often less expensive and easier to prepare.
Add vegetables or fruit to every meal. Toss vegetables in your eggs, pasta, or rice. Start a meal with a salad or vegetable soup or top cereal and yogurt with fruit.
Have fish at least once a week or incorporate other healthy fats like avocado, walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, or olive oil.
Snack on fruit and unsalted nuts.
Wash and cut your produce when you buy it, and keep it where you can see it. Make it easy for yourself and buy prewashed and precut produce.
Be proactive when it comes to hunger, eat before you get too hungry.
Top cereals, yogurts, and smoothies with nuts or seeds.
Use beans, lentils, legumes, and nuts as a protein source in your meals.
Who should I talk to?
If you want to learn more about healthy eating and nutrition, speak with a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). RDNs are the food and nutrition experts, translating the science of nutrition into practical solutions for healthy living.
Many health insurance plans cover medical nutrition therapy, call your insurance provider and ask.
Looking for a recipe to incorporate more vegetables? Try this Veggie- Packed Green Pesto Pasta. This recipe contains plenty of vegetables, heart-healthy fats, and whole grains. Get creative and add your own favorite vegetables!
Sources:
What is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (eatrightpro.org)
Adults Meeting Fruit and Vegetable Intake Recommendations — United States, 2019 | MMWR (cdc.gov)
More Information:
American Heart Association | To be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives
Eatright.org - Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
MyPlate | U.S. Department of Agriculture
National Institutes of Health (NIH) | Turning Discovery Into Health
