Make smart, informed dietary choices

Today is March 1. To most people it’s just the beginning of the month, just another day. But to dietitians and other health related individuals it’s the start of National Nutrition Month, a month dedicated to educating others on nutrition and promoting healthy eating habits.

This month-long campaign was created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (previously known as the American Dietetics Association) and focuses on the importance of making smart, informed food choices and gives people the knowledge and motivation to start developing sound eating and physical activity habits.

This will be the 40th anniversary of National Nutrition Month and the theme for 2013 is “Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day.” The theme helps encourage personalized healthy eating styles based on the 2010 Dietary Guideline recommendations and MyPlate diagram and messages. This year’s theme also recognizes that lifestyle, culture, food preferences and health concerns play a huge impact on individual food choices. If the food/meal plan is not individualized for you, there is a good chance you will not be able to follow it. Develop your meal plan and eating habits based off the healthy dietary guidelines, but make sure it is something you can realistically follow for the rest of your life.

If you have been waiting to make lifestyle changes now is the perfect time to make them! During the month of March there will be an article each week regarding healthy eating habits and tips, and other nutrition information in order for you to make the lifestyle changes you need to in order to live a healthy life.

Fact or Fiction? (the answers will be provided in the following weeks articles)

• Eating Sugar Causes Diabetes.

• It is easy to spot whole grain foods, they are brown.

• You should limit your salt intake to 1 tsp a day.

• I’ll gain 10 pounds a year by eating an extra 100 calories a day.

• In a healthy eating plan all foods I eat should be low in fat.

• Fad diets work.

• Frozen or canned fruits and vegetables are not as nutritious as fresh.

• Eating too many carbohydrates causes weight gain.