Special: March is National Nutrition Month!
Happy National Nutrition Month Gleaners!
This topic was so special to us and to the heart of the Gleaning Project that we just knew we needed to have a special blog just dedicated to National Nutrition Month and all the things that draws attention to!
What is National Nutrition Month?
National Nutrition month is an annual campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics which encourages folks to make informed choices surrounding their foods in order to develop healthful eating habits and promote physical activities! Each year, the theme of the month changes so it gives an opportunity each year to explore a different area of food and nutrition!
What is this year’s theme?
This year’s theme is “Celebrate a World of Flavors!” That fits right in with what we here at the Gleaning Project hope you all can get out of our blog posts, recipes and nutrition information—the adventurous nature of exploring and using new and different foods to make your diet that much more interesting and flavorful!
What are the weekly key messages?
Eat a variety of nutritious foods—Include healthful food from all food groups, Learn how to read nutrition facts labels and incorporate your favorite cultural foods and traditions! This week highlights the importance of being aware of what you put in your body and also exploration of your own cultural and food traditions whether that means what you and your family love to eat each week or a celebration of the foods that make your country of origin special!
See a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) by asking for a referral to one from your doctor, finding an RDN who specializes in your unique needs and receive personalized nutrition information to meet your health goals! This week highlights the importance of being able to become aware of needs you may not be meeting with your nutrition. With a staggering 663 million people globally that are undernourished and a 1/5 rate in the Gleaning Project’s range of people who aren’t receiving proper foods to meet minimum requirements, it’s clear that this is important. If you have the ability, reach out to a nutritionist to become more aware of things you may need in your diet. If you don’t have access to an RDN or a physician to discuss nutrition, educate yourself on how to read labels and what your needs are based on research from nutritionists and dieticians!
Plan your meals and snacks—Choose healthful recipes to make during the week, utilize a grocery list to shop for nutritious foods (usually found around the perimeter of the store!) and make healthful food and drink choices when away from home! This week focuses on reducing grocery waste (hello using things again and saving scraps for broth!) as well as making good choices both in and outside your home when it comes to food. It can be difficult to know where to turn for healthy choices and sometimes it feels overwhelming to make things from scratch or pick from the millions of recipes online. Try to focus on recipes that you already use here and maybe alter them to be a little more healthful! Substitute out meat for mushrooms, or switch up the pasta noodles for veggie noodles! With some creativity, healthy choices don’t have to be a chore!
Create tasty foods at home—Learn cooking and meal preparation skills, try new flavors and foods from around the world and enjoy your meals with friends or family (when possible and safe!) This week celebrates learning new skills (See how to make veggie pastas!) and being able to learn how to use them while adding in new and exciting flavors and foods! This can be an exploration with friends and family that may lead to a new family favorite dish!
How can I observe National Nutrition Month?
Move your body!
Exercise is just as important as food choice and with proper nutrition you’ll be able to move like never before and feel great while doing it!Find inspiration
Maybe check out pinterest if you feel like you’re constantly cycling through the same recipes over and over. Look at a new cookbook or follow a food blogger. Maybe you can binge a Netflix cooking show and get inspired to bring that excitement home!Meet with a dietitian or RDN
We discussed this one above but if you have access, try to see one! Sometimes they offer sliding scales for fees which allows greater access or may offer a complimentary service for your first visit!Get That Water!! WATER WATER WATER!!
It’s an incredible resource and most folks are guilty of not getting enough water. Make sure you’re taking in the recommended amount for your body to help those nutritious foods spread out where they need to be!Choose foods over supplements
There are some folks among us (counting myself in here) that are lacking vitamins and minerals that cannot be gained simply through diet alone but for the most part, these things can be gotten through diet! Try to make sure you’re getting a rounded diet that includes enough that you can stop buying those supplements and focus on delicious meals!Opt for more colors!
Colors, colors everywhere! Natural colors and the rainbow that makes food look so delicious are an important part of what makes them nutritious, as well. Different colors in foods offer an idea about the tastes and vitamins, minerals and various benefits of that food (even different colored pepper offer different benefits!)Pack your lunch (February 10th is Pack a Lunch Day, Yall!)
Avoiding typical restaurant food and fast-food can be an obvious but somewhat difficult choice to make, especially for folks that are in a hurry. And listen, we’re not saying you need to drop off completely—everyone needs a cheat day here and there! But taking control of your portion sizes when you pack your lunch and being more in touch with where your food comes from and how it’s prepared can make an incredible difference in what you may choose the next time you do go out!Shop the Perimeter
This one is great because it’s a visible showing of nutrition in a store! Shopping the perimeter, with the exception of baking supplies that are generally located directly down the middle of the store, provides access to most of the nutritional needs as unprocessed ingredients (meats, dairy, produce). When you begin to move inwards, you gain more processing, added sugars and other additives that are unnecessary if you are making things from scratch (hence why the “health foods” and “allergen free” sections are also generally the next isle in from the produce as they are free from a lot of things that further in items are not)