Celebrate National Nutrition Month® starting in March and All Year, Too.
For 2014, the message to all Americans for National Nutrition Month is “Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right.” And what could be better as we kick off spring to get our healthy minds and bodies thinking about ways to celebrate the nourishing aspects of our foods from how they are prepared, seasoned and enjoyed at mealtime in our healthy, nutritious lives.
Each year during March, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics sponsors a national educational campaign to promote healthy eating and physical activity.
The Academy has celebrated National Nutrition Month® since 1973 to promote optimal nutrition and wellness in the population, while bringing attention to the organization and its more than 75,000 professional members as the most respected and credible sources of up-to-date, scientifically-sound information on diet and nutrition.
The focus of this year’s campaign is aimed at promoting nutrition through eating better by thinking about how we can encourage ourselves and others to enjoy the taste of eating right. Here are the top 5 tips I learned from nutrition experts, including my wife, Dr. Wendy Bazilian, and others I caught up with recently at the annual Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo in Houston, Texas.
Flavor matters!
Add flavor with herbs and spices. And herbs and spices can help boost flavor while making it easier to cut back on salt in the diet. New research published in summer 2013 in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics revealed that young children who were offered herb and spice flavored dips ate more vegetables (even types they previously rejected!) than with a plain dip. This strategy works on adults, too! Here are two tasty recipes to get you dipping: an easy Pineapple Salsa and a flavorful Sweet Pea Guacamole.
Taste the seasons.
When fruits and vegetables are in season, they also tend to taste their best, too! The natural flavors develop in the ripening process and typically foods that are local travel less time and distance too. They also tend to be more economical. Our friends at the Produce for Better Health Foundation provided this easy online resource to find what’s in season when.
Try something new!
When it comes to fruits and veggies, many of us tend to return to a select few when we make our trip to the market. In fact, the most consumed fruits include oranges, apples, bananas and watermelon. While there’s nothing wrong with those (and in fact, many terrific nutrients), you can fight fruit fatigue, by changing up your routine and trying something new. When you shop each week, select one new fruit and one new vegetable to try. There are so many recipes and tips online to show you how to prepare them too. . . just a quick online search and you’re there! And here are two flavorful recipes that may have some new ingredients or new preparations to change things up a bit in your routine. Here’s a favorite of ours from Rancho La Puerta: Jicama Salad with Red Onion and Orange. And here’s a tasty pasta dish featuring eggplant: Rigatoni with Eggplant and Buffalo Mozzarella.
Schedule a session with an RD.
Consider a visit with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Sitting down with an RD or RDN can be a valuable experience in assisting you to discover the ‘taste of eating right’ and set and achieve your food and nutrition goals. Or attend a public presentation by an RD and ask questions. This can be a fun and meaningful way to connect the joy of food with your healthy lifestyle.
Relax and enjoy food for fun and for health.
The taste of eating right isn’t about absolutes or bad foods and good foods. It’s about balance. Enjoying healthy and flavorful foods can be satisfying and delicious. They can help with energy and metabolism, as well as overall health. And when we emphasize tasty and nutritious foods most of the time, it can also leave room for other treats that may have less nutritious profiles, but are simply also a fun part of a balanced life. When we look to ‘enjoy the taste of eating right,’ we see that nourishment is bigger than diet or nutrition alone.
Jason Bazilian is a Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine the first to earn a doctoral degree in this field in the United States. Dr. Bazilian works with athletes, women, men, and children treating a broad spectrum of conditions at their private practice, Bazilian’s Health Clinic in San Diego and New York City, alongside his partner and wife, Dr. Wendy Bazilian, who is a registered dietitian. Each year, Jason attends the nation’s largest food and nutrition conference and expo (FNCE) to get the latest science, and to interact and interview RDs about their top tips and ways to inspire healthy and holistic changes in America’s diets. Find him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bazilians.
Some Taste Food Are Included Here:
- Headache Detective-Work: 10 Most Common Food-Related Headache Triggers - December 31, 2016
- National Nutrition Month: 7 Ways To Savor The Favor of Good Nutrition - March 8, 2016
- 8 Strategies to Tackle Your Headache ‘Head’-on! - December 8, 2015