March - National Nutrition month

March is National Nutrition Month, as promoted by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. If you have been thinking about making some small changes to your eating habits to include healthier habits, now is a great time to do just that!

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines and MyPlate graphic from USDA help us understand healthy eating. Here are some tips from the Dietary Guidelines and MyPlate that can help you and your family have healthier eating habits:

• Enjoy your food, but eat less.
• Avoid oversized portions.
• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
• Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
• Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals – and choose the foods with lower numbers.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks. 

It may seem overwhelming to make all these changes at once, so just pick one of them. Make that your healthy eating goal and when you meet that goal, you can pick another goal. It will take some work and it will not happen overnight, but one small change can make a big impact on the health of you and your family.

You can find handouts, tip sheets, and fun activity sheets (for kids and adults) on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website.