Celebrate National Nutrition Month

National Nutrition Month is celebrated each year in March.  The theme for 2016 is "Savor the Flavor of Eating Right", which encourages everyone to take time to enjoy healthy foods while eating with your family and friends.

How can you make that happen?


Make a family goal to try a new fruit or vegetable each week during the month of March.  Did you know that MyPlate recommends 1/2 of your plate be filled with fruits and vegetables.  Have you tried mango, kiwi, radishes, or edamame?  Trying something new adds variety and makes the meal more interesting.

Play a game while introducing a new food!  Put the new fruit or veggie in a bag or box, have your family try to guess what it is without looking. Ask them about the texture and smell.  Can they guess what it is?

Try the new food in a recipe or just taste it alone.  Make some rules for the tasting:

• Everyone must try the food (unless they are allergic)
• Words such as "yuck" or "ugh" are not allowed
• If they do not like a food, they may say "I don't care for this"

Your child may not like the new food and that's okay.  Sometimes children have to taste a food as many as 10 times before they begin to like it.  The important thing is to try it.  Take this opportunity to celebrate National Nutrition Month and try some new foods all month long!

Other fun ways to celebrate National Nutrition Month: 

• Looking for a way to entertain the kids before dinner is ready?  Print out this word search to do while they wait.
• Use this sheet to color in the theme for National Nutrition Month
• Work on a fun puzzle with your child. Give this Nutrition Sodoku puzzle a try.

"Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day" with MyPlate

March is National Nutrition Month, and each year the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has a unique theme to promote healthy eating.  This year, the theme is "Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day".  This theme brings to mind the unique tastes, beliefs, and cultures of the American people.

Think about the foods that you and your family eat everyday.

• Do you use special spices and herbs -- like cilantro, basil or curry?
• Do you cook your foods a certain way -- like bake or stir-fry?

Not only are these foods special, but they can also fit into a healthy diet.  In order to provide your family with a healthy meal, just think about MyPlate.  MyPlate is a symbol that helps explain all of the pieces to a healthy meal.  Half of MyPlate is filled with fruits and veggies; the other half has whole grains and lean protein.  Fat-free or low-fat dairy is also a part of MyPlate.  So, even with different colors, flavors, and textures your meals can still fit into MyPlate.  If you are unsure if your meal fits, check out the MyPlate food groups below. 

Group	Type	Some Examples
Fruits	Fresh, frozen, canned, dried, or 100% fruit juice	Apples, grapes, peaches, mangos, 100% orange juice
Veggies	Fresh, frozen, canned, dried, or 100% veggie juice	Green beans, beets, carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, onions, 100% tomato juice
Grains	Whole grains from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or other grains	Whole grain bread, brown rice, whole grain pasta, oatmeal, popcorn
Protein	Lean meat, poultry, seafood, beans, peas, eggs, soy products, nuts and seeds	Lean beef, chicken, tuna, black beans, lentils, almonds, veggie burgers
Dairy	Fat-free or low fat milk and milk products	Skim milk, low-fat yogurt, cottage cheese, cheedar cheese

How are you trying to "Eat Right" with MyPlate?

Did You Know? March is National Nutrition Month!

Every March, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) hosts National Nutrition Month to help highlight the importance of making healthy food choices.  This year's theme is "Get Your Plate in Shape". 

By now, hopefully you have seen the USDA's new food icon, MyPlate, which replaced the food pyramid last year.  MyPlate shows the five food groups on a plate, making it easier to see the variety and portion size of each food group.  This month we hope you and your family can fine-tune your plate by following these simple tips. 

1. Make half your plate fruits and vegetables:  Any way works!  Choose fresh, frozen, canned or dried.  Make sure to eat a variety of colors.
2. Choose whole grains: Make at least half your grains whole.  Whole grains such as brown rice, whole wheat bread, oatmeal, quinoa, and barley, provide more nutrition than processed, white grain products.
3. Lighten up your dairy:  Select fat-free or low-fat dairy products to lower calories and fat intake.  Great choices include low-fat yogurt, 1% or non-fat milk, and low-fat cheeses like mozzarella and swiss. 
4. Smart protein choices: Choose lean meats or plant-based proteins.  Good choices include: chicken, turkey, fish, beans, eggs, tofu or nuts.  Avoid greasy or fried foods.

For more information and free National Nutrition Month materials, visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and ChooseMyPlate