Healthy Eating Habits and Recipes for National Nutrition Month

Eating right can be easy. By making small changes to the way we shop, snack and cook we can create meaningful improvements in the way we feel. In honor of National Nutrition Month® the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics encourages us to enjoy the taste of eating right. Here are some tips and recipes you can use to create nutritious meals, make the most of your calories, snack smarter, and develop easy habits for a healthy lifestyle.
 
Add new tastes one grocery trip at a time
There’s a whole world of nutritious and delicious foods just waiting to be discovered. Each time you go to the grocery store try one new grain, vegetable or fruit. Add a new berry, a new green leafy veggie or a new variety of rice to your cart. Your taste buds as well as your heart will thank you.
 
Choose foods that pack a punch
A good habit to embrace for both short and long term health is picking foods that deliver the most nutrition per calorie.

• Add grapefruit to your salad or marinade for an immune system boosting dose of vitamin C, cholesterol lowering fiber and cancer fighting lycopene.
• Sprinkle chia seeds over fruit, salads and smoothies to add Omega 3 essential fatty acids, fiber, protein and minerals without overdoing calories.
• Choose asparagus for a low calorie way to get fiber, folic acid and flavonoids onto your plate.

Here’s an easy recipe for roasted spring asparagus.

Snack smarter
Find yourself falling victim to the afternoon energy crash? Instead of reaching for a bag of processed cookies or salty chips, select a snack that will give you the energy you need without adding the extra calories you don’t. Snacks are great way to get servings of fruits, veggies and whole grains in your diet.

• Top a half cup of low fat cottage cheese with cherry tomatoes and dill.
• Dip baked pita chips in roasted red pepper hummus.
• Spread almond butter on apple slices.
• Sprinkle an ounce of low fat cheese on a small baked potato topped with salsa.

Habit forming family meals
Studies show that eating together as a family promotes better nutritional choices. Plus it gives parents a chance to model good eating habits, invite kids to taste new foods and spend some time talking at the table.
 
While juggling work, homework, exercise and activities makes sitting down to dinner as a family challenging, you can do it—especially if you start slowly. Try adding just one more family meal to the week.  And that meal doesn’t have to be dinner. Breakfast or lunch on the weekend can be a great opportunity to regroup and reconnect.

Do you have ideas for nutritious snacks, menus, workouts or other strategies for a healthy lifestyle? Please share and comment below.
 
To learn more about National Nutrition Month® and for more tips on eating right, visit www.eatright.org/nnm