March is National Nutrition Month: Make healthy lifestyle goals
By Kathy Riggs
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics designates March as National Nutrition Month. It is a great time to focus on the basics of a healthy diet and set goals to be healthier. It is important to keep in mind that a healthy lifestyle doesn’t happen overnight. If you pick one or two goals to work on now, you can focus on them for several months. Then, when you feel you have mastered those goals, you can select one or two more to work on.
The following five tips for setting healthy lifestyle goals comes from USU Extension “Eat Well Utah” blogger Candi Merritt.
Eat a variety of healthful foods from all food groups
Everything we eat and drink matters. When you eat from the five food groups, you are more likely to get the nutrients your body needs. If you find yourself eating the same handful of meals and snacks every week, try expanding your range of food choices by making it an adventure. When grocery shopping, select a fruit, vegetable, grain, or legume that is new to your family.
Discover the benefits of a healthy eating lifestyle
There is more than one way to eat healthfully. A healthy eating lifestyle should take your preferences, schedule, culture, traditions, and budget into consideration. Start by making half your plate fruits and veggies. Add foods that you like from the grains and legume groups to fill your plate.
Choose healthier options when dining out
Eating out doesn’t mean you have to throw your nutrition goals out the window. There are plenty of ways to make healthy choices at restaurants. Planning ahead is the best way to stay on track. Choose which restaurant you’ll eat at and review the menu before you go.
Be mindful of portion size
Serving sizes and portion sizes don’t always align. Become familiar with the differences. Once you understand proper portion sizes, pull out measuring cups or a food scale to see how your portions add up. Getting the right amounts of the right kinds of food is an important part of a healthy eating plan.
Keep it simple
Eating right doesn’t have to be complicated. If you are new to the world of nutrition and creating a healthy eating style, you may feel overwhelmed. For more information from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, visit eatright.org.
There are many excellent resources for learning about nutrition and health. There are also at least as many that tout fad diets and extreme weight-loss programs. Search for information by topic and include distinguishing website extensions such as, site: “extension,” “edu” or “gov.” For example, type in the search bar: “healthy cooking and snacking, site: gov.”
Kathy Riggs is a Utah State University Extension family and consumer sciences professor.
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