While social, emotional and health factors play a role in the foods people choose to eat, the foods we enjoy are the ones we eat most. That is why, as part of National Nutrition Month 2014®, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics encourages everyone to “Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right.”
Each March, the academy encourages Americans to return to the basics of healthful eating through National Nutrition Month. This year’s theme focuses on combining taste and nutrition to create healthy meals that follow the recommendations of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
“When taste is the most influential factor driving what consumers eat, it is important that we find the balance between choosing the foods we like with those that provide the nutrients we need,” said registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy President Dr. Glenna McCollum. “This year’s ‘Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right’ theme reinforces that the two choices are not mutually exclusive.”
The academy strives to communicate healthful eating messages that emphasize balancing food and beverages within an individual’s energy needs, rather than focusing on any one specific food or meal. To this end, it is the academy’s position that improving overall health requires a lifelong commitment to healthful lifestyle behaviors, emphasizing sustainable and enjoyable eating practices and daily physical activity.
“Enjoying the healthy foods we eat and the physical activities we engage in is key to developing a healthy lifestyle we can maintain for years to come,” McCollum said.
In honor of National Nutrition Month, the Mansfield/Ontario/Richland County Health Department has created an informational page on its website devoted to healthy eating. You will find helpful tips and links to other web resources. Most importantly, there are links to 20 Healthy Eating fact sheets that can be downloaded and saved for future reference. To get to this page, simply click on the “National Nutrition Month” slideshow banner at the top of the home page at www.richlandhealth.org.