By United Supermarkets Dietitian Team
March is usually packed with spring break plans to grand destinations, but it is also the month where we acknowledge the importance of nutrition in your everyday life. National Nutrition Month celebrates nourishing your bodies through cultivating healthy habits by choosing foods that nourish your bodies and engaging in enjoyable forms of physical activity.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fewer than 1 in 10 children and adults eat the recommended amount of vegetables on a daily basis. In addition, only 4 in 10 children and 1 in 7 adults meet their daily recommendation for fruit consumption. Overall, these statistics are creating vitamin and mineral deficiencies that can negatively impact your health and economy.
For instance, poor nutrition can contribute to costly hospital stays and the development of obesity, heart disease, and even some cancers. Now, it’s time to change these statistics by prioritizing your health and nutrition this season through incorporating sustainable long term changes into your everyday life.
Nutrition is a major contributor to your health and is a modifiable factor that may be used to help prevent or decrease one’s risk of certain conditions. The modifiable factors to your health include how you choose to fuel your body, the incorporation of physical activity, management of stress, and sleep habits.
While one can not control their genetic makeup, family history, or age, it is important to take control of what is beneficial for your health. A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) is a nutrition expert that works with individuals to help them achieve their nutrition related health goals and to help them implement sustainable changes to their eating habits. These nutrition professionals known as RDNs have earned a degree from an accredited university and completed a competitive internship with hands-on experience with a variety of ages, work environments, and conditions.
While social media is often flooded with people sharing their own nutrition advice, it is important to be able to distinguish between the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and the other individuals sharing information to ensure you are receiving the most accurate and science based advice.
National Nutrition Month is a great opportunity to take some time to reflect on your nutrition status and how you are fueling your body. Just like everything in life, there is always room for improvement. Don’t disregard small changes and discount them as not as important, because oftentimes small sustainable changes are more obtainable in the long run. Some of the best nutrition recommendations begin with small changes to your eating habits such as switching to whole grain products, building a more balanced meal through using different food groups, or by simply learning how to read the nutrition facts label. During National Nutrition Month, try to think about ways you want to promote nutritious eating and your motivation behind it. Including more nutritious foods looks different for everyone and is dependent on one’s taste preferences and cultural background.
As stated earlier, eating a more nutrient dense diet is different for everyone and the changes can also come in many forms as well. Sometimes significant changes in your life are not realistic to follow. The ability to set realistic goals will help set you up for success. For example, some realistic goals can consist of making a plate that is half fruits and vegetables, drinking more water, or reducing consumption of added sugars.
The recommended amount of vegetables someone should consume on a daily basis is between 2-3 cups. In addition, research also shows that added sugars should be limited to no more than 6% of calories for a given day. Added sugars are commonly found in desserts, soft drinks, energy drinks, and candy. The consumption of a large quantity of these products may lead to weight gain and decreased heart health as the added sugar does not provide nutrients, just additional calories.
How can you get involved during National Nutrition Month? Getting involved can look as simple as making sure you are eating a variety of nutritious foods, effectively planning meals and snacks, and/or being creative in the kitchen. Some other ideas to get involved at the community level can include organizing a food donation for a local food pantry, starting a school vegetable garden, attending a supermarket tour or even participating in a class that discusses healthy eating. Regardless of how you choose to get involved this month, remember that moderation is a large component of health and even in all aspects of life. It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing mindset, you can still incorporate the foods you truly enjoy alongside more indulgent choices.
There are a multitude of resources available to you this month and all year long. MyPlate is a great resource that can help you visualize your plate and the MyPlate.gov website has some great family friendly recipe ideas also. In addition, EatRight.org is another great resource when it comes to learning more about nutrition and how to apply it to feeding your family or just a party of 1. Remember to prioritize healthful eating habits during National Nutrition Month that will be sustainable all year long!
Mango Salmon and Coconut Rice
What You Need
Salmon
1 wild salmon filet (about 1 – 1.5 lbs.)
1 cup citrus based dressing or vinaigrette
Rice
1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
1 cup O Organics Coconut Water
1 cup O Organics Unsweetened Coconut Milk
Mango Salsa
1 cup O Organics Frozen Mango, thawed
1 container pico de gallo (from Fresh Cut section of produce department)
Optional: diced avocado
How It’s Made
1. In a 9×13 baking dish, pour marinade and place salmon in marinade (skin side up). Let marinade for one hour in the refrigerator.
2. While the salmon is marinating, prepare coconut rice. Add rice, coconut water and coconut milk to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat until mixture is at a simmer, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff with fork; cover and set aside.
3. Heat grill to medium heat. Remove salmon from marinade and place skin side down on a piece of foil on the grill. Cook until done, when thermometer reaches 145 degrees; remove from grill.
4. In a medium bowl, toss together mango, pico de gallo and avocado.
5. Serve salmon with rice and topped with mango salsa.
