“Get Your Plate in Shape” for National Nutrition Month^R

Spring is a great time to think about health and wellness, as we get ourselves in shape for the upcoming summer filled with activity and eating.

Each March, theAcademyofNutritionand Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) create an educational and informational nutrition campaign for National Nutrition Month®. The 2012 theme “Get Your Plate in Shape” encourages consumers to implement the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which encourages increased intake of fruits and vegetables and also a focus on appropriate portion sizes.

Here are some tips to guide healthy eating and choices this March:

Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.

• Eat a variety of vegetables, especially dark-green, red and orange varieties, as well as beans and peas.
• When buying canned vegetables, choose "reduced sodium" or "no salt added" whenever possible. Rinsing whole varieties like beans, corn and peas can also reduce sodium levels.
• Dried and frozen fruits and those canned in water or their own juice are good options when fresh varieties are not available.
• Make sure every meal and snack has at least one fruit or vegetable or both.

Avoid oversized portions by using smaller plates, bowls and glasses.

• Here is a short story I tell many of my clients: For my wedding a few years ago, we received a beautiful set of dishes. We then moved into a home built in the 1960’s and the plates barely fit into the kitchen cabinets. I think this is a testament to how portion sizes have increased over the years and the dinner plates we use today are the size of serving platters in the 1960’s.
• Try using your “salad plate” or “appetizer plate” for your meals. The smaller plate will truly help with decreasing portion sizes and your plate will look appetizing and full.

Get into the kitchen and stay in charge of what you're eating.

• Cooking more often at home not only allows you to balance what’s on your plate, but also enables you to choose healthier fats, less sodium and increase the fiber in your diet while balancing the amount of calories you eat.
• Many of us have little time for cooking meals at home, as we work long hours, outside the home. To help find a balance, plan a week of meals ahead of time, grocery shop and cook meals or meats on the weekend to use during the week or use Crockpot meals to save time. With careful planning, we are less likely to stop to grab a meal on the way home from work and will drastically cut calories and fat intake.

As part of National Nutrition Month, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' National Nutrition Month website includes helpful tips, recipes, fun games, promotional tools and nutrition education resources, all designed to spread the message of good nutrition around the "Get Your Plate in Shape" theme.

 Let March be a great month to start planning for meals and increasing your activity in this beautiful weather!

 Becky Prostine MPH RDLD

FloydCountyMedicalCenter