Tag Archives: national nutrition month

Mary Hartley’s Plate for National Nutrition Month


This is Gypsy Soup, Cheesy Cornbread, and fat-free milk. It is a typical lunch or dinner.  I don’t distinguish between the two. Most of my food is eaten from a bowl, not a plate. I typically eat soups, ethnic dishes and full meal salads; I rarely eat meat with a side and I cook from scratch. (more…)

Get Your Plate in Shape During National Nutrition Month

national nutrition month 2012 themeIn honor of the National Nutrition Month 2024, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is launching a campaign to help “Get Your Plate in Shape” this March. The theme encourages Americans to eat a healthy, balanced diet that’s in accordance with the MyPlate guidelines. “USDA’s MyPlate is a great tool to guide and help us be mindful of the foods that make up our balanced eating plan,” states Academy spokesperson Andrea Giancoli. “Make sure your eating plan includes foods from all the food groups and in appropriate portions.”

Those familiar with MyPlate will recognize most of the recommendations to get your plate in shape:

  • Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
  • Half of your grains should be whole grains.
  • Vary your protein choices.
  • Switch to fat-free or low-fat milk.
  • Cut back on sodium and empty calories from solid fats and added sugars.

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Michelle May Answers “Am I Hungry?” In Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat

The National Nutrition Month interview series continues. I’m so excited about this interview! Everyone needs to listen to it. If you have ever dieted, felt uncontrollable eating or binging, think you are an emotional eater, or just have “food rules” you will benefit from hearing what Michelle May, MD, author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat, has to say about dieting and weight management – and it’s not “count your calories and eat less.”

She should know about weight management, she has struggled with her own weight most of her life. She gets it. Not only that, but the book offers realistic and practical advice and encouragement for changing the way you think about eating and dieting. If you’re ready to stop the cycle of eating and repenting for your “food sins,” you will love what this book has to offer.

Listen now to our conversation to get a taste for the whole “Am I hungry?” approach. Find out how you may be sabotaging reaching your healthy weight by dieting and ignoring your body’s own hunger and fullness signs.

Let me know what you think about it in the comments section. One reader will be chosen to receive a copy of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat on April 9, 2024.

Michelle offers an “eating cycle” quiz on her website as well, which is well worth your time. Enjoy the conversation!

Elisa Zied’s Nutrition at Your Fingertips Offers Credible Nutrition Information

It’s National Nutrition Month and the second interview in our series will be a big help to anyone who has struggled with trying to find what’s “fact” and what’s “false” when it comes to nutrition information. I love the “information age,” don’t get me wrong, but for people who just want quick facts you can trust, it can be a total nightmare. You read one thing on one website and then something totally different on another.

In comes Elisa Zied, a New York-based dietitian and author of the resource book “Nutrition At Your Fingertips.” I call it a nutrition “survival guide.” You don’t need to read this book cover to cover (but you could if you wanted). It is designed to be used like a dictionary. Want to know about artificial sweeteners? Look it up and get the latest facts. Confused over food labels? Look that up. Same with topics such as glycemic index, food allergies, and healthy weight loss.

Listen to our interview then read on to win the book.

Win a copy of Nutrition At Your Fingertips. Leave a comment below to be eligible, either a nutrition question you’re not sure about or share your favorite “myth” that you were able to bust with reliable information. Winner will be selected 3/31/10.

Enjoy Eating with Dave Grotto’s 101 Optimal Life Foods

Want to live long and prosper? Of course you do! So don’t miss this amazing interview with dietitian and author of not one, but two books that can help save your life and give you an optimal life!

In this interview, Dave Grotto, author of 101 Optimal Life Foods, and I discuss common mistakes dieters make – like having the “good foods, bad foods” list. Dave gives his perspective on where consumers are getting it right (like buying healthy foods) and where they are getting it wrong (forgetting to cook it or overcooking). Finally, you don’t want to miss his three favorite foods he would bring if he was stranded on a desert island and trying to survive (and stay happy) while waiting for help to come.

Listen now, then read on to learn how to get a copy for yourself!

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The F-Factor Diet

The American Dietetic Association has named March National Nutrition Month. But to help us think a bit more deeply about our eating habits, the ADA has a second message that coincides with the themed month: Nutrition From the Ground Up.

So if you’re wondering if that means eating more foods from nature, you’re right, and if you’re thinking that this message is a call to build a healthier diet, you’re also right.

One of the foundations of developing a healthy eating plan is consuming plenty of plant-based foods, or foods from the ground. And while fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds are full of disease-fighting vitamins and minerals, they also share the common denominator of containing fiber.

We now know that most Americans don’t get enough of the 25 recommended grams of fiber a day, but rather than relying on the new line of processed foods that are added with synthetic fibers, which can cause gastrointestinal distress and may not offer the same health benefits as fiber in its natural form, we thought we would focus on a diet that is all about helping you eat more fiber: The F-Factor Diet.

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National Nutrition Month: Nutrition From the Ground Up

Every March the nutrition chatter is kicked up a notch. It’s largely due to National Nutrition Month® (either that or spring is upon us and we’re thinking of shedding some clothes and pounds).

National Nutrition Month is a nutrition education and information campaign created annually in March by the American Dietetic Association. The campaign focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. One month is not nearly enough time to think about eating healthy and exercise, but I’ll take what I can get!

The theme for March 2024 is “Nutrition From the Ground Up.” I love this theme because it aligns with what I believe is missing in the nutrition conversation – a healthy foundation. (more…)

National Nutrition Month Reminds Older Adults and Kids How To “Eat Right”

grandpa and granddaughter ride bikesNational Nutrition Month (NNM) is an annual campaign focusing on nutrition education and providing health information, which is complied by the American Dietetic Association (ADA).  The National Nutrition Month campaign focuses on making healthy food choices, developing sound eating habits, and being physically active everyday.  The ADA makes a point to highlight specific nutrition facts for the older adults and kids.

Special Nutrient Needs for Older Adults

  • Calcium and Vitamin D. More vitamin D and calcium are needed as we age to help maintain bone health.  The best way to assure you are getting enough is to include three servings of vitamin D-fortified, low-fat or fat-free milk and yogurt each day. Other calcium-rich foods sources include: fortified cereals and fruit juices, dark green leafy vegetables and canned fish with soft bones. (If you take a calcium supplement or multivitamin, choose one that contains vitamin D.) (more…)

“Eat Right!” for National Nutrition Month

national nutrition monthNational Nutrition Month® is the annual nutrition campaign held in March to provide nutrition education and information. This campaign was created by the American Dietetic Association (ADA), in which they strives to improve Americans’ eating habits by stressing the importance of making healthy food choices, developing nutritious eating habits, and helping to incorporate physical activity to your every day life.

This year’s theme is simple and to the point: “Eat Right,” and the ADA website provides us with the 2024 Key Messages to help make sure we “Eat Right.”

Eating Right Messages for Everyone
Eating right and staying fit are important at every age!  By making healthy food choices and being physically active every day you will help yourself live a more energized and healthier life (not to mention, feeling great about yourself!). Don’t get stressed and feel like eating right is complicated, start with these recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans: (more…)

Food Labels Can Be Evil

Money rules the world. Now that I’ve stated the obvious… let’s look at how companies have slickly pretended that they have all our best interests in mind. After it became blatantly obvious that we were all getting too fat and wanted to do something about it (at least in theory), big business wanted to at least give us the impression they cared. That’s why we got labels that say things like “35 Percent Less Fat” or “All Natural.” They sound great, don’t they? Except for the fact that they don’t have your best interest in mind.

Of course, all sensible people know this. But, it’s easy for unsuspecting people do be duped. For instance, 35 percent less fat on a surface level sounds like a big improvement. But, 35 percent of what? If something had, oh, 500 percent more fat than what you should have in a given serving, 35 percent less doesn’t sound so attractive now, does it?

Another example… all natural. Natural is good. But it isn’t always less fattening. Something can be totally natural and also be totally fattening. Another label deception is manipulating portion size. Next time you buy a “health” drink, take a look at how many portions they intend for that bottle to be. So, who puts a bottle back in their refrigerator half full for tomorrow? If not, realize that you need to multiply that sugar and calorie total by two.

Since March is National Nutrition Month, let’s pay more attention to the products we pull off the shelves. Every little change can accumulate into big weight loss dividends over time.

Learn more from Bob Greene, Dr. Oz and Eat This, Not That about reading labels and being educated before you eat.