March is National Nutrition Month®

Looking to improve your health by eating better? What better way to kick-off spring and National Nutrition Month® than by developing healthier eating habits? One small change to your diet can have a big impact on your overall health. Succeeding with smaller goals will encourage you to continue making more positive changes!

National Nutrition Month®, an annual campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that takes place during March, helps individuals learn how to develop healthy eating and physical activity habits. The theme for National Nutrition Month® for 2023 is “Fuel for the Future”, which focuses on eating with sustainability in mind to nourish ourselves during every phase of life and protecting the environment.

Individuals are encouraged to think about the following messages as they maneuver each week of National Nutrition Month® in March:

1. Eat with the environment in mind: Enjoy more plant-based meals and snacks,

purchase foods with minimal packaging and shop locally when possible.

2. See a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist: Ask your doctor for a referral to an RDN,

learn how nutrient needs may change with age and receive personalized

nutrition information to meet your health goals.

3. Stay nourished and save money: Plan your meals and snacks, see what food

you have at home before purchasing more and use a grocery list and shop

sales when purchasing food.

4. Eat a variety of foods from all food groups: Include your favorite cultural foods

and traditions, eat foods in various forms including fresh, frozen, canned and

dried and practice gratitude for your body by giving it the fuel it needs.

5. Make tasty foods at home: Learn cooking and meal preparation skills, try new

flavors and foods from around the world and find creative ways to use

leftovers rather than tossing them.

Eatright.org also offers ample resources to help you take steps to eating healthier. These include health tips, eating right on a budget and healthy eating on the run. Find some of these helpful tips below and click here for their complete list of resources! Remember, start your journey with smaller goals you can accomplish!

· Eat breakfast

· Drink more water

· Slow down at mealtime

· Take time to look over the menu ahead of time when planning to eat out and

make careful selections.

· When eating out, ask for sauces, dressings and toppings to be served “on the

side.”

· Plan your grocery list ahead of time

· Shop for foods that are in season-these will be less expensive!

· Start your own garden

Looking for programs to help you get started on your healthy eating journey? WellSpan Health and Capital Blue Cross are partnering to offer Virtual Cooking Demonstrations and a Virtual Grocery Store Tour in March for National Nutrition Month®.

Follow along with the Healthy You Cafe during the Cooking Demonstrations as they cook easy-to-follow recipes, including energy bites, mixed berry overnight oats and a taco rice bowl. Register here to participate in the March 7th or March 16th demonstrations.

Led by a Registered Dietitian, the Grocery Store Tour, taking place on March 14th, will highlight 2023’s National Nutrition Month® theme and provide education on how to navigate the grocery store aisles and read nutrition facts labels. Register here!

While winter is coming to a close, WellSpan Health’s Winter STREAK program still has a final workshop taking place on March 15th, which will focus on healthy crockpot recipes! Register for the workshop here and check out winterstreak.org for additional resources and previous workshop recordings!

If you’re looking to start your health journey with a year-long commitment, register for the nationally recognized CDC evidence-based program, PreventT2, offered by Keystone Health. This free program has been proven to help those with pre-diabetes make lifestyle changes that can cut the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by more than half. Classes begin on April 4th. Anyone interested in participating does not need to be a Keystone Health patient. For more information and to sign up, call (717) 372-6687, or email HLucas@keystonehealth.org.