Information from Active Living Board Member Shelly Head:
March is National Nutrition Month! This year’s theme is “Put Your Best Fork Forward,” meaning you can make healthy eating changes one forkful at a time. Did you know that taking even small steps towards eating healthier can add up to big improvements in your health? Here are some things you can do to ease into healthier eating:
- Add a serving of vegetables to your lunch and dinner. Vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients that can reduce risk for some diseases.
- Replace saturated fats with heart-healthy fats. Cook foods in olive oil instead of butter, swap meat for fish, and stick with low-fat dairy foods.
- Go meatless one day a week and try some vegetarian protein sources such as beans, eggs, and tofu. Eating less meat is good for your health and the environment!
- Make at least half your grains whole, choosing whole wheat bread, unprocessed oats, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and even ancient grains whenever possible. Whole grains are high in fiber, which helps keep us full, aids in digestion, and even fends off heart disease. Over the course of the month we’ll be sharing more nutrition tips like these to help you put your best fork forward!