National Nutrition Month® 2017
National Nutrition Month® is a nutrition education and information campaign created annually in March by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.
The theme for 2017 is “Put Your Best Fork Forward”, which acts as a reminder that each bite counts. Making just small shifts in our food choices, can add up over time. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest starting with small changes in order to make healthier lasting changes you can enjoy. Next year’s theme for National Nutrition Month® inspires us to start with small changes in our eating habits – one forkful at a time. So whether you are planning meals to prepare at home or making selections when eating out, Put Your Best Fork Forward to help find your healthy eating style.
Key Messages:
- Create an eating style that includes a variety of your favorite, healthful foods.
- Practice cooking more at home and experiment with healthier ingredients.
- How much we eat is as important as what we eat. Eat and drink the right amount for you, as MyPlate encourages us to do.
- Find activities that you enjoy and be physically active most days of the week.
- Manage your weight or lower your health risks by consulting a registered dietitian nutritionist. RDNs can provide sound, easy-to-follow personalized nutrition advice to meet your lifestyle, preferences and health-related needs.
The Basics of the Nutrition Facts Label
Start with the Serving Size
- Look here for both the serving size (the amount people typically eat at one time) and the number of servings in the package.
- Compare your portion size (the amount you actually eat) to the serving size listed on the panel. If the serving size is one cup and you eat two cups, you are getting twice the calories, fat and other nutrients listed on the label.
Check Out the Total Calories
- Find out how many calories are in a single serving. It’s smart to cut back on calories if you are watching your weight.
Let the Percent Daily Values Be Your Guide
Use percent Daily Values (DV) to help evaluate how a particular food fits into your daily meal plan.
- Daily Values are average levels of nutrients for a person eating 2,000 calories a day. A food item with a 5 percent DV of fat provides 5 percent of the total fat that a person consuming 2,000 calories a day should eat.
- Percent DV are for the entire day, not just one meal or snack
- You may need more or less than 2,000 calories per day. For some nutrients you may need more or less than 100 percent DV.
The High and Low of Daily Values
- Low is 5 percent or less. Aim low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium.
- High is 20 percent or more. Aim high in vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Limit Saturated Fat, Added Sugars and Sodium
Eating less saturated fat, added sugars and sodium may help reduce your risk for chronic disease.
- Saturated fat and trans fat are linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
- Eating too much added sugar makes it difficult to meet nutrient needs within your calorie requirement.
- High levels of sodium can add up to high blood pressure.
- Remember to aim for low percentage DV of these nutrients.
Get Enough Vitamins, Minerals and Fiber
- Eat more fiber, potassium, vitamin D, calcium and iron to maintain good health and help reduce your risk of certain health problems such as osteoporosis and anemia.
- Choose more fruits and vegetables to get more of these nutrients.
- Remember to aim high for percentage DV of these nutrients.
Additional Nutrients
You know about calories, but it is important to also know the additional nutrients on the Nutrition Facts Lanel.
- Protein
A percentage Daily Value for protein is not required on the label. Eat moderate portions of lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese, plus beans and peas, peanut butter, seeds and soy products. - Carbohydrates
There are three types of carbohydrates: sugars, starches and fiber. Eat whole-grain breads, cereals, rice and pasta plus fruits and vegetables. - Sugars
Simple carbohydrates, or sugars, occur naturally in foods such as fruit juice (fructose) and milk (lactose) or come from refined sources such as table sugar (sucrose) or corn syrup. Added sugars will be included on the Nutrition Facts Label in 2018. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends consuming no more than 10 percent of daily calories from added sugars.
Check the Ingredient List
Foods with more than one ingredient must have an ingredient list on the label. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. Those in the largest amounts are listed first. This information is particularly helpful to individuals with food sensitivities, those who wish to avoid pork or shellfish, limit added sugars or people who prefer vegetarian eating. .
10 Ways to Save Time and Money at the Grocery Store
There is more variety on today’s grocery store shelves than ever before. With so many choices, it is easy to get overwhelmed. Make shopping easier by following these 10 guidelines.
- Don’t shop when you’re hungry. You’re more likely to make impulse purchases on less nutritious items that cost more.
- Make a shopping list and stick to it. If you keep a running list at home of items that need to be replaced, you won’t have to worry about forgetting anything.
- Organize your list into sections according to the layout of the supermarket. This cuts down on time and the number of passes you need to make through the aisles.
- Check for supermarket specials. These are printed in the newspaper or online. Plan your shopping trip around what’s on sale.
If you are a single-person household, there are special ways to maximize your food dollars at the grocery store.
- Buy frozen fruit and vegetables. This gives you the ability to take out the portions you need and buy these staples in bulk without worry about spoilage.
- Look for foods sold in single servings. You’ll find juice, yogurt, frozen meals, soup and pudding.
- Shop from bulk bins. You can buy smaller amounts, and reduce food waste.
- Talk to the butchers. Ask them, or the produce managers, for a smaller amount of prepackaged items.
- Buy produce that keeps longer in the refrigerator. These include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and carrots.
- Buy small loaves of bread. Then, wrap and freeze bread you won’t use right away.