March is Nutrition Month!

National Nutrition Month is an annual campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. During the month of March, everyone is invited to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthful eating and physical activity habits.

 

This year’s theme is “Personalize Your Plate.”

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition and health. We are all unique with different bodies, goals, backgrounds and tastes! And a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist can tailor a healthful eating plan that is as special as you are.

 

While Food addiction treatment involves a specific type of plan that takes further steps beyond general nutritional guidelines (We have a very personalized plate), we can still find value in more broad messaging about nutrition.

 

For example, one of the practices that dietitians are encouraging us to practice is mindful eating. When we think of healthy eating, we often think about what to eat and maybe even what not to eat. But healthy eating is more than food. It’s about how we eat too. Mindful eating encourages us to be aware of our hunger and fullness cues and to be present with food.

 

Brief History of Nutrition Month:

For over 30 years, Nutrition Month has been the most visible public awareness campaign for Dietitians, reaching millions of Canadians. It began in the late 1970’s as a “Nutrition Week” with a small group of community dietitians. Local dietitians across several provinces then began planning events and activities in their workplaces, shopping malls, libraries and with the media. In 1981, The Canadian Dietetic Association (now Dietitians of Canada) and all the provincial dietetic associations jointly sponsored the first National Nutrition Week. The primary purpose of the Campaign was to increase public awareness about the importance of healthy eating by identifying dietitians as the most credible source of food and nutrition information. By the end of the decade, the campaign was expanded to a month. 

 

Each year, a Nutrition Month theme is selected by Dietitians of Canada based on a scan of the environment and with input from members. Themes have varied from the 1994 campaign “Nourishing our Children’s Future” to “Get the real deal on your meal” in 2012 to “Unlock the potential of food” in 2018.

 

See how you can get involved, or find out more here:

https://www.eatright.org/food/resources/national-nutrition-month