March 2, 2007

Every March, the American Dietetic Association sponsors National Nutrition Month^® — a nutritional and informational campaign aimed at educating the public on making informed food choices. The idea began in 1973 as "National Nutrition Week," but became a month-long observance in 1980 due to increased public interest in nutrition.

This year's theme — "100% Fad Free" — encourages the public to avoid the latest food fads and instead focus on their overall lifelong health. The theme also emphasizes creating a healthy eating plan. When choosing foods, consider the following:

• Focus on fruits. For a 2,000-calorie diet, you need two cups of fruit daily.
• Vary your veggies. Eat more orange and dark green vegetables and include beans and peas more often.
• Eat calcium-rich foods. Drink three cups of low-fat or fat-free milk. Or you can substitute low-fat yogurt or cheese (one-and-a-half ounces of cheese equals one cup of milk).
• Make half your grains whole. Eat at least three ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, etc. every day.
• Go lean with protein. Bake, broil or grill lean meats and poultry. Vary your protein sources with more fish, beans, nuts, etc.
• Limit your intake of fats, salt and sugars.

Along with maintaining a healthy diet, at least 30 minutes of exercise a day is recommended by health care professionals.

To learn more about a healthy diet, check out the My Pyramid website, which offers tips, resources, a "My Pyramid" tracker, and even games and information for elementary school-aged children.

March also is "Workplace Eye Safety Month." Watch an upcoming News Transmission for information about this important annual observance.