Nutrition professionals celebrate National Nutrition Month every year. And it’s that time of year again to promote nutrition and celebrate a world of flavors and healthy food!
If we’ve learned anything the past two years, it’s that diversity is important and we should celebrate it! Whether we’re talking about food, the way we look or the staff we employ we should celebrate our differences. Let’s look at how you can embrace a World of Flavors!
Most people eat and like best the food they were raised with. But as the food landscape has exploded, it’s easy to try food from cultures around the world and find new food preferences. Discovering other ethnic foods improves the variety of food you eat–thus also potentially adding more healthy food to your diet. National Nutrition Month is all about helping people eat healthier, feel better and live longer!
Are You in a Breakfast Rut? Try this Quick Breakfast Tostada!
Try a World of Flavors for Breakfast from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics:
- A smoothie with low-fat yogurt or buttermilk and tropical fruits, like papaya or mango.
- Za’atar mixed with a little olive oil and spread on whole wheat pita bread, then topped with tomato slices, olives, cucumber, and fresh mint.
- A Spanish omelet made with potatoes and other veggies, topped with a sprinkle of cheese.
- Vegetable upma, an Asian Indian dish that can be made with semolina or rice and spiced with ginger and other seasonings.• Scottish oatmeal or bulgur with low-fat or fat-free milk or fortified soymilk with a topping of fruit and nuts or nut butter.
- Congee, a Chinese rice porridge–served either plain or with vegetables and a protein food, such as cooked chicken, meat or fish.
- An omelet filled with fried rice, known as omurice in Japan.
If you’re hesitant about trying new ethnic foods, start with a base of foods you know. Case in point–PASTA!
Many cultures have some type of pasta so it’s an easy jumping off point to try something new. And guess what? First, you shouldn’t avoid pasta. Instead, you just need watch your portion sizes. One way to do this is to mix your pasta with veggies so it seems bigger on the plate!
Take for instance, this recipe for Warm Moroccan Spiced Couscous Salad. Couscous looks like rice, although it’s actually wheat. This recipe has plenty of veggies and a few spices that you might not be as familiar with.
Try this pasta dish with grilled veggies! It’s perfect for warmer weather. Add canellini beans or throw some shrimp or salmon on the “barbie” to go with it!
Other Ways to Celebrate National Nutrition Month
- Try a new fruit or veggie! Does your family eat the same fruits and veggies day in and day out? Pick something you’ve never tried before. This Jicama Apple Salad adds just the crunch and sweetness you need when you’re eating something spicy. This video explains how.
- Contact a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN), who can help you eat healthier or provide medical nutrition therapy. RDNs can help with eating plans for high blood pressure, diabetes and pre-diabetes, overweight, celiac disease, kidney disease and food allergies. Find out more about what a registered dietitian does here. Find a registered dietitian in your area here.
- Want more healthy eating tips? Check out more National Nutrition Month tips from The American Academy of Nutrition here.
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