National Nutrition Month Promotes Wellness

01/03/2005

National Nutrition Month is coming around again in March, and the theme for the 2005 campaign is "Get a Taste for Nutrition."

The campaign's sponsor, the American Dietetic Association (ADA), offers specific advice each year; this year its "key messages" include:

• Be adventurous and expand your horizons. Variety is the “spice of life” in your food choices and is key to good nutrition and health. Choose foods based on flavor, texture and colors that are tasty and healthy. Explore the wide world of nutrition by trying a variety of foods.
  
  
• Treat your taste buds. You decide how much and how often. Choose foods sensibly by looking at the big picture; it’s what you eat over several days, not just one meal or day that counts. So enjoy all your favorite foods, just try eating them in moderate amounts.
  
  
• Maintain a healthy weight. Managing your weight plays a vital role in achieving and maintaining good health and quality of life. Carrying excess weight may put you at greater risk for health problems. The good news is that healthy eating and regular physical activity make it easier to achieve lifelong weight management and long–term health!
  
  
• Balance food choices with your lifestyle. Choosing the right balance of foods helps you get the right combination of nutrients. So balance your food choices with your physical activities to achieve and maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle.
  
  
• Be active. Be creative and enjoy a variety of ways to stay active to feel your best. There’s no need for expensive equipment or complicated fitness programs. Start by making a list of physical activities that fit into your lifestyle and schedule one every day.

Sponsored annually by ADA, National Nutrition Month is a nutrition education and information campaign designed to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. NNM also promotes ADA and its members to the public and the media as the most valuable and credible source of timely, scientifically-based food and nutrition information.