National Nutrition Month

National Nutrition Month: All About Eating Healthy

March 12

March is National Nutrition Month, and all Americans are encouraged to take a look at

their eating habits and make any changes necessary in order to ensure that one is eating healthy. The theme of the observance encourages everyone to eat the recommended amounts of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy.

One thing that National Nutrition Month may address is childhood obesity, something that has been described countless times as an epidemic in the United States.

Information and awareness on proper nutrition and eating habits may help today’s kids eat healthy while they are still young, a thought that Linda Minges, a North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service Family and Consumer Science Agent, advocates.

Minges shared: “Develop healthy habits at an early age when children are a sponge… that prevention can go a long way with overall health.” She teaches a program to 4- and 5-year-old children called “Color Me Healthy,” which teaches children about healthy eating and being active through sight, touch, and sound.

Among its activities is getting to children to try new foods, one of the steps that they have to take in their journey towards a healthier lifestyle. Minges shares the following tips with parents who would like to get their children to eat healthy but still unfamiliar foods: start with smaller portion sizes, and add more fun to fruit and vegetable servings by adding herbs and spices. Minges also suggests encouraging children to engage in outside play, in order to stay active.

Testcountry.com