Have you ever thought about all the ways food brings people together?
During this year’s National Nutrition Month, we encourage individuals to explore the importance of making informed food choices while developing healthy eating and physical activity habits.
Sharing meals brings people together in ways that hold deep cultural and social meaning across communities worldwide, providing opportunities to learn about food preparation, the origins of ingredients, and the history behind the people who create the dishes. Health, memories, traditions, seasons and access all play a role in shaping people’s relationships with food and sharing meals can enhance social connections and strengthen community bonds. While all these factors influence the foods you eat, that food in turn also affects your health.
Fully embrace National Nutrition Month by learning how food connects people to their cultures, families and communities – both their own and others.
Registered dietitian nutritionists and nutrition and dietetics technicians all play a critical role in helping people understand the connection between the foods individuals and communities eat, and how these foods impact everyone’s health throughout their lives.
Here are tips from experts for improving your health during this National Nutrition Month and beyond.
1. Make time to learn
Experts dedicate significant time to educating their distributors and their customers to help them achieve the nutrition they need for a healthier lifestyle. Learning how to read and understand nutrition labels is one crucial step, along with understanding the importance of eating nutrient-dense foods – ingredients containing many essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients you need, without a lot of empty calories that are devoid of nutritional value.
To help you get started, there are plenty of online resources on nutrition, where you can find tips for shopping and meal planning. Focusing on ways to prepare well-balanced meals, rather than opting for the quickest and easiest snacks, is key to fostering better health and well-being for you and your family.
2. Find community and connection
How you cook and eat together with family, friends and your community can impact your health and wellness goals. Activities like shopping, cooking together and having children spend time with you in the kitchen can help your whole family build healthier habits. Your children will learn from your example as you prioritize choosing quality ingredients and prepare them with care to make healthful meals.
You can also enhance that sense of connection by sharing meals with extended family, friends and other community members.
3. Practice mindful eating
Pay attention to the origins of your food, as well as how you consume them. Learning where ingredients come from and how they are best prepared can enhance your appreciation for meals and encourage healthier habits.
Increase mindfulness by turning meals into special occasions where distractions (like phones) are set aside. Spend time enjoying the food and each other’s company as you share the meal together. Slow down to appreciate each bite of food so you can not only savor the flavors and the social occasion but help decrease everyone’s tendency to overeat.
4. Prioritize nutrition
Focus on creating well-balanced meals that include a variety of nutrients. Even when you do your best, statistics show that the American diet does not always provide the proper amount of some key nutrients that are needed for the body to function optimally. It’s all too easy to lean on convenience over substance, which can have a negative impact on long-term health. Certain products can help supplement your diet with essential nutrients, ensuring you get the nutrition you need.
5. Stay active together
Combine more nutrition-focused eating with physical activity with family or friends to create a healthier lifestyle for everyone. Incorporate exercise into your daily routine, through group activities at nutrition clubs, personal workouts and/or family outdoor activities. You can start with simple family walks or bike rides before or after dinner.
Explore healthy living habits, nutrition tips and how to participate in a community focused on wellness.
By: Brandpoint (Edited by d-mars.com)
