‘Bite Into A Healthy Lifestyle’ With Informed Food Choices During National Nutrition Month® And Beyond, Says Academy Of Nutrition And Dietetics

FOR RELEASE JANUARY 27, 2015


CHICAGO – An eating pattern that meets people’s nutrient needs within calorie limits is vital to maintaining good health and quality of life. That’s why the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is encouraging everyone to “Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle” with informed food choices during National Nutrition Month® 2015 and throughout the year.

“A healthy lifestyle is about so much more than just choosing to eat more fruits and vegetables. While that is important, it’s also essential to make informed food choices based on your individual health and nutrient needs,” says registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy Spokesperson Marjorie Nolan Cohn. “Knowing which nutrients your body needs, the foods that contain them, and how much fits into your healthy eating plan are all part of making smart choices.”

Each March, the Academy encourages Americans to return to the basics of healthy eating through National Nutrition Month®. This year’s theme encourages consumers to adopt a healthy lifestyle that is focused on consuming fewer calories, making informed food choices and getting daily exercise in order to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, reduce the risk of chronic disease and promote overall health.

Learn your needs
Age, gender, body type, family history, existing health conditions and daily routines all play a factor in determining which foods we should eat more of and which we should avoid when trying to optimize our health.

“A consultation with a registered dietitian nutritionist is the best tool for learning what your body needs to achieve peak health and prevent disease,” Cohn says. “An RDN will review your health history, and then work with your preferences and routine to put together a comprehensive and achievable lifestyle-based eating plan.”

Find your foods
Understanding what is in food is essential to making informed food choices while building an eating plan that meets your tastes.

“This may sound simple, but knowing which foods contain the nutrients you need is the next step in biting into a healthy lifestyle,” Cohn says. “For instance, most people know that oranges are a good source of vitamin C, but so are tomatoes and potatoes. Dairy foods like milk are a good source of calcium, but so is broccoli. Fruits and vegetables provide fiber, but so do whole grains and beans. A registered dietitian nutritionist can guide your food choices while keeping your tastes and preferences in mind.”

Know the facts
When food selections go beyond whole foods and into packaged foods, understanding what fits and what doesn’t may not be as clear.

“Front-of-package nutrition claims, ingredient lists and Nutrition Facts Panels can make any food choice dizzying, but with a few tips from an RDN, that task will be less daunting,” Cohn says.

“The higher an ingredient is on the list, the more of that ingredient is included compared to the others. This is a good way to determine if a particular food product is made with whole grains or has a lot of added sugar,” Cohn says.

“Often when an ingredient like salt or fat is reduced, more of another ingredient is added to help keep taste consistent,” Cohn says. “So, no matter what the claim is on the front of the package, it’s important to always read the Nutrition Facts Panel to determine how many calories and how much fat, sugar and salt a are in the package.”

Making the right food and nutrition choices is a necessary part of biting into a healthy lifestyle. A registered dietitian nutritionist can help. To learn more and to find an RDN in your area visit www.eatright.org.

As part of this public education campaign, the Academy’s National Nutrition Month website includes a variety of helpful tips, games, promotional tools and nutrition education resources, all designed to spread the message of good nutrition based on the “Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle” theme.

###

All registered dietitians are nutritionists – but not all nutritionists are registered dietitians. The Academy’s Board of Directors and Commission on Dietetic Registration have determined that those who hold the credential registered dietitian (RD) may optionally use “registered dietitian nutritionist” (RDN) instead. The two credentials have identical meanings.


The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Visit the Academy at www.eatright.org

This National Nutrition Month® Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Encourages Everyone To ‘Bite Into a Healthy Lifestyle’

FOR RELEASE JANUARY 14, 2015

CHICAGO – There is no one food, drink, pill or machine that is the key to achieving optimal health. A person’s overall daily routine is what is most important. That is why, as part of National Nutrition Month® 2015, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics urges everyone to “Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle.”
             
Each March, the Academy encourages Americans to return to the basics of healthful eating through National Nutrition Month. This year’s theme encourages consumers to adopt a healthy lifestyle that is focused on consuming fewer calories, making informed food choices and getting daily exercise in order to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, reduce the risk of chronic disease and promote overall health.

“A healthy lifestyle – one based on regular physical activity and an eating pattern chosen to meet individual nutrient needs within calorie limits – is vital to maintaining good health and quality of life,” said registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy President Sonja Connor. “This year’s ‘Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle’ theme gives consumers an easy reminder that achieving optimal health is not about a specific food or time or year, but rather a life-long commitment that leaves plenty of time for the foods and activities we love.”

The Academy strives to communicate healthful eating messages that emphasize balancing food and beverages within an individual’s energy needs, rather than focusing on any one specific food or meal. To this end, it is the Academy’s position that improving overall health requires a lifelong commitment to healthful lifestyle behaviors, emphasizing sustainable and enjoyable eating practices and daily physical activity. 

“The key is determining the lifestyle balance that provides the body what it needs, while still allowing room for the foods and activities we enjoy most,” Connor said. “This is where the expertise of registered dietitian nutritionists plays such a key role. RDNs work with consumers to find balance and create sustainable eating and physical activity plans that fit their tastes and routines.”

Initiated in 1973 as a week-long event, “National Nutrition Week” became a month-long observance in 1980 in response to growing public interest in nutrition.

To commemorate the dedication of registered dietitian nutritionists as the leading advocates for advancing the nutritional status of Americans and people around the world, the second Wednesday of each March is celebrated as “Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day.” This year Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day will be celebrated March 11.

As part of this public education campaign, the Academy’sNational Nutrition Month website includes a variety of helpful tips, games, promotional tools and educational resources, all designed to spread the message of good nutrition based on the “Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle” theme.
 
###

All registered dietitians are nutritionists – but not all nutritionists are registered dietitians. The Academy’s Board of Directors and Commission on Dietetic Registration have determined that those who hold the credential registered dietitian (RD) may optionally use “registered dietitian nutritionist” (RDN) instead. The two credentials have identical meanings.


The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at www.eatright.org. 

Dietitian and Nutrition Blogs & News