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.
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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
