Celebrate National Nutrition Month this March and “Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right”
Focus on enjoying the taste when preparing and eating a variety of nutritious foods and meals this month! Consumer research confirms that taste tops nutrition as the main reason why one food is purchased over another. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics encourages everyone to explore new foods and flavors, keeping taste and nutrition on your plate at every meal. Check out the tips and recipes below.
Tips
- When grocery shopping, make it a point to try one new fruit, vegetable, whole grain or legume every week, even if you start with picking a different type of apple, then move onto things you have never tried before.
- Have you tried these lately?: Fresh kiwi sliced in yogurt, frozen mango chunks blended in smoothie, kale added to soup, farro, barley or quinoa pilaf, lentils or beans mixed in casserole…
- Add variety to your staple dishes by varying the ways you cook them. Roast the potatoes with skin that you typically mash. Lightly sauté or steam vegetables to maintain nutrients. Choose a vinegar or tomato sauce instead of a cheese/cream sauce.
- What about these cooking techniques?: Oven roast brussels sprouts, steam sugar snap peas, broil fish, marinate in fruit juice and grill chicken breasts…
- Get to know your herbs, spices, and vinegars. A pinch of this and a dash of that can add a fresh and healthy zest to an old favorite.
- Are these on your grocery list?: Minced garlic, balsamic vinegar, fresh lemon juice, fresh cilantro, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, ground cinnamon…
Recipes
Baked Sweet Potato Fries (Serves 2)
Get creative and find your favorite flavor combination for these nutrient packed fries.
Ingredients: 1 medium sweet potato, 2 tsp. olive oil, garlic powder, chili powder, ground sea salt
Directions: Heat oven to 400F. Cut sweet potato into fry shapes. Spread on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with spices and salt. Toss gently and spread out flat on baking sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes. Enjoy!
Simply Steamed Broccoli (Serves 2-4)
Ingredients: 1 bag frozen or fresh broccoli, 2 tsp. olive oil, 1 lemon, fresh ground sea salt and black pepper
Directions: Steam broccoli according to package directions 3-5 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil. Squeeze juice of 1/2 -1 lemon on top. Sprinkle with freshly ground salt and pepper to taste.
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