Each month Cindy Silver, a Registered Dietitian, gives us a great tips to stay healthy. Read on to find out about some fun activities, recipes and other facts to keep you and your family healthy all year long!
March is Nutrition Month, Spring and a Perfect Time to Renew & Refresh
March is an exciting month for me. I was born in March and the first day of Spring is in March, too. Not only that, March is the month when we celebrate National Nutrition Month. The theme this year is ‘Your Way Every Day’ which features personalized food and nutrition plans. Your personal nutrition is based on what you like as well as your cultural food background and your everyday lifestyle. March is a perfect time to renew and refresh your nutrition goals so that they are right for you. A one-size-fits-all plan, after all, really fits no one. For ongoing credible nutrition information, please click here. Happy Nutrition Month!
Super Food, Functional Food, What’s the Deal?
Chances are you’ve heard that some healthy foods fit into a category called, super foods. And, you might have heard there are other amazing foods called functional foods. Well, at this point, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Washington DC has no legal definition for either a super food or a functional food. Mainly these terms are what marketing groups use to sell more food. As a registered dietitian, I advise you to eat a wide variety of foods, focusing on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy foods, extra lean meat, skinless poultry and seafood. If you prefer not to eat red meat, then you’ll want to substitute plant sources of protein such as soybeans, soybean products, beans, lentils, quinoa, nuts. When you make smart meals out of these, you are eating in a super-healthy style. For more details about functional foods, click here.
Nutrition Month Inspires Meatless Recipes
For most Americans, meat, chicken or fish is a daily dinner necessity. Did you know, though, that health advisory groups such as the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommend 1-2 meatless dinners every week? They do, so here are 2 meal plans to get you started.
Meatless Italian Dinner
- Baked Eggplant Parmesan
- Green Salad with Cucumbers & Carrots
- Crusty Whole Grain Bread
- Cut-up Melon
- Water, Tea or Coffee
Meatless Mexican Dinner
- Mexican Tortilla Pizza
- Brown Rice topped with Salsa
- Fruit Salad with Fresh Mango
- Water, Tea or Coffee
Ole!
Roasting Vegetables – Kids Like ‘em Too!
For reluctant vegetable eaters of all ages, there is now hope. Roasting just about any veggie not only cooks it to a delightful doneness but it also makes it nice and sweet compared to other cooking methods. You can roast chunks of sweet potatoes, florets of broccoli or cauliflower. You can roast parsnips, onions, chunks of fennel and chunks of carrots. And, believe it or not, even beets get sweet and tender when they’re roasted.
Basic Roast Vegetables Recipe
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Wash veggies and cut into 1-inch chunks.
- Put veggies in a large bowl and toss with about 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Spread veggies out in a single layer on a flat baking sheet or pan.
- Roast for 20-25 minutes, turning after 15 minutes, until tender when you poke with a fork.
Note: Use a combination of 3 vegetables for even more flavor.
Nutrition Month Means Light, Healthy & Delicious Recipes
Try these recipes for a busy weekday or a relaxing weekend. Happy Nutrition Month!
- Easy Pumpkin Soup – a great way to get your vitamin A
- Thai Chicken Wrap Sandwich – with great green crunch and fiber
- Sizzling Steak Fajitas – lean steak is full of protein, iron, vitamin B12
- Banana Milkshake – a tasty combo of protein, calcium, vitamin D, potassium