KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — March is National Nutrition Month. It’s an effort to spread education and information by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Dieticians are calling on people to take steps at the grocery store toward better eating.
“This is actually the 50th anniversary of National Nutrition Month and the theme for this year is Fuel for the Future and that speaks to the sustainability of the environment and how we eat but also maybe more importantly individually is fueling for each stage in our life,” said Lee Murphy, a distinguished lecturer at the University of Tennessee’s Department of Nutrition.
Just like a new parent will follow the dietary stages for a newborn or toddler, adults should eat for every stage of life.
“Easy things like eating five fruits and vegetables a day, focusing on whole grains, focusing on lean proteins and unsaturated fats. Those main messages to focus on every day. There are so many fad diets out there that we could all look at,” said Murphy.
She said to stick to the basics. Dieticians used to advise that all of the good stuff was along the perimeter of the grocery store.
“There’s lots of good stuff in the middle, we just have to read our labels and make sure we are looking for things that will affect our health the best,” said Murphy.
Also, look out for healthy tips like Dietician’s Pick that can be found on Food City store shelves. According to Food City, “foods that have the Dietitian’s Pick shelf-tag meet certain nutrient criteria, developed the Food City Registered Dietitian and Healthy Initiatives team.”
“Registered dietitians have extensive academic training, as well as clinical training and extensive work in evidence-based research and otherwise and so they have been schooled to have clinical practice so that they know the best things to recommend for individuals,” said Murphy.
Above all, be mindful of who you get your information from because bad information can set your health journey back.
“If you go through TikTok or Instagram or any social media you will see all sorts of recommendations and generally are not established registered dietitians. There are registered dietitians that have great social media, but you don’t know that unless you do your homework,” said Murphy.
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For more on how to jump-start your healthy lifestyle, check out the Knoxville Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at eatrightknox.org for more information on events, referral directory, and resources.
