March is National Nutrition Month®
HOUSTON – March is National Nutrition Month® and Harris County Public Health (HCPH) is emphasizing the importance of making healthy food choices and developing physical activity habits for a healthier life.
National Nutrition Month® was created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The Academy is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals and is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education, and advocacy.
HCPH’s Community Health and Wellness Division (CHWD) is dedicated to teaching community members how to eat healthier and increase physical activity to maintain a healthy lifestyle. In 2014, HCPH launched the Nutrition and Physical Activity (NPA) program to reduce the epidemic of childhood and adult obesity within Harris County. The NPA program utilizes the following evidence-based curricula to ensure optimal education for every age group:
- Eat Play Grow – A creative educational approach to teaching children ages 2-5 and their parents how to make healthy nutrition and physical activity choices.
- Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) –A program designed to create behavior change by enabling children to identify healthy foods and increase the amount of physical activity that they engage in each day. Ideal for elementary and middle school ages.
- Cooking Matters – Participants will engage in hands-on activities that will improve their skills in planning and preparing tasty, healthy, low-cost meals. Ideal for everyone ages 7 and up.
- Chronic Disease Prevention Classes: Educates participants about prevention and management of chronic diseases such as: diabetes, hypertension, and heart diseases.
- Senior Classes – Participants learn about various nutrition topics related to healthy aging.
Learning more about physical, mental, and nutritional health will help you develop healthy habits. Some tips to follow are:
- Plan your meals ahead of time: Planning your meals ahead of time can ensure that you include nutritious foods while staying within budget.
- Make half your plate fruits and vegetables: Make two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables your daily goal. Experiment with different types, including fresh, frozen, and canned.
- Create balanced meals: Choose from 3 or more food groups. Use half your plate for fruits and vegetables and the other half for grains and lean protein foods.
- Be Active: Regular physical activity has many health benefits. Children and teens should get 60 or more minutes of physical activity per day, and adults at least two hours and 30 minutes per week.
- Get to know food labels: Read the Nutrition Facts label to help you choose foods and drinks to meet your nutrient needs.
- Fix healthy snacks: Healthy snacks can sustain your energy levels between meals. Choose from two or more of the following groups: grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, and protein.
- Drink more water: Stay hydrated and drink plenty of water instead of drinks with added sugars.
- Reduce added sugars: Try beverages like flavored water and unsweet tea to pair with your meals. Eat more naturally sweet foods like fruit salad, baked fruit with cinnamon, or a piece of fruit.
- Slow down at mealtime: Instead of eating on the run or in front of the TV, practice eating mindfully.
To learn more, please visit HCPH’s Nutrition and Physical Activity website or call 713-274-5711