The National Nutrition Month® 2020 theme — Eat Right, Bite by Bite — supports the philosophy that every little bit (or bite!) of nutrition is a step in the right direction. The link between good nutrition and healthy weight, reduced chronic disease risk, and overall health is too important to ignore. By taking steps to eat healthy, you’ll be on your way to getting the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy, active, and strong.
Unhealthy eating habits have contributed to the obesity epidemic in the United States: about one-third of U.S. adults (33.8%) are obese and approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2–19 years are obese.
Good nutrition doesn’t have to be overwhelming or overly time-consuming. There are many resources to help better understand the essential food groups and the role each one plays in your overall health from childhood through adulthood. In addition, you can find resources for planning meals on a budget, because eating healthy does not have to be expensive. Take advantage of these sites:
Learn more about nutrition facts, understanding labels, preparing healthy meals, vitamins and supplements and more at https://www.eatright.org.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Choose My Plate program offers tips and a personalized plan to meet your food group targets. Learn what works for you and your family within your health goals and budget at www.choosemyplate.gov.
How do we know what exactly we should be eating and how much of each food group in order to meet nutrition requirements? The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion provides guidelines for your reference at www.health.gov.