March is National Nutrition Month,® sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Fill Half Your Plate with Fruits & Vegetables.
This will help limit your portions of higher calorie foods that people tend to overdo, like proteins and grains. Eating more fruits and vegetables is a great way to get the fiber and vitamins your body needs, while helping to fill you up and stay satisfied longer.
Eat Mindfully.
Make sure that when you are eating that you are also listening to your body. Eat slowly and stop when you start feeling full. Wait 20 minutes after your first serving before a second helping. Give your body time to realize that you are no longer hungry.
Get Moving!
Regular physical activity is important for mood regulation, prevention of chronic diseases, and to help reach and maintain a healthy weight. Find ways to add physical activity to your day by taking the stairs, parking farther away, and working out for at least 30 minutes on most days. If you are new to physical activity, check with your doctor and try 10-minutes of movement 2-3 times a day.
Make Half Your Grains Whole.
Add more fiber to your diet by using whole grain breads, cereals, pastas, and brown rice. Look for these words as the first ingredient on a food label to make sure you are buying a whole grain: anything with the word “whole,” brown rice, oatmeal, oats, wheat berries, teff, quinoa, farro, bulgur, barley, buckwheat, and pearl couscous.
Drink More Water.
Ditch sugary beverages for your water bottle. Mix things up by adding natural flavorings like lemon, orange slices, strawberries, and cucumbers.
Watch Your Portions.
To prevent overeating at meals, keep your portions in check.
• Grains the size of a light bulb (½ cup)
• Meat, poultry, and fish the size of a deck of cards (2-3 ounces)
• Peanut butter the size of a golf ball (2 tablespoons)
• Hard cheeses the size of a 9 volt battery or 4 dice (1 ½ oz)
Eat Regular Meals & Snacks.
Eating every 3-5 hours can help prevent you from getting too hungry and overeating at the next meal. Skipping meals may disrupt metabolism, so by eating every few hours your metabolism will stay working all day long.
Be Prepared.
Plan ahead and pack some snacks to prevent you from getting too hungry. Try snacking on peanut butter & banana, an apple & string cheese, a hardboiled egg & carrot sticks, or pretzels & hummus.
By: Elena Vanderveldt, Virginia Tech Dietetic Intern, mentored by Sara Kuykendall, MBA, RD, LD at Valley Health Wellness & Fitness Center
References:
National Nutrition Month® Media Materials. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. https://www.eatrightpro.org/resources/media/multimedia-news-center/national-nutrition-month-media-materials. Accessed February 25, 2015.
March is National Nutrition Month®. United States Department of Agriculture. https://www.choosemyplate.gov/NNM.html. Accessed February 25, 2015.
Identifying Whole Grain Products. Whole Grains Council. https://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/identifying-whole-grain-products. Accessed February 25, 2015.
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