Author: Danielle Hammond-Krueger, MPH, RD

Celebrate March by “Putting Your Best Fork Forward”, as the theme for National Nutrition Month®.  “According to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, we should shift to healthier food and beverage choices. Making changes to eating patterns can take time.  Every food choice is an opportunity to move toward a healthy eating pattern, no matter how small the shifts, “said Danielle Krueger a Registered Dietitian with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.  “Put your best fork forward” by following these steps to make healthy shifts in food choices:

Choose more vegetables from all subgroups.  When making dishes or snacks, add more vegetables to the dish in place of foods high in saturated fat and/or sodium.

Add low-fat or fat-free dairy to your snacks or dishes.  When making foods which traditionally call for mayonnaise or prepared salad dressing, try replacing with low-fat or fat-free yogurts.

Substitute whole fruit for fruit products with added sugars.  Choose more whole fruits as snacks, in a salad, or in place of desserts with added sugars such as ice cream, cakes, and pies.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service offers nutrition education programs which help inform consumers about how to make healthy shifts in food choices and reduce the risk for chronic disease. To learn more about our nutrition and health programs such as Better Living for Texans, Expanded Food and Nutrition Program, Dinner Tonight, Walk Across Texas, and Do Well, Be Well with Diabetes, contact your local County Extension Agent.

National Nutrition Month® is an annual promotion through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.  Visit the Academy at eatright.org.