History:
‘Nutrition Month’ is celebrated every March, by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Nutrition Month is a nutrition enlightenment and guidance campaign with the main motive to help people make informed food choices along with developing good eating and exercising habits.
1973 saw the commencement of ‘Nutrition Week’ by presidential declaration, and by 1980 it had been transformed to cover the whole month of March. Federal and state governments together with the American Dietetic Association exuberantly embraced ‘Nutrition Month’ as an incredible means to encourage healthy eating and as a way to raise awareness and educate the public.
Each year ‘Nutrition Month’ is centered around a different theme, and the theme for 2016 is “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right,” which, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), “encourages everyone to take time to enjoy food traditions and appreciate the pleasures, great flavors and social experiences food can add to our lives. How, when, why and where we eat are just as important as what we eat.”
Nutrition Month Themes:
Ever since the campaign started, each year the theme has mirrored trends and culture of the time. However, it has always remained true to its original purpose. Let us have a look on some of the earlier themes:
1973: Invest in Yourself—Buy Nutrition
1978: Nutribird Says: Eat a Balanced Diet Every Day
1989: A Lifetime Decision—Choose Good Nutrition
1994: Nutrition Fuels Fitness
2000: Food and Fitness: Health for a Lifetime
2001: Food and Fitness: Build a Healthy Lifestyle
2002: Start Today for a Healthy Tomorrow
2003: Healthy Eating, Healthy You
2004: Eat Smart — Stay Healthy
2005: Get a Taste for Nutrition
2006: Step Up to Nutrition and Health
2007: 100% Fad Free
2008: Nutrition: It’s a Matter of Fact
2009: Eat Right!
2010: Nutrition From the Ground Up
2011: Eat Right with Color
2012: Get Your Plate in Shape
2013: Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day
2014: Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right
2015: Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle
2016: Savor the Flavor of Eating Right
“Savour the Flavor of Eating Right”
Every year in March, the Academy incite public to get back to the basics of healthful eating through ‘National Nutrition Month’. Registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy President Dr. Evelyn F. Crayton says, “This year’s ‘Savor the Flavor of Eating Right’ National Nutrition Month theme is a great reminder for everyone to develop a mindful eating pattern that includes nutritious and flavorful foods, while also taking the time to enjoy everything that a healthful and tasty meal brings with it.”
This year’s theme, revolves around the fact that how, when, why and where we eat are just equally important as what we eat. One must make sure to enjoy the sights, sounds, memories and interactions related to the food as it is essential to develop an overall optimal diet plan. Thus, this year the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends everyone to “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right.”
The Academy strives to emphasize on ‘mindful eating’ that allows you to become aware of the positive and nurturing opportunities that you get through the right food selection and preparation, using your insight. Using your senses to choose the right food, is both nourishing to your body and satisfying to you.
Ways to Mindful Eating:
Mindful eating has been attributed with everything from weight management to recovery from disordered eating. So, eat mindfully and stay healthy by following the steps that we lay down for you:
1) Question yourself, “How hungry am I? Am I in a mindful environment?”
2) Create a mindful environment for yourself, that is free of all distractions such as television, phones, Internet browsing, newspaper or magazines.
3) Pause for a minute to consider where the food came from and the efforts that were made to serve it on your table.
4) Develop a sense of gratitude.
5) Smell the food before you eat it. This enhances both flavor and satisfaction.
6) Take small bites and chew it till the flavor lasts. Before gulping down, feel the flavor, and the texture of the food.
7) After you finish, take a moment and assess how the craving and satisfaction levels have changed with each bite.
