This press release put out at the request of the Florida Department of Health in Alachua County.
The Florida Department of Health in Alachua County celebrates March as National Nutrition Month, which is sponsored annually by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This year’s theme is: "Go Further with Food." The campaign highlights the far-reaching benefits of making informed eating choices. Informed eating goes further than choosing the most nutritious options—eating choices can also conserve money, save time, and reduce food waste.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests following these tips to go further with food.
- Include a variety of healthful foods from all of the food groups on a regular basis.
- Consider the foods you have on hand before buying more at the store.
- Buy only the amount that can be eaten or frozen within a few days and plan ways to use leftovers later in the week.
- Be mindful of portion sizes. Eat and drink the amount that’s right for you, as MyPlate encourages us to do.
- Continue to use good food safety practices.
- Find activities that you enjoy and be physically active most days of the week.
- Realize the benefits of healthy eating by consulting with a registered dietitian nutritionist. RDNs can provide sound, easy-to-follow personalized nutrition advice to meet your lifestyle, preferences and health-related needs.
To learn more about nutrition and National Nutrition Month, visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website.
Locally, the Alachua County Health Department Farmer’s Market is partnering with UF/IFAS to provide healthy food demonstrations at the Friday markets using fresh produce purchased at the market.
Furthermore, the Alachua WIC Program is attending various community events promoting healthy eating in the month of March, like the Children’s Trust campaign kick-off, the Equal Access Clinic Health Fair, and the Children Services Advisory Board- NewboRN Home Visiting Program kick-off event. In addition, the program is presenting at Children’s Medical Services.
Healthiest Weight Florida is a public-private collaboration bringing together state agencies, not-for-profit organizations, businesses and entire communities to help Florida's children and adults make consistent, informed choices about healthy eating and active living. To learn more about how to be active and make nutritious food choices, visit the Healthiest Weight Florida website.
Florida’s WIC program is a federally funded nutrition program for Women, Infants, and Children. WIC provides the following at no cost: healthy foods, nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding support, and referrals for health care and community services.
For more information Contact Diana Duque at 352-225-4355 or Diana.Duque@flhealth.gov.