Is feeding your family nutritious meals a challenge? You are not alone. Many families struggle to make healthy eating a priority. March is a great time to take a look at your family’s eating habits during National Nutrition Month®. Since 1973, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has made March a time to educate Americans about how eating impacts health and wellness.
As you consider your family’s nutrition, figuring out your biggest hurdle to eating well will help you make a plan to improve your meals. Even the smallest of changes can help move your family toward better living. eatright.org has a wealth of resources to help you organize your meal planning and shopping around your needs and offers these tips for cutting costs at the grocery store:
- When shopping for produce, shop seasonally for the best deals (Check out this fruit and vegetable availability chart from Got To Be NC Agriculture for what is in season here in North Carolina by month).
- Buy whole grains in bulk and cook them yourself rather than purchasing the pre-cooked items.
- Look for promotions on dairy products and check online to see which can be frozen before expiration (there are usually extra coupons and sales in June for National Dairy Month).
- Look at the cost per serving, not cost per pound, when buying protein. Egg, chicken and turkey are usually the most cost effective options. You can also get lots of protein from beans, peas, peanut butter and nuts.
Finally, a freebie! An excellent resource on low-cost, high-nutrition meals is the book Good and Cheap by Leanne Brown. The recipes are created to eat well on just $4.00 per person a day. This book is available in pdf form from the author’s website leannebrown.com; click here for a free download.
Eating healthier doesn't mean changing your entire eating pattern overnight. Small changes, made over time, can add up. For National Nutrition Month® 2017, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics urges everyone to start small – one forkful at a time, and "Put Your Best Fork Forward."
Happy Eating!
