NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH:
Important Nutritional Facts and Key Tips to Help Us Eat Smarter
New York - March 10th, 2008 /PRNewswire/ — National Nutrition Month® is a nutrition education and information campaign sponsored annually by the American Dietetic Association. The campaign is designed to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.
"As many people know, March is National Nutrition Month. However, we don't have to panic about making dramatic changes in our eating habits. There are four ways that you can incorporate small changes in your diet that can have big health payoffs," says Julie Upton, nationally registered dietitian and health communications expert specializing in nutrition, fitness and wellness.
"Now you can combine convenience and nutrition. According to a study from the University of California at Davis, canned foods are just as nutritious as their fresh and frozen counterparts, so they're a convenient and nutritious way to incorporate important nutrients into a healthy diet. Canned foods are great because they are shelf-stable and they are already cooked, cutting down on time spent preparing for meals and allowing more time to spend with family. You can go online to Mealtime.org for delicious recipes like Fajitas Primavera (this calls for five canned ingredients: corn, kidney beans, mushrooms, tomatoes and asparagus) and tips on cooking quick, nutritious meals for your family.
"You should try cooking with turkey instead of beef. Turkey is a great protein choice because select cuts are 99 percent fat-free with virtually no saturated fat. Turkey is versatile in recipes. It is so much more than just your holiday tradition. It also comes in convenient everyday options such as turkey cutlets, sausages, meatballs and 93 and 99 percent lean ground turkey.
"You should drink green tea instead of coffee and high calorie beverages. Green tea is a rich source of catechins, a natural compound present in teas, which have been shown to have antioxidant properties that can help reduce the harmful effects of free radicals in the body. High green tea consumption has also been shown to help increase energy levels and burn fat. In fact, research shows that people who drink the most green tea weigh less and have a lower body mass index. Lipton now offers a great variety of green teas. They're a great choice for overall health and maintaining a healthy weight.
"Also, make your snacks count. Snacks can be a part of a healthy diet. Exciting research suggests that consuming foods rich in cocoa flavanols may improve blood vessel function, an important factor in maintaining your heart-health. These milk and dark chocolate snacks are from Cocoavia and they deliver a unique combination of at least 100 milligrams of Cocoa flavonals, the potentially heart-healthy compounds found naturally in cocoa beans, and plant sterols proven to lower cholesterol. Each serving size is only 80-150 calories. Also, studies suggest that eating these snack bars or dark chocolate bars as part of a heart-healthy diet may help lower cholesterol, another important factor in heart health.
"By incorporating these four small changes in your diet, you and your family will reap big health payoffs," Upton says.
