Michigan residents are asked to choose nutritious foods and get enough physical activity as part of National Nutrition Month.

March was declared Nutrition Month by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Each March, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics focuses attention on healthy eating through National Nutrition Month. This years theme is Eat Right, Bite by Bite, and promotes eating a variety of nutritious foods each day, planning and creating healthy meals each week and the benefits of consulting a registered dietitian nutritionist.

Good nutrition is an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle, said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at MDHHS. Combined with physical activity, diet can help people reach and maintain a healthy weight, reduce their risk of chronic diseases and improve their overall health.

Unhealthy eating habits have contributed to the obesity epidemic in the United States in about one-third of adults and about 17 percent of children and adolescents aged 2 to 19. Even for people at a healthy weight, a poor diet is associated with health risks like heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer.

Dietitian nutritionists can provide recipe ideas, cooking tips and other advice for issues like cooking dinner or meal preparation for picky eaters.

Michigan residents are urged to follow these tips throughout Nutrition Month and the rest of the year:

Eat a variety of nutritious foods each day by including healthy food from all food groups and hydrate with water instead of sugary drinks.

Read food labels to find out more about the foods you eat.

Plan meals each week by choosing healthy recipes to make and using a grocery list to shop for healthy foods.

Learn skills to create meals and reduce food waste by turning food waste into meals.

For more information about healthy eating and lifestyle, visit eatright.org.

To learn more about WIC or to find an agency near you, call 211 or visit michigan.gov/WIC.

Read more:
March named as Nutrition Month | Health - The Oakland Press