The theme of this years National Nutrition Month is Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day.

Each March, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics encourages Americans to embrace the basics of healthy eating.

This years theme emphasizes including foods you love as part of an overall healthful eating plan that is tailored to your own lifestyle, traditions, health needs and tastes.

In Washtenaw County, WIC services are available to women with low and moderate incomes who are pregnant, breastfeeding or postpartum and children up to age 5. WIC can help local families eat healthfully their way.

To learn more about enrolling in WIC, Washtenaw residents may call 734-544-6800.

WIC provides client-centered nutrition education that encourages participants to play an active role in their own learning and staff to act as facilitators.This allows clients to eat right in their own way every day, says Gayathri Akella, Washtenaw County WIC Service Coordinator.

WIC (the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) is a federally funded program, operated locally. WIC provides supplemental food, nutrition education and counseling and referrals based on health screenings and needs assessments. WIC has demonstrated positive effects on pregnancy outcomes, child growth and development.

A common misperception is that eating healthfully means giving up favorite foods. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 82 percent of U.S. adults cited not wanting to give up foods as a reason for not eating healthier (Total Diet Approach to Healthy Eating, 2011).

The most important focus of healthy eating, however, is the total diet, rather than any one food or meal. All foods can fit within an overall healthful pattern when enjoyed in moderation and combined with physical activity.

There is no particular way to eat that is right for everyone. When eating is customized to suit personal needs and preferences, healthful eating becomes a part of a lifestyle that can be sustained over time. Planning ahead is one of the best ways to satisfy nutritional needs and your appetite on a busy schedule. Continued...

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WASHTENAW COUNTY: National Nutrition Month focuses on eating right