The American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics designated March as National Nutrition Month. The 2013 theme, Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day, reminds us that we all are to daily focus on fueling our bodies with healthy nutritious food daily, regardless of culture and social influences.

For a practical example, the holidays of Easter and Passover are upon us. Both celebrations are traditional and have their staple food items we are all enjoy eating with family and friends. However, for some, coming around the meal table produces an anxiety to eating, especially in front of others. One reason may be because of the fear of eating too much of such a tasty meal. Another reason is the fear that one serving of this particular food item will cause them to cheat and destroy on their diet.

The solution to this dilemma rises from the scientific realization that there is no such thing as a bad food. The clue is simply the fact that the person has the authority to choose how much of a food item he would eat at a meal. Obviously if a person chooses to eat caramel cake, for example, he should need to make sure that he is reaching all of the other food groups that day and not over eating the cake to the demise of other food with higher nutritional value. He should eat the caramel in the proper portion. These food items would be found in the grains, vegetables, fruit, dairy, and meat groups.

In the same merit, there is also no such thing as a good food or a good food group as many in the media are proclaiming. Eating one eats all of his nutrients from a particular food group, for example the fruit group, he will actually become malnourished. If someone says, Coconuts are the best food on the planet to eat, for example, one would still need to focus on eating all of the other food groups and eat the coconut in moderate portion (1/2 cup). The same goes for food labeled as fat-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, taste-free ? This does not give us the green light to eat that food all day long worry-free. This too my friend is not healthy eating.

TIPS to Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day:

1) Remember there is no such thing as a good food or bad food Just eat your food in moderation. Visit http://www.eatright.org for ideas.

2) Decide if the food you are eating is being eaten because of the situation or because of an emotion

3) Remember you have choice! When you make your food choice, choose to eat it in the proper portion based on the nutrition information on the nutrition facts label or using tools like myfitnesspal.com.

4) Aim to eat food from the grains, dairy, fruit, vegetables, and meat/meatsubstitutes food groups every day.

So, whether your grandmother makes your favorite potato latkes or your favorite hometown sweet potato salad, choose to eat the food in the proper portion (about 15 grams of carbohydrate or a half-cup scoop) without guilt and anxiety that you will gain 5 pounds from one meal.

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