by Danielle Maguire, RDN, Nutrition Program Director
From the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, this year’s theme for National Nutrition Month inspires us to learn how Food Connects Us. Food connects us to our cultures, families, and friends. Health, memories, traditions, seasons and access can all impact our relationship with food.
Connect with us at Senior Services by attending one of our cooking demos with Registered Dietitian, Danielle Maguire, at each of our centers this month! We will be learning how to make Chia Seed Pudding – a nutritious treat that’s easy to prepare using just a few basic ingredients.
Connect with Food
Preparing your own meals and snacks and learning about how the ingredients you eat were grown or raised is a great way to connect with food. Your ability to access food is also essential. Many people have a specific amount of money they’re able to spend on food, which makes planning extra important when trying to eat healthy. Here are some tips for connecting with food:
- When purchasing food from a store, use a grocery list and pay attention to sales. When food is less processed, it’s often more affordable.
- Learn about resources in your community that offer access to healthy foods.
- Visit a farmers’ market to ask about how your food was grown or raised, or consider starting a home or community garden to get hands-on experience with the growing process.
Whether you have a health condition that requires you to eat a certain way, or you just want to make changes to how you eat, preparing your own meals makes it easier to control the ingredients and their amounts.
Explore the Connection Between Food and Culture
Another way to connect with food includes learning about the traditions or history behind what you’re eating. It may help build a connection to the person that prepared it, teach about sustainability, or provide information about how it affects your health.
Build the Connection Across All Stages of Life
While the amount of nutrients we need changes from the time we’re infants until we’re older adults, essential nutrients play a role across the lifecycle. For example:
- Consuming adequate calcium from a young age helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis, or weak bones, as we age.
- While protein is often the focus of athletes, older adults also should pay extra attention to this nutrient as loss of muscle mass becomes a concern as we age.
For most people, choosing food instead of supplements is the best way to meet nutrient needs. Include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein foods and low-fat dairy as the basis of your daily eating routine to get the nutrients you need.
This National Nutrition Month, learn more about these connections and how the foods you eat impact your health throughout life. Connect with a Registered Dietitian who specializes in your specific needs to jumpstart your plan for personal wellness or ask your physician for a referral for Medical Nutrition Therapy (or MNT).
Source: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
