March is National Nutrition Month!
Good nutrition is key to good health. Try a rainbow of fruits and vegetables for better health:
Choosing in season fruits and vegetables with a variety of colors like red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple will give you a variety of healthy nutrients. See the suggestions below:
Vary Your Veggies: Go dark green and orange such as spinach, broccoli, brussel sprouts, lettuce, carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash.
Fruit Focus: Fruits are great for mealtimes and snacks. Include fresh, frozen, canned or dried.
Red: strawberries, apples, cherries, grapes
Orange/yellow: oranges, clementines, peaches, pineapples, bananas Green: apples, grapes, kiwi
Blue/purple: blueberries, plums, raisins, blackberries, purple grapes. What color are mangoes anyway? Go easy on fruit juice.
Besides choosing fruits and vegetables, remember these healthy tips:
Grains: Make half your grains whole. Choose grains like whole wheat bread, brown rice, oatmeal, low fat popcorn.
Protein: Go Lean: Eat lean meat, chicken, turkey and fish. Try more dried beans and peas.
Calcium is important for strong bones: Serve low
Oils: Get it from fish, nuts, and olive oil. Try coconut oil, it adds a great flavor and is super healthy.
Sugar: Choose foods that don’t have sugar as one of first ingredients. Added sugar contributes calories with few nutrients. Other great choices include local honey and maple sugar.
Fats: Know your fats: Solid fats are higher in saturated and/or Tran’s fats. Try to limit these