Nutrition is one of the building blocks of good health. Good nutrition and a balanced diet can make you feel your best and can even help prevent certain ailments. The best time to start eating a balanced diet is now; a few small changes can put you on track to living a healthier life.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics first observed National Nutrition Month 50 years ago in 1973. In 2023 the theme for National Nutrition Month is “Fuel for the Future,” —focused on eating sustainably. Using less packaging, cooking at home, and growing your produce are three great ways to eat more sustainably.
Use Less Packaging
Eating fruits and vegetables is vital to have a nutritious, healthy diet. However, many items in the produce section are wrapped in plastic. Bringing your own cloth produce bags to the store can help reduce plastic consumption. We know the pre-chopped onions and celery in the supermarket make life a little more convenient, but they are often wrapped in much more packaging.
Tip: buy whole fruits and vegetables and take time to prep and chop all of them at once and store them away—this way, you have pre-chopped ingredients when you need them, without the extra waste.
Cook At Home
While eating out can be convenient, cooking at home can be better for the environment and your health. When we cook at home, we often use fewer preservatives, oils, and salt in our food. Your food likely also comes in more packaging when you eat out, especially at fast food restaurants. If you cook at home, you can control what you put in your food and what waste you make while preparing it.
Grow Your Own Produce
Growing your own fruits and vegetables at home can not only be more nutritious, but it can also be better for the environment. When you grow your own produce at home, you can control the soil and use of pesticides. Another benefit to gardening at home is reducing the fossil fuels used to ship your produce from the farm to the grocery store and your home.
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Sources: https://www.eatright.org/national-nutrition-month-2023