Go Further With Food + National Nutrition Month 2018

Allowing time to fuel yourself in the morning with wholesome foods or simply finding creative ways to reduce food waste, are great ways to Go Further with Food! For National Nutrition Month 2018, The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics encourages everyone to “Go Further with Food!” There are SO many ways to incorporate this concept into your everyday life, but I will share my personal favorite ways to get the whole family involved and “Go Further with Food!”

Happy National Nutrition Month y’all!! So, what is National Nutrition Month, you ask?? No worries, here’s a brief definition.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) celebrates March as National Nutrition Month. The main goal of the campaign is to bring awareness to making informed food choices and developing healthier eating / physical activity habits.

As Registered Dietitian Nutritionists, this goal remains evident in our daily practice. We are constantly striving to provide individuals with the tools they need to live a healthier lifestyle! I’m so excited about this year’s theme, “Go Further With Food” because I feel that it totally encompasses that concept and encourages everyone to make the best food choices to live your best life!

So, what’s my interpretation of “Go Further with Food?” Well I’m glad you asked! To me, “Go Further with Food” means to think of ways to eliminate food waste and save money off your grocery bill at the same time! We don’t often think about it, but we waste A LOT of food! From throwing away food that was not stored properly, to discarding uneaten food leftover from our kids, to spending money on fast food instead of cooking the food we have at home….that’s a lot of food being wasted every day! I will admit that I’ve engaged in some of these practices but recently my family has been doing a very good job with eliminating food waste by doing these 2 VERY simple things!

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Getting the Kids Involved!

As a Registered Dietitian, I would LOVE to say that my kids have a sophisticated food palate and often request fruits/vegetables….but unfortunately, that is NOT true! Lol! My kids are very particular and will often refuse or take 2 bites of whatever I fix them! (this drives me insane!) As a result, I end up tossing their food in the trash! Well, recently I came up with a solution! I decided to let them “help me” prepare their meals! OMG, did you know they actually started eating their food instead of throwing it on the floor?! I think helping to prepare their own food gave them a sense of pride and accomplishment; it made them excited to eat their own personal creations!

Here are a few of their favorite recipes:

Grilled Peanut Butter & Banana Sandwich

Cheesy Broccoli Mac & Cheese Bites

Gourmet Veggie & Ricotta Cheese Pizza

Meal Prepping!

Okay, so if you follow me on Instagram and Facebook, you already know that I’m a meal preppin’ maniac! Lol! I meal prep for a variety of reasons…to help me and the hubs stay on track during our weight loss journey, to help decrease the amount of chaos during the week, and to help utilize the food we have on hand to save money! I meal prep every Sunday! Some meals are simple, while some are a bit fancier!

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The majority of my meals are created from whatever we have on hand in the fridge/freezer/pantry! Before I cook, I take “inventory” of the items in my kitchen. (this skill comes from working as a Food/Nutrition Director for several years lol!) For some reason, I always have an excess of frozen/canned veggies and rice! Lol! I like to use those items to make a veggie stir-fry or hearty soup! This saves me tons of money, and helps to eliminate waste, by using food that I would’ve probably ended up throwing away! AND I created lunch for the entire week; decreasing my stress level by a third! 

Here are a few of my favorite Meal Prep Meals:

One Skillet Sesame Chicken & Broccoli

Kale, Lentil and Beef Stew (Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, & Stovetop)

Spicy Turkey Sausage Veggie Bake

Healthy Greek Chicken & Hummus Wraps

So as you can see, choosing to Go Further with Food can be very simple and fun for the whole family! Go ahead and sound the bells and whistles because I’m partying all month long in celebration of National Nutriton Month! Whoop whoop!!!

How will YOU be celebrating National Nutrition Month?? I would love to hear from you!!