Do your menus need a revamp?
Do you find yourself eating the same things over and over and over? Boring!
This year’s National Nutrition Month theme – Celebrate a World of Flavors – is the answer! Allow the variety of delicious flavors representing the cuisines of the world to be your remedy to boring, repetitious menus. Variety truly is the “spice of life”!
One of this year’s key points is illustrated above: Try new flavors and foods from around the world. This is a great way to Celebrate a World of Flavors. Need ideas? Here’s 5:
Explore a cuisine of the world that is new to you
Look up “cuisines of the world” and select one that is unfamiliar. If you know your ancestry, consider exploring foods from those regions of the world. Or look up locations on your travel “bucket list.” What are the staple foods? What are common meals? How are foods prepared? What spices and ingredients are popular? Be adventurous!
Try a recipe that is popular in another cuisine
Locate one or more recipes to create a meal commonly consumed in another area of the world. Will the ingredients be available to you? Learn more about the ingredients and the history of the recipes. Learn how the dishes are traditionally prepared and served. Be sure to share with others at your meal about what you learned. Be adventurous!
Use a traditional spice or ingredient from another cuisine in multiple ways
As you learn about traditional spices and food ingredients, find multiple ways to use them in various meals and recipes. How many ways can you use curry? Couscous? Chickpeas? The options are endless and the more ways you use an ingredient, you more you will learn about other cuisines. Be adventurous!
Eat out or carryout from a restaurant featuring authentic cuisine
If you are fortunate to live in an area with a variety of restaurants featuring authentic cuisines from around the world, take advantage of this amazing opportunity to truly celebrate a world of flavors. Get advice from the host, server, or chef as to which menu items are closest to what is served in the region represented. Be adventurous!
Get together with others to experience different cuisines
Explore different cuisines with others. Swap recipe ideas. Get together to prepare a meal. If the people you gather with represent different cultural backgrounds, share foods that celebrate your heritage. Share stories of traditions surrounding food and food celebrations. Learn with and from one another. Be adventurous together!
Helpful websites:
UNESCO Food Culture: 25 Amazing Culinary Traditions Around the World: https://wander-lush.org/food-culture-unesco/
Cooking Channel: https://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/packages/best-international-recipes-global-and-cooking
All Recipes: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/86/world-cuisine/
What is National Nutrition Month®?
It is a campaign of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, celebrated every March, to encourage everyone "to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthful eating and physical activity habits.”
“Celebrating flavors from cultures around the world is a tasty way to nourish ourselves and appreciate our diversity. We are all unique with different bodies, goals, backgrounds, and tastes! A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist can help you create healthy habits that celebrate your heritage and introduce you to new foods and flavors.”
~ American Dietetic Association
National Nutrition Month 2022
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