It’s March, and that means it’s National Nutrition Month®! Read more about the history of this annual celebration in March is...
This year’s theme is possibly my favorite in the history of NNM – Food Connects Us. This theme was the title of a post I wrote in honor of World Food Day (celebrated in October) in 2020. Food brings the world together.
This theme is central to my passion for sharing meals, whether with family, friends, or future friends. Food is the ultimate people connector! For blog posts and resources promoting shared or family meals check out this page.
The four weeks of March have specific themes and talking points. This month we will explore each weekly theme. The first one is…
Week 1: Connect with Food.
Learn cooking, food preparation and meal planning skills.
Explore where your food comes from.
Learn about community resources such as SNAP, WIC and local food banks.
Let’s look at each one…
Learn cooking, food preparation and meal planning skills.
Knowing how to cook is empowering. It gives you control over your food choices, ingredients, portion sizes, and budget. It is inherently creative. Making something nourishing, appealing to the senses, and potentially sharable can be immensely rewarding and pleasurable.
Building life skills in food preparation and meal planning are ideally learned in your family’s kitchen by helping with day-to-day meals and special occasions. Additional training can be found in school, in boys and girls clubs, 4-H, and other extracurricular experiences. Start early and keep learning.
Need to improve your skills? Resources abound to help you. Food shows on television and online, cookbooks, videos, social media reels, and more can show you step-by-step how to cook anything. Sign up for cooking classes at a community center or enroll in a more formal culinary course. Consult with a food and nutrition professional to teach you.
Explore where your food comes from.
Whenever possible, support your local farmers, bakeries, and other sources of food. Shop at farmers markets. Talk with the vendors. Grow your own food to get hands on knowledge of where it comes from.
When making a meal for yourself, or for family or friends, take an extra minute to learn about one or more of the dishes or ingredients – where is it from, what is its history, how is it used – and share what you learn around the table.
Is there a food production facility in your area? Do they give tours? Take a field trip and learn more about how food is made ready to market. Food “processing” is often given a bad rap. You may be surprised at how it can limit food waste and enhance food safety.
Learn about community resources such as SNAP, WIC and local food banks.
Are you aware of resources available to protect your community from food insecurity? These include SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as Food Stamps; WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children; as well as local food banks.
These programs are designed to bridge the gap for eligible participants when economic conditions may limit their ability to access adequate amounts of nourishing food for themselves and their families.
Learn more about these programs:
Local food banks welcome donations of food and volunteers. Find one in your area.
Celebrate National Nutrition Month
Need ideas? The Academy provides numerous ideas for celebrating National Nutrition Month. Here are 50 ideas. Here is the complete list of NNM resources.
Learn more about previous NNMs:
Celebrate a World of Flavors Without Leaving Home National Nutrition Month - 50 Years of Celebrating Nutrition
"Good nutrition is at the heart of a healthier, more vibrant life, with food serving as a source of joy and connection. By embracing the pleasure of eating, cooking and discovering where our food comes from, we can help our communities build stronger ties to nourishing foods that support health. Let’s keep the connection strong around the table and celebrate the power of food to bring us together and improve well-being." ~ Wesley McWhorter, Academy Spokesperson, Houston, Texas
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