Whether or not it came in like a lion or a lamb, March is National Nutrition Month, and as a registered and licensed dietitian, let me say; Welcome! Dietetic students learn early on in their training the importance of nutrition outreach to the public. Regardless of our everyday roles in hospitals, long-term care, grocery stores, schools, universities, or in corporate settings, dietitians create nutrition education materials, displays, and interactive lessons for the community.
Dietitians are called to inform the community. We speak to moms’ groups, senior citizens, schools, and corporations, not only about the latest nutrition trends but common sense nutrition practices and the role it plays throughout the lifecycle and certain disease states. We also provide tips on meal planning, feeding your family, food safety and more. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic’s website has a short video and a brief sentence that sums up What a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Can Do for You; the image depicted below. Visit the website and watch the video.
What a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Can Do for You
“When you need food and nutrition information based on fact or need to know how a healthy diet improves health and fights disease—rely on qualified professionals in the field.” (https://www.eatright.org/)
National Nutrition Month 2019
In prior years National Nutrition Month has employed a theme to promote its message. For 2019, National Nutrition Month is its own theme. This allows greater flexibility in promoting healthful messages and the original purpose of National Nutrition Month: “To increase the public’s awareness of the importance of good nutrition and position registered dietitian nutritionists as the authorities in nutrition.”(https://www.eatright.org/)
What National Nutrition Month Means to Me
As a dietetic student, it meant creating displays around campus and in the cafeteria for the student body. Later as a Dietitian in a hospital setting, it meant specials in the cafeteria each week, food samples, fun food activities, contests, recipe handouts and more. This year my outreach will include presentations at local libraries on meal planning for your family. It is an excellent opportunity to start a conversation about nutrition and help others get on the path to wellness.
Happy National Nutrition Month!
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