Fueling for the Future

5 Ways to Bring Food Sustainability Home

March is National Nutrition Month and this year’s theme promoted by the Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics is “Fuel for the Future”.  Eating with sustainability in mind is a healthy way to nourish our bodies during every phase of life while protecting the environment.

1. Check yourself. March is the beginning of Spring and a great time to assess your habits.  Are you in a food rut?  Have you been eating convenience foods and take out too much? Eating a variety of food prepared at home is the best way to save time and money, while also protecting the environment by not increasing paper, plastic, and Styrofoam wastes.
2. Focus on getting 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. March is a perfect time to try a new vegetable recipe or a different fruit.  Both fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables are tasty, nutrient-dense ways to fuel your body and practice conscious eating.
3. Try to eat more meatless meals. The production of meat produces more greenhouse gases than the production of vegetables in our environment.  Eating more vegetables can help lower cholesterol, help maintain a healthy weight, promote gastrointestinal health, and decrease health risk, while also improving air quality and the environment.
4. Plan meals. Making a list of foods for weekly meals helps families plan for health meals.  Preparing food ahead of time saves time and money. Also, utilizing leftovers to make new meals helps to stretch the food dollar and helps eliminate food waste.  Consider the amounts of plastic bottles, cans, and single serve trash that you are producing and ways to decrease your carbon footprint.  Some environment-friendly options are to chill cucumber water in the refrigerator instead of using disposable water bottles and using reusable lunch storage containers instead of prepared single-use convenience foods.
5. Get the family cooking. Everyone can participate in food prep. This is a great way to teach kids about good nutrition, cooking, and sustainability.  Even small children can help measure, pour, stir, and mash.  Studies show that children that help with meal prep are more likely to try new foods and be more engaged in mealtime.

 Fueling your future can be a fun way to connect with your family, make nutrition a priority, and be kind to the planet.  Happy National Nutrition Month!