Go Further With Food!
March is National Nutrition Month. This year’s theme is Go Further With Food.
Going further with food means taking care of your own health by selecting nutritious foods aimed at promoting health and preventing disease. Going further with food also means taking care of the environment by decreasing the amount of food that ends up in a landfill.
Going even further with food is turning potential food waste into meals for those in need.
Did you know that 45 million Americans don’t have enough food to eat every day? Furthermore, if we wasted only 15% less food than we do now, we could feed half of those hungry Americans. These are sobering statistics in the land of plenty.
If you’re passionate about a healthy you and a healthy environment, here are a few tips to help you go further with food during National Nutrition Month and beyond!
Make this the month you look into joining a community supported agriculture (CSA) program.Visit Local Harvest at www.localharvest.org to find a CSA near you. By joining a CSA, you support local farmers and learn about seasonal eating.
Cook more at home. Plan your meals in advance, then shop for the foods that you need for those meals. This also encourages you to make a grocery list before shopping-a health behavior that saves you money and calories!
Purchase the food you need for 3-4 days at a time.
Keep whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, oats, barley, and whole wheat pasta plus canned protein foods such as beans and fish in your pantry. Plan to use some of these foods with fresh food you’ve purchased to last 3-4 days.
Keep frozen fruits and vegetables on hand to use when you run out of fresh produce and don’t have time to get more.
Avoid temptation to buy everything in bulk. Remember, it’s not a deal if you end up throwing half of it away!
If this sounds a little overwhelming, don’t worry about doing everything. Choose one or two ideas that are realistic for you and your situation, and build from there.
The bottom line is this: a little bit of planning can go a long way in helping you go further with food!
