March is National Nutrition Month! This is an educational campaign sponsored by the American Dietetic Association (ADA) every year. This month long event was initiated in March of 1973, to raise awareness about the benefits of healthy nutrition. The benefits of a healthy diet include lowering your risk for certain conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Healthy eating also gives your body the “fuel” (or energy) it needs to grow, think, work, and play!

The perfect recipe for managing your weight and promoting your overall health is balancing physical activity with a diet that is rich in nutrients and vitamins. It really isn’t hard to do; you just have to remember to eat a variety of fruits and veggies, lean protein, whole grains, and foods from the dairy group such as low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese. Remember that eating healthy shouldn’t be painful, and there are no “good” or “bad” foods. The key is moderation.

I know that for picky eaters like me, eating vegetables feels like climbing Mt. Everest, but there are tasty ways to sneak in veggies. For instance, if you‘re not thrilled about eating plain vegetables, but you love peanut butter, try filling a couple of celery sticks with some pb for a protein packed snack. Think about eating foods with a variety of color; especially fruits and vegetables.

If you’re in the Boston area on Friday, March 26th from 1-4pm, stop by and see us at 333 Longwood Ave. We’ll be hosting a resource table about healthy eating, just outside of the Adolescent Medicine Outpatient Clinic on the 5th floor. We’ll have lots of nutrition information available, and you’ll have a chance to win a copy our “Quick & Easy Recipes for Teens” cookbook. You can also quiz your brain about nutrition at fitness right here on our website.

-Ty