National Nutrition Month

Since March is designated as National Nutrition Month, it is timely to share some wisdom about nutrition. Good nutrition begins with the choices we make at the supermarket. Nutrition-conscious shoppers follow a few simple strategies to make sure they bring home healthy foods. Smart shoppers arrive at the store well-fed to avoid buying junk food because of hunger rather than common sense. They shop around the perimeter or outer aisles of the store, where the fresh produce and dairy products are usually located. With a full cart, they are also more likely to skipped the processed and packaged food in the inner aisles. Because they stick to a shopping list, they are less tempted to buy "bargains" that don't really fit their needs. Smart shoppers check food labels and skip porducts with empty calories in the ingredients such as foods high in fat and refined sugar. Further shopping tips for sound nutrition are to: avoid heavily processed or instant foods and packed mixes, choose whole grain breads and pastas, check expiration dates on perishable items, shop for fresh produce twice a week so the nutrients are not lost during a long storage period. Good nutrition at the supermarket is not really complicated. Once you know the basics, it becomes sound nature to look at food from a nutritional standpoint.