The first full week of April was declared National Public Health Week in 1995. The goal is to recognize the contributions of public health and highlight issues that are important to improving our nation.
The American Public Health Association (APHA) serves as the organizer of NPHW and develops a national campaign to educate the public, policymakers, and practitioners about issues related to each year's theme. APHA creates new NPHW materials each year that can be used during and after NPHW to raise awareness about public health and prevention.
Food is more than just sustenance—it is a universal language, a bridge between cultures, communities, and generations. The 2025 theme for National Nutrition Month, "Food Connects Us," highlights the powerful role food plays in fostering relationships, preserving traditions, and promoting health and well-being.
The Cultural Connection
Every culture has its own unique culinary traditions, yet food unites us all in ways that transcend geographical and societal differences. Whether it’s gathering for a family meal, sharing a holiday feast, or learning about new cuisines, food creates opportunities for connection and understanding. Exploring diverse foods broadens our palates and deepens our appreciation for different backgrounds and traditions.
Food as a Social Bond
Food has the ability to bring people together, from intimate dinners to large celebrations. It fosters a sense of community, strengthens relationships, and creates memories. Sitting down to a shared meal encourages conversation and strengthens emotional bonds, whether with family, friends, or even strangers.
Nourishment and Well-being
Beyond emotional and cultural ties, food connects us through its impact on health. Good nutrition fuels our bodies, supports mental health, and helps prevent chronic diseases. By making mindful food choices, we can take charge of our well-being while also encouraging our loved ones to prioritize their health.
Sustainability and Global Impact
Food connects us to the environment and the broader global community. The choices we make about food production and consumption influence the sustainability of our planet. Supporting local farmers, reducing food waste, and making eco-conscious choices all contribute to a healthier world for future generations.
Celebrating National Nutrition Month
This National Nutrition Month, embrace the theme "Food Connects Us" by:
Trying new recipes from different cultures
Cooking and sharing meals with loved ones
Learning about the health benefits of various foods
Supporting sustainable food practices
Let’s use food as a tool to connect, nourish, and celebrate life together. After all, every bite tells a story, and every meal is an opportunity to bring people closer.
Keep healthy eating simple by filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables at mealtime. Eat fruits and vegetables when you want to have a snack. The more colorful you make your plate, the more likely you are to get the vitamins, minerals, and fiber your body needs to be healthy.
Remember that all forms count: fresh, frozen, canned, dried, or 100% juice. The next time you go shopping, choose veggies that may be new to you (try sweet potatoes, beets, or collard greens) and fruits too (try papaya, cantaloupe, or kiwi) to make your plate even more fun and exciting!
It’s easy to add fruits and vegetables to the meals that you’re already making:
Breakfast is the perfect time for fruit. Try topping your cereal or oatmeal with bananas or peaches. Add blueberries to your pancakes. Or add fruit to your fat-free or low-fat yogurt. Blend frozen fruit, 100% juice, and/or yogurt to make a healthy smoothie.
Lunchtime is a great time for a colorful salad. Add a variety of veggies, like corn, carrots, and spinach. A salad makes a healthy lunch if you don’t use too much dressing. Add a tangerine, banana, or grapes to your bagged lunch.
At dinner, try meat dishes that include fruits and veggies, like chicken with apricots or kebabs with peppers and pineapple. Or make a meal featuring vegetables, such as veggie pizza or vegetarian chili with lots of vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables make great snacks and desserts:
Keep cut-up fruits and vegetables like carrots, peppers, and cucumber or orange slices in the refrigerator for a handy snack.
Dried fruits are tasty and easy to carry.
Keep a fruit bowl in the refrigerator or on a table or countertop. Your family can grab and go!
An apple is a perfect quick snack—and there are more than 7,500 varieties of apples to try!
Fruit smoothies, fruit salad, and frozen 100% juice bars are better than high-fat, sugary desserts.
Food on a stick is thought to be among the earliest examples of human utensils. The “Kebab” is a dish consisting of small pieces of meat and vegetables threaded onto skewers and grilled. The kebab originated in Persia and later spread to the Middle East and Turkey. The traditional meat for kebab is lamb, but depending on location and traditions, it may be beef, goat, chicken, pork, fish or seafood. Today the kebab is found worldwide. There are numerous variations of foods you can add to a stick and it's not just limited to meats.
Fun and Nutritious Food on a stick can be fun and nutritious. Barbara Beery is a kids' cooking instructor. In the following video, Barbara shows how to make healthy foods on a skewer.
State Fairs and Food on a Stick Putting food on a stick is popular at many state fairs because you can eat and walk at the same time. The food choices range from simple to bizarre, and many items are high in calories, fat, sugar, and sodium. The video below shows all 59 foods on a stick at the Minnesota State Fair from 2006.
Apples, Beets, Cayenne, Cherries, Cranberries, Kidney Beans, Red Grapefruit, Pomegranates, Radicchio, Radishes, Raspberries, Red Bell Peppers, Red Cabbages, Red Chili Peppers, Red Corn, Red Currants, Red Grapes, Red Onions, Blood Red Oranges, Red Pears, Red Peppers, Red Plums, Red Potatoes, Red Tomatoes, Rhubarb, Strawberries, Watermelons
Do you know other foods that are Red?
About Red Fruits and Vegetables.
Red fruits and vegetables get their color from natural plant pigments called lycopene or anthocyanins. Both are phytonutrients, which have health-promoting benefits, such as:
Reduces the risk of several types of cancer, especially prostate cancer
Reduces the risk of heart disease
Protects our bodies’ cells from environmental damage (harmful free radicals)
Lowers blood pressure
Lowers LDL cholesterol
Aids in memory
Maintains the health of the urinary tractsystem
Lycopene is a carotenoid and antioxidant. Examples of food sources include tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit, and papaya.
Anthocyanins, an antioxidant found in cranberries, raspberries, red grapes, strawberries, and other red-to-purplish fruits and vegetables, may help protect cells from damage.
In addition, red fruits and vegetables contain many vitamins and minerals and are rich in fiber. Fiber helps maintain the digestive system.
Ways to increase Red Food Intake: Add strawberries or raspberries to cereal or low-fat yogurt. Freeze seedless red grapes for a sweet snack. Add thin slices of red tomatoes or red apples to a sandwich. Add red kidney beans to soup, salads or rice dishes. Dice tomatoes and red apples and add to a salad.
Definitions: Phytonutrients (or phytochemicals) are found in plants and are part of what gives fruits and vegetables their colors. They help protect plants from diseases found in the environment and protect us in a similar way. Studies have linked an increase in fruit and vegetable intake with lowering the risk of specific cancers and heart disease. The following list describes how phytonutrients may also help protect human health. 1. Act as an antioxidant. 2. Improves immune response. 3. Improves cell-to-cell communication. 4. Destroys cancer cells. 5. Repairs DNA damage caused by toxins in the environment. Antioxidants. As the body uses oxygen, there are by-products (known as “free radicals”) that can cause damage to cells. Antioxidants can prevent or slow down the damage caused by these free radicals and decrease the risk of many chronic diseases, such as heart disease and cancer. Antioxidants may also improve the immune defense and lower the risk of infection. Some examples of antioxidants include vitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, lycopene, and flavonoids.
The purple sweet potato recipe is easy to make, rich in flavor, deliciousness, and healthy.
Author: Justine Kelly, Sun Basket
Serves: 2 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 lb. purple sweet potatoes
½ pound cremini mushrooms (baby bella or baby portobello)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
½ tsp. minced garlic (optional)
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INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Slice sweet potatoes into ½-inch thick wedges or cubes.
Slice mushrooms in half, or you can leave them whole if small.
Strip rosemary leaves from their stems and finely chop.
Combine potatoes, mushrooms, rosemary, olive oil, salt + pepper, and garlic in a mixing bowl.
Place mixture on a sheet pan, and roast in the oven for about 25-30 minutes; stir once halfway through cooking time.
Food Sources
Blue Grapes, Blue and Purple Potatoes, Blueberries, Dried Plums, Plums, Eggplant, Pomegranates, Elderberries, Juniper Berries, Purple Belgian Endive, Purple Cabbage, Purple Figs
Do you know other foods rich in blue or purple?
About Blue and Purple Foods
Blue and Purple fruits and vegetables get their color from a natural plant pigment called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are antioxidants and belong to the phytochemicals called flavonoids. Anthocyanins are found in blueberries, grapes, and raisins.
Anthocyanins have health-promoting benefits, such as:
·Reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke.
·May reverse the short-term memory loss associated with aging.
·Reduces the risk of several types of cancer.
·Protects the urinary tract from infections.
·May help control high blood pressure
·May help boost the immune system.
·Protects our cells from environmental damage (harmful free radicals)
Ways to Increase Blue and Purple Food Intake: Add blueberries to muffins, pancakes, and hot or cold cereals. Grab some plums or raisins for a snack on the go. Use Purple Belgian Endive as the main ingredient in a salad Use Purple Cabbage when preparing coleslaw.
Definitions Phytonutrients (or phytochemicals) are found in plants and give fruits and vegetables their colors. They help protect plants from diseases found in the environment, and similarly protect us. Studies have linked increased fruit and vegetable intake with lowering the risk of specific cancers and heart disease. The following list describes how phytonutrients may also help protect human health. 1. Act as an antioxidant. 2. Improves immune response. 3. Improves cell-to-cell communication. 4. Destroys cancer cells. 5. Repairs DNA damage caused by toxins in the environment.
Antioxidants. As the body uses oxygen, there are by-products (known as “free radicals”) that can cause damage to cells. Antioxidants can prevent or slow down the damage caused by these free radicals and decrease the risk of many chronic diseases, such as heart disease and cancer. Antioxidants may also improve the immune defense and lower the risk of infection. Some examples of antioxidants include vitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, lycopene, and flavonoids.
Wellness News employs young adults with "Special Needs" (Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Down Syndrome, Muscular Dystrophy). My staff started the project in September 2010. Over the next five months, we took over 600 photographs of colorful foods to create the March presentation for NNM. Many of the photographs are available for purchase, with the proceeds going to special-needs young adults. Contact Dr. Sandra Frank for additional information (recipenews@gmail.com).
Tips for Visiting Kenya
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We had the privilege of visiting Kenya this summer to do a safari. We went
with my Dad and also met my brother and sister in law and their kids there.
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