The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has announced the National Nutrition Month® 2017 theme, "Put Your Best Fork Forward". The theme serves as a reminder each one of us holds the tool to make healthier food choices. Making small changes during National Nutrition Month® and over time, helps improve health now and into the future. As nutrition experts, Academy members can help guide the public on gradually shifting toward healthier eating styles by promoting NNM activities and messages during March.
National Nutrition Month® is a nutrition education and information campaign created annually in March by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.
President Obama stated, "One of the greatest responsibilities we have as a Nation is to safeguard the health and well-being of our children. We now face a national childhood obesity crisis, with nearly one in every three of America's children being overweight or obese. There are concrete steps we can take right away as concerned parents, caregivers, educators, loved ones, and a Nation to ensure that our children are able to live full and active lives. During National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, I urge all Americans to take action to meet our national goal of solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation."
Obesity has a profound effect on a child's life. Health problems related to childhood obesity include:
Asthma
Diabetes, type 2
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Heart failure
Bone and joint problems in the lower body
Growth abnormalities
Emotional and social problems
Poor self-esteem
Victims of Bullying
Breathing problems
Rashes or fungal infections of the skin Children who are overweight or obese are more likely to become an obese adult with health problems in adulthood, such as: Heart disease Stroke Certain types of cancer Osteoarthritis Gout Gallbladder disease
Children are our future. As adults, parents, educators and health professionals it is our responsibility to teach children about healthy food choices, benefits of physical activities and building self-esteem.
Resources
Child Health and
Nutrition Resources Visit the Childhood Obesity Awareness Month website for
a toolkit including tips and resources.
Kids Eat Right your source for scientifically-based health and nutrition information you can trust to help your child grow healthy. As a parent or caretaker you need reliable resources and you can find them here, backed by the expertise of nutrition professionals.
Academy of Nutrition and Dieteticsis your source for trustworthy, science-based food and nutrition information. The worlds largest organization of food and nutrition professionals, AND is committed to improving the nation's health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy.
Let’s Moveis about putting children on the path to a healthy future during their earliest months and years. Giving parents helpful information and fostering environments that support healthy choices. Providing healthier foods in our schools. Ensuring that every family has access to healthy, affordable food. And, helping children become more physically active.
Choose MyPlate. The website features practical information and tips to help Americans build healthier diets.
Action for Healthy Kids, believe there are ways to reduce and prevent childhood obesity and undernourishment. Learn how Action for Healthy Kids is working with schools, families and communities to help our kids learn to be healthier and be ready to learn.
Team Nutrition Campaign launched by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to encourage and teach children, parents, and caregivers to eat healthy and be physically active every day. Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ is about making America's children healthier. It's about practical suggestions that will help you motivate children and their caregivers to eat healthy and be active. Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ Campaign messages and materials are fun for children and informative for caregivers.
The National School Lunch Program(NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. The program was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946.
The School Breakfast Program(SBP) provides cash assistance to States to operate nonprofit breakfast programs in schools and residential childcare institutions. The program is administered at the Federal level by FNS. State education agencies administer the SBP at the State level, and local school food authorities operate it in schools.
Stock up on non-perishable foods that don't require refrigeration, and choose single-serve sizes if available to avoid the need for refrigeration of unused portions. Consider these easy, healthy, shelf-stable foods:
1/3 cup Blueberries 1/3 cup Fat free Vanilla Yogurt 1/3 cup Strawberries, sliced
Ensure accurate nutritional analysis for your recipes utilizing an extensive research database and over 25 years experience. A valuable service for the Recipe Blogger, Media, Cookbook Publishers, Writers, Chefs, and Recipe Websites. Your readers will benefit from the Nutrition information and a Registered Dietitian. Contact: Sandra Frank, Ed.D, RDN, LN, FAND at recipenews@gmail.com. www.dietitians-online.com
The Council was originally founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 as the President’s Council on Youth Fitness. Since its beginning, the Council has been vital in getting Americans physically active through a range of programs, events and initiatives including the establishment of May as National Physical Fitness and Sports Month.
PCFSN was most recently known as the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. On June 10, 2010 President Barack Obama authorized in an Executive Order the name change and expanded the mission of the Council to include “nutrition”.
The Council seeks to promote good health through fitness, sports and nutrition for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities through partnerships in national, state and local organizations, programs and initiatives. The Council plays a key role in the development of priorities, outreach and awareness efforts to improve the health and quality of life for all Americans. Among the Council's responsibilities are to encourage:
The President’s Challenge is the PCFSN signature awards and recognition program and includes the following:
* Youth Physical Fitness Test * Adult Fitness Test * Two School Recognition Programs * Two Physical Activity Awards Programs * Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA)
* Presidential Champions Award, available to people aged 6 and older.
PCFSN utilizes and promotes efforts associated with the following guidelines:
Let’s Move! is a comprehensive initiative, launched by the First Lady, dedicated to solving the problem of obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams.
Let’s Move! is about putting children on the path to a healthy future during their earliest months and years. Giving parents helpful information and fostering environments that support healthy choices. Providing healthier foods in our schools. Ensuring that every family has access to healthy, affordable food. And, helping children become more physically active.
First Lady Michelle Obama has been active with many groups in promoting the Let's Move program.
Let's Move! Active Schools Launch with First Lady Michelle Obama
Kids Eat Right, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Kids Eat Right supports the efforts of the White House to end the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation.
The goal of Kids Eat Right is to educate families, communities, and policy makers about the importance of quality nutrition. The Kids Eat Right campaign provides resources to help Academy members become recognized leaders in childhood obesity prevention.
We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition) is a science-based national education program from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). We Can helps children ages 8-13 stay at a healthy weight. We Can! offers materials to help caregivers and families encourage children to become more active.
Roasted Cabbage and Chickpea salad
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Sometimes as a vegetable cabbage doesn't get used enough, but it's cheap
and very versatile and fabulous roasted. This is a fun and tasty recipe
usin...