What the heck does Nutrition From the Ground Up, the theme for National Nutrition month 2010, mean really? Thinking cap on, light bulb flickering, aha!
Sustainable, whole, real, clean, green, organic, natural, fresh, simple, local, slow, functional, homemade, carbon footprint – these are a few words popping into my head when I think ‘ground up’ for food. And fun…..eating should be joyful with meals abundant in vital and energetic offerings.
Americans struggle to find balance and health in food. Most don’t meet the dietary guideline recommendations at all! To do so, for starters, we need to eat 80% more fruits and and 37% more vegetables (Agricultural Economics, 2007;37(2-3):249). Let’s get started there for ideas!
How to eat from the ground up:
1. Cook more vegetables than anything else for dinner. Easy method: buy fresh, clean & prepare them after grocery shopping, plant in fridge in Ziploc bags – or to be more wholesome, glass storage dishes. When you’re ready to stir-fry, steam or add to soups, they are too.
2. Begin the morning meal and end dinner with fruit – at a minimum.
3. Forget instant anything. Use the Magic Eraser for your mind and just forget it. Old-fashioned oats take 5 minutes max.
4. Farmer’s markets and the local farmer’s area of your produce section mean less traveling to get to you – and fresher taste.
5. Food labels - if you can’t pronounce it (or know what it’s function is), don’t buy it.
6. Set an intention for how you want to feel each day – then plan meals and snacks that support your intention to the fullest!
That’s all from me – what do you think? How would you define ‘ground up?’
For the American Dietetic Associations’s perspective on this, you can check out www.eatright.org/nnm.
Tags: American Dietetic Association, Green, Organic, Sustainable