MERRILL, Wis. (WSAU) — March is National Nutrition Month, and the experts are trying to help you make better food choices.
Brigid Flood is a registered nurse who says we shouldn’t be afraid to try new and different healthy foods. Flood says we have over 10,000 taste buds and making small, tasty changes in our daily habits can make us live healthier.
Flood says they are doing an event at Dave’s County Market Saturday to help people learn new ways to eat healthier. “We’re showing people what the most healthy choices for them in the supermarket are, and we’re also doing a smoothie demonstration, or smoothie demo for them, especially with the idea of how to provide fruits and vegetables for your kids when they might be a little pickier.”
When shopping for food, Flood says to make an effort to try one new fruit, vegetable, or whole grain every week. She also says planning meals ahead and making a shopping list helps. “Visualize what you want to put on your plate, and thinking to yourself, ‘I’m supposed to be doing this. Half of my plate is supposed to be fruits and vegetables.’ So, you think in those terms, and make a list or an idea of what you want to serve.”
Getting children to eat healthy food can be a challenge. Parents often find creative ways to hide healthy fruits and vegetables in the recipes kids will actually eat. Flood says there are lots of sources for doing this. “If you’re really interested in that, you could go for cookbooks. The libraries have them. The bookstores have them, and you could also access your dietician for ideas on that. I have a lot of magazines that I use, too, that always have tips on how to insert fruits and vegetables.
Flood says many healthy meals can be simple. She also says snacks can be like mini-meals, and should also be half fruits and vegetables like your main meals.
