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Taste tops nutrition as the main reason why we buy one food over another, as consumer research has clearly shown. Even though social, emotional, and health factors do have important roles to play, the foods people enjoy are probably the ones they eat the most. The key message for National Nutrition Month® – March 2014 focuses on encouraging personalized healthy eating styles – showing how we can combine taste and nutrition to make healthy meals.
This year, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics encourages everyone to “Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right”. Because taste is the major influencer of what we eat, it’s important to balance choosing the foods we like with those that provide the nutrients we need.
When it comes to choosing what to eat, nutrition is important, but flavor is the true motivator and the key to eating right. We have over 10,000 taste buds, so we should use them to discover a world of tasty nutritious foods.
- Try one new fruit, vegetable, or whole grain each week.
- When eating out, try ethnic foods from Asia, Europe, or Africa because they often have many healthy options.
- When cooking at home, try a new twist on old favorites. Grill vegetables and fish, make kabobs, bake the potatoes instead of mashing them, and use that spice rack to add zest.
- If you’re sticking with the tried and true foods you know you like, be sure to read the nutrition labels to help you develop a plan for healthy eating that emphasizes a balance of foods.
Return to the basics of healthful eating starting this month. Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right: eat right, your way, every day.
Learn more about how you can enjoy the taste of eating right by visiting www.eatright.org and by contacting your local UF/IFAS Extension Office.