Happy National Nutrition Month! We take pride in fueling your students through the school day. This is why we serve a variety of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and quality proteins at every meal. This year's theme is "Celebrate a World of Flavors." In honor of National Nutrition Month, we encourage you to try a new food with your family. You might even consider letting your child help choose a new food to try; the more that they are involved the more likely they are to taste something!

It's only fitting that National School Breakfast Week falls within National Nutrition Month, March 7th - 11th. The theme is "Take Off With School Breakfast" to promote students to be powered through their day by participating in free breakfasts (and lunches) for the remainder of the school year. Celebrate with us by asking your child what their favorite school breakfast is. And if they haven't tried a school breakfast yet, encourage them to take one!

Morgan Vander Zee, RDN

We've all heard that "consistency is key," but consistency can be difficult when every day brings new challenges. One challenge that seems to prevail day to day is "what's for supper?" This can be daunting, especially to those of us making an effort to "eat healthy."

Our best advice is, no matter what you're cooking or ordering, make half of your plate fruits and vegetables as shown in the Choose My Plate image below. They can be cooked or raw, lightly seasoned or dressed, but 50% of your plate's real estate should be occupied by produce. Eat that half of your plate first and you will fill up on low-calorie yet nutritionally dense foods before moving on to the more calorie-dense foods such as proteins and starches. If you follow this rule, you may find yourself overeating less and feeling surprisingly satisfied with fewer total calories at each meal.

This is especially helpful advice when you find yourself at a buffet! We all know how easy it is to pile tasty foods a mile high and somehow run out of room by the time we get to the veggies. This prioritizes your lighter foods and limits the plate-space for heavier foods.

By making half of your plate fruit and vegetables consistently, this makes meal planning easier too. Simply google "seasonal produce" or download an app that tells you what's in season in your area. This will help you save money while also meeting your family's health goals! Then just add a protein and a whole grain and you've got a full meal ready to go!

*Please always follow your health care team's guidance if they conflict with these recommendations as they are familiar with your personal health history. Not all general recommendations are appropriate for all people.