This March we are celebrating National Nutrition Month® with the theme “Make Every Day Mediterranean.” In case you’re not familiar, National Nutrition Month® is an annual nutrition education and information campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that focuses on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.
Originating in 1973 as National Nutrition Week, interest and excitement grew so much it was officially inaugurated as a month-long observance in 1980. National Nutrition Month® is an exciting month for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) as they are recognized and celebrated as the most valuable and credible source of evidence-based food and nutrition information. Learn more about our very own nutrition experts here.
This year, we have partnered with Oldways to make a variety of recipes and resources available to bring a taste of the Mediterranean to you in our cafes and marketplaces. The Mediterranean diet is a way of eating that includes fresh and flavorful foods that reflect the cultural eating traditions of the region. Voted as the best overall and easiest to follow diet for the past three years by U.S. News & World Report, the Mediterranean diet has remained a popular eating style for those who want to enjoy good taste while eating for improved health.
It’s easy to get started living the “Med” way and you may already be including a lot of these foods in your diet. To help you get started, we’ve created a Mediterranean Meal Plan with some of our favorite recipes. Here are some common foods in the Mediterranean diet:
- Vegetables – artichokes, carrots, eggplant, okra, peppers, potatoes, spinach
- Fruits – Avocados, dates, melons, olives, pumpkin, strawberries, tomatoes
- Nuts, Seeds, & Legumes – almonds, cashews, lentils, pistachios, walnuts
- Grains – breads, buckwheat, couscous, farro, freekeh, oats, wheat berries
- Fish & Seafood – clams, crab, eel, octopus, salmon, sardines, shrimp, tuna
- Herbs & Spices – anise, chiles, fennel, garlic, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme
- Poultry & Eggs – chicken, duck, quail chicken eggs, duck eggs, quail eggs
- Sweets – fruit/nut mix, whole grains, baklava, chocolate, gelato, sorbet
- Cheese & Yogurt – brie, chevre, feta, halloumi, ricotta, Greek yogurt
Resources:
https://oldwayspt.org/system/files/atoms/files/MED-CommonFoods_0619.pdf
https://www.eatright.org/food/resources/national-nutrition-month/history-timeline
https://health.usnews.com/best-diet/best-diets-overall
Related:
Choosing the Right Oil // Trending Diets // The Difference Between Taste & Flavor
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