Before National Nutrition Month comes to an end, I want to share one more pep talk about making healthy food choices. The presentation I shared earlier this month about the Mediterranean and DASH diets turned out to be a popular topic. I will be sharing the same information in Ellis County as part of the Walk KS celebration on Thursday, May 26th, at noon. More details will be shared closer to the date.
National Nutrition Month, created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, puts valuable and credible nutrition information at our fingertips. The focus is always to encourage people to make informed choices and develop sound eating and physical activity habits.
Sometimes it can be tough to know exactly where to start; there are so many messages in the news and some messages contradict what was reported by a different source on a different day. One thing I have always appreciated with my connection to K-State Research and Extension is that I have access to up-to-date research-based information at the click of a mouse.
There are many excellent publications related to healthy food choices that are available on our K-State Research and Extension website. I helped update the “Healthy Choices when Eating Out” fact sheet a couple of years ago. Eating away from your home kitchen can create challenges, because many menu items have added fat or sugar and may be high in sodium. Becoming familiar with the terms of the way food is prepared can help you make healthier choices.
Another fact sheet I authored a few years ago is titled, “Healthy Cooking Styles.” Thisfact sheet highlights five different cooking styles that focus on creating tasty and healthy grain and vegetable dishes. Too often I hear people say how hard it is to eat healthy. In my mind it is not hard at all. And the health benefits you will notice by incorporating more whole grains and vegetables into your daily menus will help keep you motivated. Many people with heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and various autoimmune diseases have been able to alleviate their symptoms by eating more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds, and consuming fewer solid and added fats, added sugars, and refined grains. As a follow-up to the fact sheet, I created a 30-minute Extension Ed talk utube video about healthy cooking styles. You can find the link to it and other Extension Ed talks on our Cottonwood website.
If you would like a copy of any of the fact sheets I have mentioned in this article, simply drop by either of our Extension offices in Great Bend or Hays or look for them on the KSRE web site, following the link to the bookstore and search by title.
Donna Krug is the District Director and Family & Consumer Science Agent - Cottonwood Extension District – Great Bend Office. You may reach her at: (620)793-1910 or [email protected]