Photo by Murtada Mustafa from Pexels
March is National Nutrition Month! It’s a time to celebrate the importance of nutrients and the many ways they make our lives better.
This year, National Nutrition Month’s theme is “Celebrate a World of Flavors.” This theme is to encourage people to appreciate the diversity in society while still nourishing ourselves. We are all unique and come from different backgrounds that are expressed through the food we eat.
Food and Culture – What’s the Connection?
The type of food a person eats reflects their culture.
Culture is the “way of life” of groups of people. It can be as big as a country’s culture to as small as your immediate family’s culture. Culture is passed down from generation to generation and can be seen in one’s writing, religion, music, clothes, and of course – food!
How To Stay Healthy and Diverse?
You can have healthy habits and appreciate different cultures at the same time. Here are a few different healthy dishes from around the World that you can try this month1:
Breakfast:
Vegetable upma, an Asian Indian dish, that can be made with semolina or rice, spiced with ginger and other seasonings.
A smoothie with low-fat yogurt or buttermilk and tropical fruits, like papaya or mango.
Meals:
Spring rolls, a Vietnamese dish that’s served cold with a dipping sauce and includes fresh vegetables and a protein, such as tofu, stuffed inside thin sheets of rice paper.
Munggo gisado is a stew native to the Philippines, featuring mung beans, leafy greens, and seafood.
Snacks:
Raw veggies with hummus or tzatziki, which is a creamy yogurt-based dressing made with cucumbers, garlic, and dill.
Baba ganouj, a mixture made of roasted eggplant and tahini, which is a sesame seed paste, served with whole wheat pita bread.
Try something new this month that you usually wouldn’t eat. You may be surprised that you like a certain style of food that you never would have explored before!
Chronic Conditions and Nutrition
If you have a chronic condition, a carefully planned diet can make a huge difference. This applies for food from all cultures. With certain diseases, what you eat may reduce some symptoms. In other cases, diet can improve health. Although your diet might differ depending on your condition and lifestyle, there are three healthy eating plan tips that will work for diabetes, heart health, cancer prevention and weight management:
Eat meals and snacks regularly (at planned times).
Eat about the same amount of food at each meal or snack.
Choose healthful foods to support a healthy weight and heart.
We Can Help You
Tria Health’s Pharmacy Advocate Program offers one-on-one, private consultations with a Tria Health Pharmacist. During your consultation, your pharmacist will review all your current medications, including vitamins and supplements. We also have health coaches available that can help you explore different dietary choices.
Questions?
Contact the Tria Health Help Desk at 1.888.799.8742