HPL
Teen Territory Blog

March is National Nutrition Month! National Nutrition Month is a campaign sponsored annually by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. It's designed to focus attention on the importance of developing good eating and physical activity habits. The Washington Post has 8 ideas to help you and your family celebrate! Here are some of those tips:

1. Keep healthful foods in the kitchen so they're available and easy to grab. Even bring some with you on the go!

2. Make an effort to fit in fruit and vegetables. Keep some in the car for when you get hungry or start your lunch off with some raw veggies before you eat your main dish. You can also sneak them into your meals, such as diced onions, raw squash, and zucchini in spicy barbecue chicken nachos, or spinach into pasta with tomato sauce.

3. Eat more at breakfast. Americans tend to eat a light breakfast or skip it, grab lunch on the run and eat the bulk of our calories from dinner on through the evening. Your body will stay energized longer with your largest meal earlier in the day, and then metabolize better with less food in the evening.

4. Fit physical activity in so you earn your calories: walk, run, go to a gym, play team sports, use fitness apps or videos and burn calories by taking stairs and parking farther from your destinations.

For The Washington Post's complete list, click here.

Or, for more ideas on nutrition and health, check out some of the books below:

Body Fuel: A Guide to Good Nutrition by Donna Shryer

Ask CosmoGirl! About Nutrition and Fitness from the editors of Cosmogirl

The Scoop on What To Eat: What You Should Know About Diet and Nutrition by Kathlyn Gay

Food Choices: The Ultimate Teen Guide by Robin F. Brancato

Food for Feeling Healthy by Carol Ballard

Food for Sports by Neil Morris