KIRKSVILLE, Mo. — March is National Nutrition Month and doctors are urging residents to watch what they eat.
“That builds our strength and allows us to have good skin, good hair and good organs functioning overall,” said Dr. Valena Fiscus D.O. from Kirksville Family Medicine at A.T. Still University
When it comes to eating a healthy meal there is a lot more to it than just eating a bunch of food that might seem healthy.
Just like a rainbow after a good rain, your plate should have many different colors so you fill up on all the proteins and nutrients that your body needs to get through the day.
“That means creating a colorful plate, making sure you have lean protein, but plenty of fruits and vegetables to create a balanced meal with lots of nutrition, protein and vitamins that you need to keep going,” Fiscus said.
According to the CDC less than one in 10 adolescents eat enough fruits or vegetables in the United States.
Doctors say when you’re preparing a meal for your kids, try sneaking in a vegetable to make sure they get those nutrients.
“Starting at a young age kids usually don’t like to eat their fruits or vegetables, mostly their vegetables,” Fiscus said. “So finding ways to sneak those into their diet by putting them into blending broccoli and putting it in the pasta sauce so they don’t even know to get that extra nutrition. And it’s really important”
Another way to practice good nutrition is by cutting out sugary foods and drinks.
Doctors recommend that if you have a child, try to find healthier alternatives so they’re not ingesting something that could pose a risk to their health.
“Apples, oranges, bananas, kids love those, especially those little mandarin oranges that are just in your hand and you can take them with you having lean cheeses sometimes the little snack cheeses that you can take with you as a snack, or just having pre-cut vegetables available for the kids so that they can grab those and go,” Fiscus said.
Eating healthily isn’t just a great way to prevent adding a couple of pounds, it has long-term benefits for your health.
By eating right you decrease your risk of getting long-term diseases that could impact your quality of life.
“Having good nutrition can ward off a lot of other bad health, such as heart disease [and] diabetes,” Fiscus said. “So, really just cutting back on those sugary foods, alcohol, high salt in your diet, getting regular exercise and having that balanced nutrition is going to help you live a longer, healthier life. “