Happy National Nutrition Month®!

March is National Nutrition Month® and this year's theme is "Put Your Best Fork Forward!"

The Key Messages for this year's theme as seen on www.eatright.org are:

Create an eating style that includes a variety of your favorite, healthful foods.
Practice cooking more at home and experiment with new/whole ingredients.
How much we eat is as important as what we eat. Eat and drink the right amount for you, as MyPlate encourages us to do.
Find activities that you enjoy and be physically active most days of the week.
Manage your weight or lower your health risks by consulting a registered dietitian nutritionist. RDNs can provide sound, easy-to-follow personalized nutrition advice to meet your lifestyle, preferences and health-related needs.

What better way to celebrate than by putting these tips into action for eating well on a budget:

Plan Ahead

-Choose recipes for the week based on taste preferences of everyone in your household.

-Make lists of ingredients you need after looking through your fridge or pantry to see what you already have.

-Don't plan just for meals, but for balanced snacks too that include more than 1 food group.

-Make large batches of meals and freeze in individual portions in tupperware containers if you're cooking for only 1 or 2 people at a time.

Utilize Alternatives

-Fresh produce is delicious but when out of season, can become expensive.

-If fresh produce is cost prohibitive for you, buy frozen vegetables and fruits that will last longer than fresh, or buy canned vegetables that are labeled "no salt added" or canned fruits labeled "packed in 100% fruit juice" or "packed in water."

-Farmer's markets will begin to have more variety as the weather continues to warm, and their prices may be comparable or better than grocery store prices. Compare and contrast in your area!

Get Smart at the Store

-Look for sales in the local paper or in your weekly mailers.

-Compare foods based on unit price rather than total cost .

-Buy what's in season to save money on produce. Not sure what's in season? Just ask!

-Lower cost "whole foods" include: dried lentils, beans, peas, rice (white or brown), peanut butter, potatoes, or even canned tuna/salmon.

We hope these tips will help you save money and eat smart by putting your best fork forward!

Happy National Nutrition Month®!

If you're looking to make changes to your lifestyle this National Nutrition Month®, or just ANY month, please feel free to contact us at

(703) 852-9675 or info@moodbalancenutrition.com.

all information obtained from: http://www.eatright.org/~/media/eatright%20files/nationalnutritionmonth/handoutsandtipsheets/nutritiontipsheets/eatingrightonabudget.ashx