National Nutrition Month: Food Connects Us

National Nutrition Month® is an annual campaign established in 1973 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. During the month of March, everyone is invited to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthful eating and physical activity habits.

This year's theme is "Food Connects Us." Food is a connecting factor for many of us. Food connects us to our cultures, our families and our friends. Sharing a meal is an opportunity to learn about its preparation, who made it and where the ingredients were sourced. Health, memories, traditions, seasons and access can all impact our relationship with food. While these factors influence the foods we eat, the foods we eat also affect our health.

Here are some tips for connecting with food:

• When purchasing food from a store, use a grocery list and pay attention to sales. When food is less processed, it’s often more affordable.
• Learn about resources in your community that offer access to healthy foods, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Women Infants and Children (WIC), and food banks.
• Visit a farmers’ market to ask about how your food was grown or raised or consider starting a home or community garden to get hands-on experience with the growing process.

Whether you have a health condition that requires you to eat a certain way, or you just want to make changes to how you eat, preparing your own meals makes it easier to control the ingredients and their amounts. It’s also a chance for children and teenagers to interact with the food they eat and build healthy eating habits for life.

Build the Connection Across All Stages of Life.

While the amount of nutrients we need changes from the time we’re infants until we’re older adults, essential nutrients play a role across the lifecycle. For example:

• Consuming adequate calcium from a young age helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis, or weak bones, as we age.
• The B vitamin, folate (also known as folic acid), is important for metabolism and is of increased concern for anyone who may become pregnant as it can decrease certain health risks in newborns.
• While protein is often the focus of athletes, older adults also should pay extra attention to this nutrient as loss of muscle mass becomes a concern as we age.

For most people, choosing food instead of supplements is the best way to meet nutrient needs. Include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein foods and low-fat or fat-free dairy or fortified soy milk as the basis of your daily eating routine to get the nutrients you need.

We are excited to present a healthy option in the cafeteria every Friday in March. Be sure to check your PVHMC Announcement emails for the recipes.

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, www.eatright.org, National Nutrition Month 2025 Key Messages