McKel Kooienga, MS, RDN, LDN
Founder of Nutrition Stripped® and the Mindful Nutrition Method™
National Nutrition Month is a perfect time to practice intentional eating — here’s how.
In a day and age when it seems like there’s a national day and a national month every day for everything under the sun it can feel like a lot of “noise”. Who came up with these?! Fortunately, though, there are some important ones like this month — National Nutrition Month.® Created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, this campaign aims to educate and inform people about smart food choices and sound eating habits.
Why National Nutrition Month Matters
Naturally, this holiday is top of mind for us right now. It has some staying power, though, too. National Nutrition Month is an amazing time to connect with like-minded individuals that agree and align with your healthy eating goals and help you be your best self, every day.
It’s a time to celebrate the power of food — for its ability to nourish, comfort, fuel and heal — and appreciate its impact in our everyday lives.
Science-based research is emerging every day that continues to guide us in the direction of better health and well-being through food.
Below, I’m sharing 3 simple ways you can celebrate, too, by putting your health first while staying informed, inspired and intentional with healthy eating. The beautiful thing about habits — like intentional eating — is that you can form them on a small, subtle scale to then lead to bigger lifestyle changes that stick for life. Use this month as a time to realign your intentional eating goals to feel like your best self.
3 Ways You Can Celebrate National Nutrition Month
National Nutrition Month is the perfect time to revisit intentional eating and surround yourself informed resources and inspiring individuals/brands that help you stay motivated with healthy eating.
1. Get Informed
There’s a lot of “noise” on the internet, in the media, at the water cooler, maybe at the dinner table, about health and wellness.
It’s important to recognize that the best information is the stuff that’s backed by science and actual studies.
It’s also important to know that studies continue to emerge — stay up to date with topics as they shape what we know.
Do your research. Find the direct study and/or source. Ask questions. Learn about the topics that make a difference in how you feel! Here at NS, we always strive to deliver a modern, digestible take on emerging science and nutrition. We’re only a DM, comment, or email away — if you ever have a burning question about a specific topic, ask us. We geek out over this stuff.
A few of our favorite resources that always take an unbiased, science-based approach:
- Examine
- Healthline
- Harvard Health
- Science Daily
- Vox Science & Health
- NPR Health
- Scientific American
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- Nutrition Stripped!
Every week, on Wednesdays, we share the top articles about emerging studies in the health and wellness world and why it matters for health. Click here to get on the list.
2. Stay Inspired
While there may be a lot of “noise” out there, there’s also a lot of inspiring individuals and brands that are making a difference in the health and wellness world!
Now’s the perfect time to revisit who you’re following, who you’re hanging with, and who you’re turning to for inspiration.
Are they lifting you up? Are they encouraging you to be your best self? Are they providing the information and inspiration that you need right now?
A few inspiration-worthy sites worth visiting:
- Bon Appetit’s @Healthyish
- Well + Good — keep an eye out for my Council posts!
- Huffington Post
Your turn — who do you follow? Who’s doing a great job inspiring others? We want to know!
3. Practice Intention
Intentional eating — that’s the end goal, right? It sounds difficult, but it’s not. It just takes practice. The best part about intentional eating is that it happens when you’re informed and inspired. When you’re staying on top of current nutrition news and surrounding yourself with good vibes and people that want you to feel your best, you can sit down at every meal with more thought, consideration, and knowledge about the food you’re putting in your body. You’re better equipped to understand hunger cues, digestive issues, food intolerances — you name it.
You can explore our Intention category here on the NS Blog to get started.
What Do You Think?
I’d love to hear your thoughts on National Nutrition Month, and if you found this simple list helpful as you tackle another new month! Is intentional eating and food’s power to nourish and heal top of mind for you, too? Leave a comment below to say hi, and to spark conversation with others from the NS community! Another good place to catch us is over on Instagram, too! @nutritionstripped #nutritionstripped
For the record, these national holidays may be a bit overdone, but I won’t promise that we’ll be quiet on National Chips & Dip Day or National Salad Month. Stay tuned!
