March has been declared Nutrition Month by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. As part of it, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program is joining with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to remind Michiganders about choosing nutritious foods and getting enough physical activity.

Each March, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics focuses attention on healthy eating through National Nutrition Month. This year’s theme, Eat Right, Bite by Bite, promotes eating a variety of nutritious foods every day, planning and creating healthy meals each week and the value of consulting a registered dietitian nutritionist.

“Good nutrition is an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at MDHHS. “Combined with physical activity, diet can help people reach and maintain a healthy weight, reduce their risk of chronic diseases and improve their overall health.”

Unhealthy eating habits have contributed to the obesity epidemic in the United States with about one-third of U.S. adults and approximately 17 percent of children and adolescents aged 2 – 19 years being considered obese.

Even for people at a healthy weight, a poor diet is associated with major health risks that can cause illness and even death. These include heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer.

Registered dietitian nutritionists often work as part of a medical team to help clients set nutrition goals to improve their health. They can provide recipe ideas, cooking tips and other healthful advice for everyday issues such as cooking dinner or meal preparation for picky eaters. In addition, many registered dietitian nutritionists provide medical nutrition therapy to help clients manage chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension.

Michiganders are urged to follow these healthy eating tips throughout Nutrition Month and the rest of the year:

– Eat a variety of nutritious foods each day by including healthy foods from all food groups and be sure to hydrate with water instead of sugary drinks.

– Be a smart shopper by reading food labels to find out more about the foods you eat.

– Plan your meals each week by choosing healthy recipes to make and using a grocery list to shop for healthy foods.

– Learn skills to create tasty meals and reduce food waste by transforming leftovers into meals, using the foods already on hand and practicing good food safety.