(Pictured from left to right: Ashleigh Fabian, Registered Dietitian and Joann Pierre, Sr. Registered Dietitian)
March is National Nutrition Month® (NNM). NNM focuses on the importance of making informed food choices and developing healthy eating and physical activity habits. This year's theme is "Put Your Best Fork Forward," which serves as a reminder that each one of us holds the tool to make healthier food choices.
March is also when the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics celebrates Registered Dietitian Nutrition™(RDN) Day. This year, RDN Day is March 8.
GA Foods’ Registered Dietitians
We are blessed at GA Foods to have a great Registered Dietitian team (a couple of our dietitians are pictured above!). They are highly trained in developing personalized nutritional plans for each and every customer. Our dietitians create meals and menu plans for customers seeking frozen and shelf stable solutions throughout the United States. They ensure the meals meet or exceed the USDA guidelines, and that all meals are low in sodium, fat, cholesterol, and sugar.
We asked our dietitian team a few questions about their jobs and nutrition, and are excited to share their responses with you!
What is your favorite part about your job?
- Our favorite part is knowing that we’re impacting the lives of others every single day. And, that we get to work with an amazing team!
- We recommend to stop dieting and make a lifestyle change. Instead of depriving yourself of the foods you love, enjoy foods in moderation.
- We see a couple common mistakes among seniors (and others!)
- Not eating balanced meals (i.e. focusing on a sole food group such as starches and not incorporating protein/veggies)
- Increased intake of sweets
Can you provide examples of nutrition fads that aren’t true?
- “Low-no carb” diets are a popular fad because they can help people lose weight initially, but it’s not realistic or healthy to eat like that forever. Sugar is our body's main energy source, so we eventually return to eating carbohydrates. When people start eating carbs again, they gain the weight they’ve lost and usually more because their bodies are storing the energy source. It just becomes a cycle, and that’s why our best advice is to stay away from dieting and make a lifestyle change. We recommend to eat foods that are good for your body such as fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains.
- Processed junk foods contribute greatly to obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and other chronic diseases. These foods are addicting, and they don’t provide the nutrients your body needs. They are usually high in sugar, saturated fats, and calories, and they cause inflammation.
- Our advice is simple: more whole foods, less processed. If you are going to eat processed foods, check the labels to make sure you are getting foods with low sugar, sodium, fat, and cholesterol.
National Nutrition Month
According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the purpose of NNM is to increase the public's awareness of the importance of good nutrition. Over the course of the next few weeks, our blog will focus on health education and eating tips as part of NNM.
For more information on National Nutrition Month®, click here.
