4 Heart Healthy Ways to Celebrate National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month. During this month, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics focuses attention on the importance of informed food choices and the role healthy eating and physical activity play in weight management and disease prevention.

Implement the 4 steps outlined below to move forward with your diet and lifestyle goals to promote heart health.

1. Plan ahead

A significant hurdle for improving food choices is time. The week is busy and as you run from one activity to the next, food preparation can fall to the side and you end up turning to quick and easy processed meals or dining out. There are choices that hinder achieving your goals.

Plan ahead by preparing meals in bulk on the weekends and freezing for quick, easy, healthy meal choices when you are in a crunch.

2. Clean out your cupboards

Don’t rely on willpower. Purge the unhealthy foods from your cupboards so they are not tempting you. Don’t use the excuse of my kids or spouse wants this on hand. If it’s not a good choice for you, it’s not a good choice for them. Save those less healthy options for special occasions, you don’t need to have them on hand constantly.

3. Stock healthy snacks

Replace unhealthy food choices with healthy options. Snacks can be a downfall. Unhealthy snacks might include potato chips, candy, crackers, and cookies. Have alternate healthy options available.

Purchase some fresh fruit. Note the word “some”. This isn’t the time to buy a large quantity of fresh fruit. You are changing habits. It’s not going to be second nature for you to reach for a banana as a snack. Have some fruit options on hand as you train yourself in new habits. Don’t have so much it’s going to spoil before you consume it.

Nuts make for another heart healthy snack. Mix a variety with dried fruit for a heart healthy trail mix.

4. Schedule time for exercise

Don’t just say you are going to take a walk 5 days a week. Look at your calendar or daily schedule and actually block off the time for a walk. Set yourself a reminder to take the walk at that time. Tip: Working out first thing in the morning is often more successful. Planning to work out later in the day can easily get canceled due to other priorities that crop up throughout the day. Schedule a time you know you can stick with.

Utilize How to Make Heart Healthy Changes into Lifelong Habits to set yourself up for success as you work to add healthy food choices and physical activity to your daily routine.

All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
Health Pro for HealthCentral