March is National Nutrition Month

In March, ShopRite celebrates National Nutrition Month, a time to focus on healthy eating and the important role it has on physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Eating healthy can help you lose or maintain weight and prevent a number of chronic diseases; but most importantly it can help you feel good. We know that following a healthy eating plan requires time and planning; two things that are limited for many of us. But rest-assured, ShopRite can help.

Follow the tips below for healthy meal planning made easy.

• Snack!  It’s a great way to provide your body with fuel to keep your energy level up all day.  Choose healthy snacks that such as fruit, raw veggies, whole grain crackers or low fat yogurt.
• Control portions and eat from a plate, not out of a package.
• Eat slowly and put your fork down between bites.  This allows your body to recognize fullness.
• Forget the “Clean Plate Club.”  Listen to your body’s signals and stop eating when you are full.  You can always have leftovers wrapped up.
• Don’t pick.  Contrary to what we’d like to believe: sips, tastes, bites, foods that crumble, foods that don’t hit your plate, food you eat while standing up, or the remainder of your child’s lunch do in fact have calories and can add up quickly.
• Make eating the only event and enjoy it.  When you eat while watching T.V., you may consume more than you think.
• Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time so that you’re prepared when hunger strikes.
• Go food shopping on a full stomach and stick to a shopping list.
• When you’re not really hungry but you get the urge to nibble out of boredom or stress, do something else like read, take a walk, watch television, or call a friend.
• Keep portions in check since even healthy food can result in weight gain if you eat more than you should.  For example, two cups of brown rice, yes even brown rice, is still around 500 calories.  Try measuring your portions for about a week to make sure you are eating appropriate amounts.
• Exercise is not a license to overeat.  It takes 30 minutes to burn around 200-300 calories, and 1 minute to eat 2 cookies for the same amount of calories.
• Hunger is a symptom of fatigue, so it is common to remedy your sleepiness with eating.  Plus, when you are tired your judgment may be impaired and you are less likely to care about planning healthy meals.  Make it a priority to get an adequate amount of sleep each night.

For more tips, information and healthy recipes, visit the health and wellness section of ShopRite.com.