Discover Bulk Foods

March Is National Nutrition Month
Taking small steps to healthy eating is easy with Bulk Foods

The month of March is nationally recognized as National Nutrition Month, which means there’s no better time than now to take a closer look at your family’s nutrition habits. Sponsored by the American Dietetic Association, the goal of this month-long campaign is to “focus the attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.”

Taking small steps to better nutrition is easy with the help of bulk foods. Oats, whole wheat pasta, mixed nuts, dried fruits and no MSG soups are just some of the products you’ll find in the bulk food aisle. Even if you’ve already adopted a healthy plan, the bulk food aisle is a great place to find new and unique items to add to your daily diet.

Some simple ideas to jumpstart your healthy eating habits include:

Make simple switches. Packing a sandwich for lunch? Try piling your favorite ingredients on two slices of whole grain bread instead of white bread. Eating peanuts as a snack? Try broadening your horizons with other nuts such as almonds and pistachios. Have to have chocolate? Try switching from milk chocolate to dark chocolate for a boost of antioxidants.

Pack your own convenience foods. Try buying your favorite healthy snacks in bulk and turn them into your own 100 calorie snacks. These snack packs are perfect for adding to bagged lunches, grabbing on-the-go or for a perfectly portioned snack that will hold you over until meal time.

Variety is important.  Eating a variety of foods will keep you from getting bored of the same old snacks. The bulk food aisle offers many unique and hard to find items (think Goji berries and quinoa) at a reasonable price, making healthy eating delicious and affordable at the same time.

Less is best. When it comes to the amount of processing a food undergoes before it reaches your dinner table, less is best. The most wholesome foods, including grains, fruits and vegetables, go from the farm to your table in a snap. Junk foods go through a large number of steps before they are bagged and ready for your shopping cart, which is why you should enjoy these foods sparingly.

Dare to dip. Snacks filled with fruits and vegetables don’t have to be plain or boring. Spice up apple slices and celery sticks with your favorite peanut butter. Savory dips, such as garlic and herb, make a great compliment to the flavors in raw vegetables such as baby carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. Fresh melon, grapes and strawberries make an especially refreshing snack when paired with sweet flavors like the ones you’ll find in Mandarin Orange Poppy Seed dip.

For more information and ideas to improve your healthy eating habits, visit the American Dietetic Association’s website at www.eatright .org.

Sources:
American Dietetic Association. Your Food and Nutrition Source. www.eatright.org/public
Food and Culinary Professionals. Eat Right from the Ground Up. http://www.foodculinaryprofs.org/fcp.cfm?page=national_nutrition_month_2010