Where are the calories?

March is National Nutrition Month® - my favorite (professional) time of the year! It’s a celebration of all things healthy eating and time for learning about making informed food choices. You can read more about National Nutrition Month® at www.eatright.org.

This year’s National Nutrition Month® theme is Personalize Your Plate. We are celebrating the different food preferences, cultures, backgrounds, and bodies that make up our diverse population. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition and health.

So in the spirit of all things healthy eating, let’s talk about what’s missing on my blog.

Yes, everyone has different food preferences, cultures, backgrounds, and bodies, but isn’t a calorie just a calorie? Technically, this is true. But healthy eating and informed food choices are so much more than just one number on a food label. While calorie counting may work for some in the short term, the truth is that most people who are able to intentionally lose weight actually end up regaining it. Harvard Health has a great article that you can read here.

Early in my professional career, I thought it was essential that a dietitian provide nutrition information in a recipe in order to establish credibility as a nutrition expert.

Flash forward to now. I have grown both professionally and personally since my early days as a dietitian. When I took the big leap to start a nutrition private practice, I ultimately decided to fully embrace weight-inclusive practices in my business.

So while you won’t find calories or other nutrition information on my blog, you will find recipes that fill the spectrum of healthy eating considerations. At the end of the day, healthy eating should taste good. My hope is that my readers will enjoy these recipes as much as my family does.

This leads us back to National Nutrition Month® and the challenge this year to Personalize Your Plate. In a previous post I mentioned I like to use the MyPlate as a guide for families to plan healthy meals.

MyPlate is one way you can enjoy healthful eating without focusing on the calories. All of the recipes on my blog can be used to make intentional food choices that personalize your plate at your next meal.

Since I don’t have any coworkers to celebrate National Nutrition Month® with this year, I wanted to do something special to celebrate with YOU. Join me later this month for a free 30-minute virtual presentation Small Steps to Personalize Your Plate. More information, including sign up, is available on my website.

Happy National Nutrition Month®!