March 1, 2013 marks the beginning of the 40th annual National Nutrition Month. Way back in 1973, the organization formerly known as the American Dietetic Association launched a one week campaign to increase public awareness of the importance of good nutrition in overall health and disease prevention.                                                                                                                                                

It worked! Within just a few years the week grew into a month. Themes changed. We even had a “bird” mascot made out of produce to promote our message.   Nutribird was met with mixed reviews from the RDs that I worked with, but this cartoonish character appealed to elementary school-aged children.

Whether for weight management or sports performance, the general public has become more interested in the topic of nutrition. And our themes became more timely and consistently upbeat. Use of engaging words (and phrasing) like “choose”, “enjoy”, “eat”, “choice”, “taste” and “every body wins” encourage consumers to improve their eating style by including a variety of foods rather than avoiding any one food or group.

This year’s theme “Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day“is no different. There are lots of ways to achieve a healthy eating style. Please check back this month as Adam and I share our thoughts on how this NNM theme can be meaningful to all of us.