March is wrapping up, which also means the end of National Nutrition Month. Put your best fork forward all year long with all of the tips and resources we covered throughout the month!
This month, we talked about how what we put on our plate nurtures us, as well as the importance of connecting with one another over a nutritious meal. Eating meals together builds bonds, and with a concentration on nutrition, can be a foundation for a lifetime commitment to healthy eating. Read this blog to learn more about how to imbue your children and teens with healthy habits that can last a lifetime. Reference these tips on how to shop for nutritious food without breaking the bank, and check out these ideas for boosting your wellness in the beautiful Arizona outdoors. We also discussed the link between eating breakfast and the academic success of elementary school children for National School Breakfast Week. Visit our blog to revisit all of our discussions about the role nutrition plays in the health of our families and communities. Also, look for information about how SNAP-participating families can get more fresh food for less at local farmers markets on our Double Up Food Bucks Arizona blog. To help make every month Nutrition Month, take a look at some of our infographics that provide more tips on nutritious foods abundant in the spring, nutritious seeds, building strong bones, and more. Not only are they informative, but also easy to share with your family, friends, and communities!
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When family budgets tighten, healthier foods are sometimes swapped for cheaper, less nutritious foods. The price tags at health-food stores may seem daunting, but eating well doesn’t need to depend on your ability to purchase pricey, trendy ingredients, and it certainly doesn’t have to break the bank. Here are three ways to keep your diet balanced and healthy while on a budget
We’re celebrating National Nutrition Month in March, but this week also marks the 28th National School Breakfast Week. National School Breakfast Week was founded with the goal of providing information about the federal School Breakfast Program and promoting the link between eating a healthy breakfast and improved academic performance.
Breakfast is often hailed as the most important meal of the day. A healthy breakfast sets the tone for the rest of your day and staves off the dreaded “afternoon slump,” but research also shows that breakfast is particularly vital for children’s success in school. We’ve talked about food systems on our blog before, and its likely you’ve seen many efforts to donate to and highlight one component of our local food system: emergency food programs.
You already know that the food system refers to the production of food, policies surrounding food in communities, and our consumption habits. But what happens when our food system is not sustainable or equitable and cannot provide enough food for everyone? Unfortunately, this is the reality across America and the world today. Last week, we talked about a central part of our work here at Pinnacle Prevention: food systems in Arizona. Our team has a vision for healthy communities across our state, and our primary way of achieving these food system goals is through systems change.
In general, systems change represents a shift in the way communities make decisions about services and programs, as well as the ways these services are delivered to citizens. This shift is made possible through partnerships and collaboration across communities, including direct community input, stakeholders and agencies. Systems change creates lasting impact on multiple levels of influence. Here at Pinnacle Prevention, much of our work revolves around local food systems in Arizona. We are all part of the food system, though most of us don’t realize it. The food system is comprised of nearly every aspect of food, including the environment in which it is grown, production, demand, processing, transport, and where it is consumed and disposed. Each and every component is complex in its own right. Our mission is to encourage and build healthy, sustainable food systems in our state and communities.
Families in America throw away about 25 percent of the food they buy, often because of expiration dates on food packaging. For an average family of four, this waste is between $1,365 and $2,275 of lost grocery money every year.
Many of us rely on these labels to tell us when it’s time to toss our food, but these labels are actually leading to a huge amount of perfectly edible food being wasted every year. Did you know that grocery stores across the country throw away thousands of pounds of perfectly edible food every year? Over 25 percent of edible produce ends up in the trash each year, often because it does not meet the beauty standards that Americans have come to expect from our fresh finds.
Fresh and perfectly edible carrots, potatoes, peppers and more are picked around and tossed out based on appearance — all while one in six Americans does not have a secure supply of food. Millions of pounds of food end up rotting in landfills, producing harmful methane emissions.
We waste billions of pounds of food in the U.S. every year. Grocery stores throw away produce that isn’t pretty enough to buy, consumers purchase more food than we can eat, and we toss out items before they are really spoiled.
Reducing our food waste by just 15 percent would save enough food to feed 25 million people every year. Stay tuned to learn more about how you can do your part to make a difference, support the Earth and feed the hungry. |
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