MOUNT VERNON —Join Women, Infant and Children (WIC), a department of Knox Public Health, in celebrating National Nutrition Month® that started in 1973 as National Nutrition Week.
In response to growing interest in nutrition, it became a month-long observance in 1980.
It is a nutritional education and information campaign sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign invites everyone to learn how to make informed food choices and develop sound eating and physical activity habits.
The theme for National Nutrition Month® 2026 is “Discover the Power of Nutrition,” which highlights the power of nutrition to help individuals and communities thrive.
Everyone’s food and beverage choices can help people thrive. To get the most benefit from their food and beverage choices, consider the following tips:
1. Choose healthy foods from all the food groups.
2. Alternate the food choices with a variety of nutrients. Including a variety of foods within each food group can help people get the nutrients they need.
3. Avoid fad diets that promote unnecessary restrictions. Fad diets advertise quick and easy solutions to common concerns, like weight loss, but they don’t promote healthy or sustainable habits. These diets may also result in nutrient deficiencies.
There is a lot of research linking a healthy eating pattern — which consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein foods, and dairy or fortified soy versions, while limiting saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars — with a reduced risk of diet-related chronic diseases, such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.
A major obstacle to healthy eating is the lack of resources. But there are things people can do to stay nourished on a limited budget.
1. Making a grocery list and sticking to it can be helpful when someone is trying to buy only what they need. Another helpful tip is to check store sales when planning meals.
2. Recipes can be changed to use less expensive ingredients or items. For example, replacing meat in soup or casserole with beans, or using frozen or canned vegetables in place of fresh ones.
3. Learning cooking skills that work with the tools a person has can also be helpful. Foods can be created without special equipment. And knowing how to prepare a variety of foods can help people make use of budget-friendly ingredients.
4. If a person is eligible, it may be necessary to find community resources, such as SNAP, WIC, and local food pantries.
Food is the substance by which life is sustained, and the type, quality, and amount of food that people consume each day play an important role in their overall health. National Nutrition Month® continues to provide healthy eating practices in hopes of helping people become their healthiest selves and future generations.
To learn more about National Nutrition Month, visit eatright.org. For more information about Knox County WIC, visit KnoxHealth.com. To stay up to date on WIC topics, follow Knox County WIC-Ohio on Facebook.
