National Nutrition Month

“March” Into Spring: Welcoming a New Season

On March 20th, 2023 we welcome the official start of the Spring season with the Spring Equinox. With Spring comes warmer weather, flowers in bloom, and more in-season produce in Virginia. How can you best enjoy this season of blooming? 5 Tips for a Happy and Healthy Spring: 1. Enjoy more time outdoors with friends… Read more »

Nutrition Tips for Allergy Season

Sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose, general misery: allergy season is upon us. Seasonal allergies affect about 60 million people in the United States. It’s pretty likely that you fall into that group. Aside from medication, is there anything else you can do about your allergy symptoms? Yes! Let’s look at how diet can help reduce… Read more »

Three Key Nutrients for Women

Since March is Women’s History Month and National Nutrition Month, let’s learn about women’s nutrition. The differing nutritional needs for women were largely ignored for most of history. Nutrition was studied from the male lens, using male subjects. Overall, nutritional needs for women and men are roughly the same. However, there are some notable differences… Read more »

Keep Nutrition a Priority at Home

This isn’t exactly how we imagined finishing out National Nutrition Month. There’s no denying that this is a tough time for families across the Commonwealth. Like us, your everyday routine has been completely changed. Whether you’re social distancing or quarantined completely, we’re here to share ways you can keep nutrition a priority on your table. 

Safely Cook and Store Food

Can you guess the appropriate cooking or storage temperature only by looking at a food item, and assuming it is at a safe temperature for eating?  The answer is absolutely not.   You should know the appropriate temperatures for hot and cold foods to help you avoid illness caused by unsafe food temperatures. This happens all… Read more »

National Nutrition Month: Antioxidants

The immune system is constantly working to destroy threats inside the body. The ones you’re probably most aware of are bacteria and viruses. However, your body is also fighting off free radicals. Free radicals get inside healthy cells and weaken them, which makes your body more susceptible to illness and chronic diseases like cancer. The… Read more »

Eating for Energy: Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients for keeping your body healthy. It’s common feel tired during the day, which may be a result of not getting enough vitamins and minerals. Eating a balanced diet filled with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, and protein ensures that your body gets a variety of these nutrients to work… Read more »

National Nutrition Month: Realistic Serving Sizes

Did you ever notice that a serving size was much smaller than what you would normally consume in one sitting? If so, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) noticed. The new Nutrition Facts label now includes updated, realistic serving sizes and packaging requirements based on science. 

Go Further with Food Safety

Preventing food waste and saving money on groceries is one of the ways you can go further with food during National Nutrition Month. Food safety is an important part of keeping your food and leftovers safe and germ-free. As you work to reduce food waste in your kitchen, remember these tips to go further with… Read more »

Cooking from Your Better Pantry

Go further with food by cooking more at home and finding ways to prep meals and snacks ahead of time. This will make it easier to eat smart and reduce food waste. Our Better Pantry series showed you healthy and low-cost ingredients to keep on hand. Today, we’re sharing strategies for cooking quick meals with… Read more »