“Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right!” is the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics theme for the 2014 National Nutrition Month in March.

With this theme in mind, University of Iowa experts encourage choosing nutrient-rich foods from the five food groups through the UChoose Program to provide optimal nutrition per calorie.

The UI supports these ideas by offering the UChoose Program, which can assist individuals in making healthier choices of foods that taste good at campus dining facilities. Those eating at UI Hospitals and Clinics dining facilities as well as other places on campus can look for the UChoose logo to identify foods that will help them “eat right.”

Beth Fielder, registered dietitian and retail associate director of UI Hospitals and Clinics Food and Nutrition Services, says, “Our customers are able to make quick and healthy decisions on what’s healthier to eat in our dining areas. They feel good knowing they are choosing something nutritious and healthy. Survey data shows that our customers are aware of the UChoose Program and it positively influences their food choices.”

UI Wellness and Student Health and Wellness are providing information on campus throughout the month of March to encourage healthier food choices.

Laurie Kroymann, registered dietitian at UI Hospitals and Clinics, offers tips for choosing a well-balanced meal of vegetables, fruits, grains, proteins, and dairy that can taste delicious and leave you feeling full and energetic.

To begin and then sustain healthier eating, it is important to have a plan for healthy meals and snacks during the week, Kroymann says. Some tips for developing this plan include:

• Go grocery shopping on the weekends to have healthy ingredients on hand so you are not limited to choosing fast food at the last minute.
• Look at food labels to determine portion sizes and then follow them.
• Keep pre-portioned healthy snacks readily available such as: hard boiled eggs, whole wheat tortillas with peanut butter, air popped popcorn, or low fat cottage cheese and fruit.
• Remember that you can still consume the foods you love, just enjoy them in the right portion sizes. For example, have one cookie instead of three or eat out once per week instead of every day.

For information on UChoose, visit this UChoose Program website. To find more information on healthy eating, check out MyPlate.gov or visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website to help you “Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right.”

Editor’s Note: Members of the UChoose Communications and Education work group contributed content for this story.