National Nutrition Month: Powered by Plants

By Lisa Carlson, MS, RDN, LDN, Campus Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

March is National Nutrition Month® (NNM), a nutrition education and information campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). The national campaign focuses on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.

A great time to start (or continue this journey) is in college. The lifestyle habits you develop now provide a solid foundation that hopefully will continue after school.

Personalize your Plate

This year's National Nutrition Month theme is "Personalize your Plate," as one size does not fit all. Your size, gender and activity level and of course hunger will guide how you personalize your plate (or OZZI if you are dining on campus).

One easy rule of thumb is get a half a plate (or bowl) of veggies or fruit, a quarter of a plate or bowl of plant or lean protein and a quarter of a plate or bowl of grains or starchy carbs like rice, pasta, potatoes or bread. Use the government's MyPlate visuals below as a guide. Milk or dairy can also count as protein instead of as a beverage. Water is often the best drink choice at meals.

At Northwestern Dining, we've also added another focus for National Nutrition Month: Powered by Plants. This puts plant-powered eating at the center of your personalized plate. Try saying that 10 times fast!

Every week in March, we will focus on ways to enjoy plants in the diet. It doesn’t mean you have to go full tilt Vegan.

Powered by Plants is about moving plant proteins, vegetables, fruits, whole grains and seeds to the center of the plate instead of the side.

It is a healthy way to eat and is more sustainable for our planet and of course good for animals. In all of our dining commons, look for even more plant-based dishes that use the entire plant – from root to stem.

Main dishes and side dishes at our Rooted stations always feature plants and we plan to have even more vegetarian and vegan dishes at other stations: Pure Eats, Comfort and Grill.

We will also feature recipes that put plants in unexpected places like bean-and-meat blended tacos.

Here are some of the topics we plan to cover this month. We will also include recipes:

• Mindful Eating (part 2)

• Food Waste Education (how to use all parts of the plant in cooking and eating)

• Plants in Unexpected Places (combined in burgers, chili and other places)

• Whole Grains and how to enjoy them.​

How do you add more plants to your meals? Do you enjoy tofu, meatless burgers, seitan, tempeh or legumes? Do you add more vegetables to main dishes?