Nutrition is a big part of our everyday lives. We continue to learn ways to improve our lifestyles, respond to medical challenges, and share in the growing awareness that nutrition and taste are not mutually exclusive. March is National Nutrition Month, which means it’s the perfect opportunity to evaluate the foods we serve our attendees.
National Nutrition Month
Every year, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics sponsors National Nutrition Month. It’s meant as a campaign to help bring focus to the importance of making informed choices and develop healthy eating habits. They also place importance on the right amount and types of physical activity because nutrition is a matter of lifestyle and habits, not just healthful food.
There’s no diet that is right for everyone, and that can make our job pretty difficult. Choosing food that will be attractive to everyone while serving their individual dietary needs and fulfilling our duty of care to provide meaningful nutritional options can seem like an endless task of menu revisions.
Put Your Best Fork Forward
“Put your best fork forward” is the 2017 theme for National Nutrition Month and it speaks to the best possible effort we can put forward to serve our attendees and custom eaters. It’s meant to be a reminder that even small changes – one fork at a time – can inspire positive responses.
Many of us are still stuck on donuts and coffee, bagels and fruit, and eggs and bacon at our breakfast tables. We can be creative and innovative while still meeting the needs of our attendees. If we wanted to take it to the next level, consider hiring an interactive health check kiosk to keep near the banquet hall to help inspire healthy thinking. Don’t just label the allergens, but add the calories and health labels so guests can really make informed decisions. You might even consider hiring me to set up a wellness thrive! Bar where I act as the food and beverage ambassador to participants, answering questions about your menu, educating guests, and I even lead yoga sessions during breaks to help ensure attendees get moving and stay active.
Whatever you decide, don’t let the menu become tired and let this month’s theme act as a reminder that the food and beverage landscape is very different from even a few years ago. It’s dynamic and changing fast, not just because of attendees demands and food trends, but because of changing legislation regarding food and our responsibilities. You always welcome to reach out, attend my sessions, and meet me on social media to share thoughts, questions, ideas, recipes, and solutions.
Happy #NationalNutritionMonth!
