“Celebrate a World of Flavors” is this year’s theme for National Nutrition Month®. Created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, National Nutrition Month® provides healthful eating and physical activity tips each March.
Working new flavors and recipes from cultures around the world into your eating routine can improve variety. Add new foods and traditions as you embrace global cultures and cuisines when planning meals and snacks by trying:
- Za’atar with olive oil spread on whole wheat pita, topped with tomato slices, olives, cucumber and mint
- Vegetable Upma, an Asian Indian dish, made with semolina or rice, and spiced with ginger
- A Spanish Omelet with potatoes and veggies, topped with cheese
- Gazpacho, a cold soup made with tomatoes, peppers, and onions
- Vietnamese Spring Rolls, a cold dish with a dipping sauce, fresh vegetable, and tofu, stuffed inside thin sheets of rice paper
- Monggo Guisado, a Philippines stew featuring mung beans, leafy greens and seafood
- Sambar, a spicy lentil and vegetable stew, originates from India
- Da Pan Ji, a Chinese stew of chicken, potatoes, ginger and garlic
- Mahshi, a Middle Eastern dish of zucchini stuffed with rice, lamb and spices in a tomato-based sauce
- Baba Ganoush, made of roasted eggplant and tahini (sesame seed paste), served with whole wheat pita
Celebrating flavors from cultures around the world is a tasty way to nourish ourselves and appreciate diversity. Contact a registered dietitian nutritionist (R.D.N.) to help create healthy habits that celebrate your heritage.
Mindy Athas, R.D.N., C.S.O., L.D.N., is an outpatient dietitian nutritionist at the Tevis Center for Wellness.
