Nutrition Month

I understand that March has been designated National Nutrition Month. Back in 1973 nutrition was given a WEEK, but later it was extended to include the entire month of March. The American Dietetic Association, in honor of the month, released a list of 34 tips to help folks eat right. I know this because I saw it in black and white in the daily newspaper.

Well, friends, in case your local paper also picks up this article and runs with it, let me save you some time. Don't waste your time reading the list. (Disclaimer: The American Dietetic Association is, no doubt, a worthy organization. I am quite sure that they do good work.) That being said, it also has to be said that originality and deep thought are not the strong points of the organization. It's not that there is anything wrong with the list; it's just that..... who doesn't already know this stuff?

The list includes such revolutionary ideas as:

#7 Eat fresh, canned or frozen fruits for a sweet dessert. See what I mean? Is there a person on planet Earth that doesn't know that an apple is better nutrition than a brownie?

#13 Enjoy high calorie foods in moderation: moderation isn't deprivation. Don't we all hide the evidence when we eat the whole bag of oreos? We KNOW moderation would have been better. Burying the empty bag in the very bottom of the trashcan is an admission of guilt. Going out and buying another bag, eating TWO OREOs out of it, placing the appropriately-used bag on the shelf so the family can witness your restraint -- these are admissions of guilty knowledge.

#20 Make lunch your largest meal of the day and eat a smaller dinner. Is it possible someone hasn't heard that advice? Teachers would have a hard time eating their largest meal of the day during their 20 minute lunch period while herding 20-something children, answering forty-leven questions, stopping food fights, greeting visiting parents, handing out birthday cupcakes sent by a parent, moving Johnny away from Eric, etc. Heck, she/he's lucky to finish his/her sandwich while lining the kids up to return to the classroom.

As I said, the American Dietetic Association gave us good rules to follow for good nutrition, just as these are good rules for taking care of your teeth. #1 brush teeth three times a day, #2 floss teeth at least daily, #3 see your dentist twice a year. Who doesn't know this?

Anyway if you have been living on this planet for a few years, if your significant other doesn't have to remind you to breathe every few seconds, and if you don't have to keep a "list" on the dashboard of the car to remind you to shift out of neutral before shifting to reverse and attempting to back up the car, I firmly believe that you can safely assume that you know what you need to know about basic nutrition. So, your friendly reading advisor here suggests that you can save the time it would take to read the list. If, however, you know that your family's eating habits are not leading you toward centennial birthday celebrations, it might be that your could use a reminder or two. In that case go ahead and read it. I did.