Putting My Best Fork Forward

March is National Nutrition Month, but in my case, it’s more like Harsh Slap of Reality Month. Since I began working at Grocery Headquarters earlier this year, I’ve become acutely aware of my diet and nutrition.

Sure, I like my fruits and veggies. I dabble in cooking “skinny” meals and prepping food for the week, and I’ve even started cutting back on my meat intake by doing Meatless Mondays.

However, I’m also quite guilty of spooning peanut butter from the jar after dinner and indulging in chocolate truffles at the office. And if I’m being completely honest here, this past Meatless Monday consisted of cereal and pasta…Not exactly nutritious alternatives to my usual eggs and chicken.

Basically, I eat what I want, when I want, without regard for nutrition labels. There’s usually no thought behind the healthy choices I make—it’s just an added bonus to eating something I enjoy. But reading about National Nutrition Month has me completely rethinking the choices I make at the supermarket.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics launched the National Nutrition Month campaign to educate consumers on the importance of making smart choices and developing healthy eating habits. And this year’s theme is Put Your Best Fork Forward—the company’s cute way of reminding us consumers that we’re the only ones in control of the food we eat, so we should make good choices.

Point taken!

Retailers can advertise National Nutrition Month to maximize sales of clean label, healthy products. Personally, just seeing the words “National Nutrition Month” got me thinking about my diet and what I could be doing differently. If retailers promote options with National Nutrition Month signage, in-store displays or reading cards, they’ll be sure to catch shoppers’ attention. Like me, consumers will begin to think twice about what they’re putting into their shopping carts and into their bodies.