March is Nutrition Month: Eating 9 to 5!

Written by: Martha MacLean, Dietitian, Saint Joseph's Community Health Centre

March is Nutrition Month and this year’s theme helps us fit healthy eating into our busy schedules. Tips like prepping a balanced breakfast  and packing a healthy lunch the night before keeps us away from the drive thru’s and maintains our mental focus for the work ahead. Cut up fruit, containers of yogurt, portions of trail mix and whole grain muffins are an easy grab for a breakfast to go on the way out the door. Bored with the same old sandwich for lunch – pack leftover supper or better yet reinvent supper: leftover chicken + cheese + avocado + leafy greens + tortilla = a scrumptious southwestern wrap or leftover roasted vegetables + feta cheese + lentils + a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar = a savoury dish served hot or cold. Smart snacking choices gives us a midday boost and helps with a long commute home. Homemade snacks like veggie sticks and hummus or apple slices and cheese or a banana with peanut butter or take advantage of convenient prepackaged options like unsalted or lightly salted packages of nuts or seeds, tuna and crackers kits, unsalted pretzels plus dozens of other healthy snack ideas are offered. Get inspired with recipe ideas from Cookspiration, get loads more tips like these from eaTipster or visit www.nutritionmonth2015.ca for a full menu of ideas to eat well and live well even during our 9 to 5!