The Florida Department of Health in Martin County celebrates March as National Nutrition month, which is sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This year’s theme is: “Go Further with Food”. The campaign highlights the importance of making informed food choices, which can save money, time and reduce food waste.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests following these tips to go further with food:

1. Include a variety of healthful foods from all food groups.
2. Buy only the amount that can be eaten or frozen within a few days and plan ways to use leftovers later in the week.
3. Be mindful of portion sizes. Eat and drink the amount that’s right for you, as MyPlate encourages us to do.
4. Continue to use good food safety practices.
5. Find activities that you enjoy and be physically active most days of the week.

Programs that support health and nutrition are available through the Florida Department of Health in Martin County including the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, a federally funded nutrition program providing healthy food, breastfeeding support and nutrition education. To find out more, log on to www.FloridaWIC.org or call 772-221-4000 (option 2).

Free “Teaching Kitchen” workshops at the Golden Gate Center for Enrichment:

As part of our Healthiest Weight initiative, the Health Department offers a series of free hands-on wellness workshops that encourage healthy lifestyles including “Families in the Community Kitchen” (March 26) which provides families with the support and skills to prepare nutritious meals and “Golden Bridges to Success” (March 22), a series of programs for young women 15-20 years old, sponsored by Junior League of Martin County. The workshops are held at the Golden Gate Center for Enrichment in Stuart. For more information and registration:  www.goldengatecentermc.org/golden-gate-calendar.