HISD’s Food Services Department is celebrating National Nutrition Month throughout March. National Nutrition Month is a nutrition and education information campaign celebrated annually in March by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

The campaign focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. “Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right,” is this year’s theme which encourages individuals to develop life-long healthy eating habits by finding the right balance of delicious AND healthy foods.

Throughout the month, dietitians from the department are presenting nutrition education programs and attending health fairs at several campuses. They will share how to build a healthy meal that includes food that’s enjoyable and nutritionally beneficial. In addition, students throughout the district are being given health tips during their school’s PA announcements to encourage them to make healthy food decisions at school and at home.

“The theme emphasizes that eating healthy doesn’t mean eating food that tastes like cardboard,” said Jennifer Griffin Lengyel, M.S, R.D., L.D., nutrition education dietitian at HISD Food Services. “Taste matters. Our taste buds have an enormous impact on our food choices – so the key to health is to find foods that taste good and are good for you.”

Lengyel hopes to effectively relay this message to the children and families of HISD and inspire them to make personal healthy choices that will allow them to “enjoy the taste of eating right.”

The HISD Food Services Program, which is a National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program provider, offers healthy nutritious meals to all children within the school district, regardless of a family’s income. Nutrient-dense foods, such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains, are served daily throughout HISD, and when combined with regular physical activity are key to child obesity prevention and lifelong health.