Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems Promote National Nutrition Month

Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems (SVCHS) will be promoting National Nutrition Month during March to encourage patients to make informed food choices and develop sound eating and physical activity habits.

National Nutrition Month was initiated in 1973 as National Nutrition Week, and it became a month-long observance in 1980 in response to growing interest in nutrition.

Each March, the Academy focuses attention on healthful eating through National Nutrition Month. This year’s theme, Eat Right, Bite by Bite, promotes eating a variety of nutritious foods every day, planning and creating healthful meals each week and the value of consulting a registered dietitian nutritionist.

The second Wednesday of March is celebrated as Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day to commemorate the dedication of registered dietitian nutritionists as the leading advocates for advancing the nutritional status of Americans and people around the world. This year’s celebration will be March 11.

Representing more than 100,000 credentialed practitioners, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy.

SVCHS will be hosting two events during the month of March to promote National Nutrition Month, and our new Registered Dietitian, Caitlin Davis, will be on hand to answer any nutrition-related questions, provide education on healthy eating, and hand out healthy recipes. She will also have activity sheets for kids to help make being healthy and learning the importance of good nutrition fun for the whole family. Additionally, healthy snacks will be available. Anyone is welcome to come.

The events will be held on Thursday, March 5, 2020 at Saltville Medical Center in Saltville, Va. and on Thursday, March 19, 2020 at the Meadowview Health Clinic in Meadowview, Va.

For more information on either event or National Nutrition Month, please call 276-496-4492.