March is National Nutrition Month (NNM). NNM is dedicated to keeping us informed about appropriate nutrition and healthy habits. The theme for 2025 is Food Connects Us.
Food connects us to our health, culture, and heritage. I became a dietitian to connect food with my health and that of my family; however, as I matured, I’ve realized the importance of food connecting us to our community.
I can still hear my grandmother telling me stories as I eat her southern-cooked pinto beans and biscuits with a slice of tomato. That is a wonderful connection and childhood memory revived with a fresh bowl of pinto beans. I bet everyone can connect a favorite food with a family tradition.
The best career advice I have ever received is “Don’t take the fun out of eating.” That doesn’t mean I won’t remind you or my family of the importance of eating vegetables. The fun part is that we can prepare vegetables for enjoyment and reap their nutritional benefits. By creating fun dishes for ourselves and our families, we connect with these nutrients in important ways and create good times that can continue for years to come.
For those employees living in or near Tucson, we are lucky to be the first city in the USA to be designated UNESCO City of Gastronomy. We received the designation because the city connects our culture and heritage to our foods. Chef Ambassadors work with local restaurants to highlight our diverse heritage ingredients, foodways, regional dishes, and shared, culturally layered cuisine developed over our +5,000-year agricultural and gastronomic history.
Food connects us. How are you connected?