March is National Nutrition Month, a month dedicated to nutrition and education. National Nutrition Month was created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, focusing on the importance of making informed food choices and healthy eating habits. So the perfect way to kick off this month is with some fun, healthy snacks!
This is a great time to add three delicious healthy snacks, primarily inspired by a vegan and raw food way of eating, to your life. Have fun this week trying superfoods including raw cocoa and goji berries, and make your own almond butter.
“As a kid one of my very favorite snacks was red licorice. I think one of the reasons I love goji berries is because they are red and chewy, just like the licorice I used to love as a kid.”
– Melanie Albert
Think about snacks that children love to eat. Often, they tend to be high in sugar and do not contain much nutritional value. Now, reflect on your favorite snacks, and ask yourself the following questions:
Goji Berries (Wolfberries) have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Traditionally known as a strength-building, longevity and immune system super food, Goji berries grow in South America and the Himalayas. Some benefits of goji berries are they are rich in antioxidants, high in protein (with 18 amino acids, including all eight essential amino acids!), they contain more than 20 trace minerals as well as a high level of polysaccharides, and they are a good source of dietary fiber.
Enjoy Goji berried as a snack, in smoothies, as part of a veggie stir-fry, or brewed as a tea.
Dark chocolate is distinguished by the percentage of cocoa solids in the bar. The higher the percentage of cocoa, the lower the sugar.
With our Whole Food S.O.U.L. blog we invite you to take action with your whole foods eating habits. The goal is to incorporate new whole foods eating into your way of eating step-by-step. Our Challenge for you this week is to try a new-to-you healthy snack and share it with us on Facebook.
facebook.com/SWIHA and facebook.com/9Ways90Days
Interested in learning more about Holistic Nutrition or Whole Food Cooking? Contact the SWIHA Admissions Department at 480-994-9244 to inquire about Holistic Nutrition online or on-campus.
www.facebook.com/SWIHA and www.facebook.com/9Ways90Days
Melanie Albert, nutrition and food expert, author and speaker, has been active in the integrative medicine and nutrition fields for over a decade. She is the founder; CEO of Experience Nutrition Group, LLC, whose mission is to improve the lives health and nutrition of the sports community, kids and corporations through food and lifestyle education.
Melanie is an instructor in Whole Foods Cooking, Holistic Nutrition (Conscious Eating) and Entrepreneurship at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) in Tempe, AZ. She also teaches Intuitive Eating at Spirit of Yoga in Tempe, AZ. Melanie walks her talk and you can always find her at farmers’ markets, in the kitchen experimenting, and practicing yoga.
You can get more recipes, nutrition and food tips from Melanie.
Visit her blog: www.9Ways90Days.wordpress.com
Visit her Facebook: www.facebook.com/9Ways90Days