National Nutrition Month® 2022 is here! For registered dietitian nutritionists, this is a very busy month filled with lots of events, activities, media, promotions, and more. We get to celebrate the food and nutrition industry, our peers, colleagues, and friends, and share positive nutrition messages with consumers centered around one overarching theme.
What is National Nutrition Month® 2022?
Back in 1973, a campaign called National Nutrition Week was launched to help Americans eat healthier. The theme that year was “Invest In Yourself —Buy Nutrition.”
This was such a popular campaign that drew a lot of interest among consumers. In 1980, nutrition week turned into a month-long observance.
National Nutrition Month® is an annual campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, which represents more than 112,000 credentialed nutrition and dietetics practitioners. The Academy is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals.
What is the National Nutrition Month®2022 theme?
“Celebrate a World of Flavors” is the theme for this year’s National Nutrition Month® campaign. This theme highlights global cuisines and cultures from around the world. It also places an emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion among all Americans.
The campaign also underscores the important role a registered dietitian nutritionist can play to help you create healthy habits that not only celebrate your heritage, but also introduce you to new ingredients, tastes, and flavor profiles.
Are the National Nutrition Month® 2022 resources available in other languages?
Yes, aside from English, the National Nutrition Month® 2022 social media toolkit resources are also available in Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, Hindi, Vietnamese, and Tagalog.
What are the four weekly key messages for National Nutrition Month®?
While the theme changes annually, there are some key messages that remain the same from year to year. These key messages are broken down into four weekly areas of focus.
Week 1 – Eat a variety of nutritious foods from the various food groups.
Be sure to include food from all food groups in your diet in order to provide your body with a variety of nutrients from carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
Week 2 – See a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).
Check out the Find a Nutrition Expert tool on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ website. Here are 10 reasons to see a registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs).
Week 3 – Plan your meals and snacks.
Create your weekly meal plan according to your personal food preferences and cultural traditions. This can make healthy eating more attainable for you and your family. Be sure to explore other cuisines along the way by incorporating new ingredients and flavors to your traditional dishes.
Week 4 – Create tasty foods at home.
Learn about different traditional dishes from cultures around the world so you can enjoy more variety and diversity in your diet, no matter where you are in the world.
How can you implement the National Nutrition Month® 2022 theme in your blog?
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has a social media toolkit that contains 8 different social media posts available for download. These posts are available in the appropriate format size for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
In the National Nutrition Month® Campaign Toolkit, there are also additional digital resources:
- 25+ Tip Sheets and Handouts available for download
- 4 Nutrition Games and Activities available for downloadable
- Planning materials include a NNM Presentation, RDN Day Proclamation template, and NNM Proclamation template
- 8 Public Service Announcements (PSA) with or without music
How can you celebrate Registered Dietitian Nutritionists during National Nutrition Month®?
The second Wednesday of March is Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day, which is an annual observance where we celebrate the dedication and hard work of RDNs as leading advocates for advancing the health and wellbeing of Americans and people around the world.
This year, the observance is on Wednesday, March 9th. Be sure to thank a fellow registered dietitian nutritionist on this day.
To find a local nutrition expert, check out the Find a Nutrition Expert tool on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ website
What are some ways to enjoy global cuisines during National Nutrition Month® 2022?
Oldways is a nonprofit organization helping people rediscover and embrace the healthy, sustainable joys of the “old ways” of shared cultural traditions. (Oldways website)
Their website highlights several cultural diets from around the world including:
- Mediterranean Diet
- African Heritage Diet
- Latin American Heritage Diet
- Asian Heritage Diet
Within each of these culturally diverse diets, you can find a wealth of information on their website from health and nutrition information to recipes and grocery shopping lists.
Is there a hashtag to use for National Nutrition Month®?
Yes, the primary hashtag is #NationalNutritionMonth (86.2K+ posts). However, there are other suggested hashtags to include in your posts such as:
- #RDNday (5K+ posts)
- #NNMchat (100+ posts)
- #eatright (2.4M+ posts)
- #eatrightPRO (5K+ posts)
- #kidseatright (5K+ posts)
- #foodnutrimag (5K+ posts)
What are some Academy social media events going on during National Nutrition Month® 2022?
Wednesday, March 2 at noon CT/1 p.m. ET
Join @eatright for a Twitter chat to kick off National Nutrition Month®! Use the hashtag #NNMchat.
Wednesday, March 9 at noon CT/1 p.m. ET
Host @eatrightPRO will lead a Twitter chat to celebrate RDN Day! Use the hashtag #NNMchat.
Wednesday, March 16 at noon CT/1 p.m. ET
Discuss nutrition for children and families during this Twitter chat hosted by @kidseatright. Use the hashtag #NNMchat.
Wednesday, March 23 at noon CT/1 p.m. ET
Round out National Nutrition Month® with a Twitter chat hosted by @foodnutrimag. Use the hashtag #NNMchat.
Key Takeaway
Celebrate a world of flavors for National Nutrition Month® this March. Open up your palette to a world of possibilities by trying new ingredient, dishes, tastes, and flavor profiles. And be sure to tell your favorite registered dietitian nutritionist how grateful you are for them, their contributions to the profession, and their impact on the health and well-being of consumers in America and around the globe!
Be sure to check out my blog for useful tips and tricks when it comes to reading, writing, editing, proofreading, and content inspiration!
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