By Peggy Jo Goodfellow, Arizona Farm Bureau: Have you heard the phrase, healthy eating equals healthy living? Americans today need to make healthier food choices. 

“Good nutrition can help lower the risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some cancers and osteoporosis,” said Dr. Glenna McCollum-Cloud, MPH, RDN, FAND, Past President of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals.  “For the first time in our history, the United States is raising a generation of children who may live sicker, shorter lives than their parents!”

By choosing to take a few easy steps toward healthy eating we can all live healthier lives. Here’s just four of Dr. McCollum-Cloud’s core steps to better health.

Step # 1: Shop the perimeter of the grocery store first, then the aisles. Think about it. Dairy products, eggs, meats, fruits and vegetables and whole grains are all located around the “edges” of the grocery store. The quality of fruits and vegetables found in grocery stores is the best ever.

Step # 2: Eat nutrient dense and colorful foods. At mealtime, your plate of food should have a rainbow of at least 5 colors.

Step #3: Monitor your portions. Your stomach is as big as your fist. For example, a portion of meat should not be bigger than your fist. 

Step #4: Get physically active. Taking 10,000 steps a day equals healthy living.

Arizona is one of the most diverse agricultural states in the nation, producing more than 160 varieties of vegetables, livestock and field crops. Farm Bureau’s Fill Your Plate has a list of where you can buy locally grown meat, vegetables, fruits and more!  Go to www.fillyourplate.org  and enjoy!

Editor’s note: For more information on our member benefits including our regional benefits go to Arizona Farm Bureau’s member benefits page online. Or, download the Member Benefits app to your smart phone for easy, everyday access to your benefits.

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