Believe it or not, it’s already March and that means it’s also National Nutrition Month®. This annual celebration was first initiated as a week-long celebration in March 1973 and by 1980 had become a month-long observance. Today, the American Dietetic Association uses the month of March to focus the attention of making informed food choices and developing physical activity habits.

Now that you have all the facts about how National Nutrition Month came to be, we want to give you our own list of how to incorporate nutrition and physical activity in your life each of the 31 days in March:

• On March 1st, eat one more fruit and veggie than you normally would throughout the day.
• Go for a fast-paced walk during your lunch hour on March 2nd. If the weather isn’t so great, hit the gym instead for a quick calorie burning session.
• On March 3rd, get your kids on the nutrition bandwagon by reading our tips for getting kids to eat more fresh fruits and veggies.
• Slice fresh pears into your green salad during lunch on March 4th. The sweet flavor of the nutritious pear will make you forget your eating greens!
• Don’t break from your healthy eating ways during the weekend. On March 5th and 6th, set a goal to meet the new U.S. dietary guidelines for filling half of your plate with fruits and veggies at every meal!
• Have a case of the Monday’s on March 7th? Grab your favorite workout buddy and get active for at least 30 minutes. Exercise is a great energy booster!
• On March 8th, read about the health benefits of apples on our website. Better yet, crunch on an apple while you’re at it!
• You’re halfway through the work week on March 9th. Treat yourself with a cup of frozen yogurt with fresh berries for dessert at night.
• On March 10th, aim to get your recommended daily fiber intake (38 grams per day for men; 25 grams per day for women). Fresh fruit, vegetables, and whole grains are all great fiber sources.
• Let’s keep things simple for March 11th. Visit our website and subscribe to our quarterly Nutrition Roundup newsletter. We promise to provide you with a few tasty fresh fruit recipes in return in the April issue!
• The weekend is here again. We know this is a repeater but why not aim to fill half of your plate with fruits and veggies at every meal on March 12th and 13th?
• On March 14th, read the healthy living tips that Olympians and current members of the U.S. National Water Polo team put together just for Stemilt. Then, try a few!
• Before dinner on March 15th, invite the whole family to go for a brisk walk around your neighborhood.
• On March 16th, crunch on a whole apple (skin and all) 15 minutes before eating lunch.
• March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day. Eat green all day with the following foods: Granny Smith apples, Green d’Anjou pears, spinach, zucchini, broccoli, and many more!
• It may be tempting, but don’t skip breakfast on Friday, March 18th. It’s the most important meal of the day! If you’re in a hurry like most of us on Friday morning, mix low-fat yogurt, berries, and granola together for a simple yet tasty breakfast.
• Is Saturday the day you go grocery shopping? Read our fresh produce shopping tips before you head out the door on March 19th!
• March 20th is the first day of spring. Head outdoors for a walk, run, or bike ride!
• Make a hearty breakfast on March 21st that the whole family will enjoy. Think scrambled eggs with lots of veggies and a bowl of fresh fruit on the side.
• On March 22nd, we invite you to come up with a nutrition tip of your own and share it with your friends (Stemilt too!) on Facebook. Help spread the word about National Nutrition Month!
• Take a minute on March 23rd to learn all about good-for-you pears on our website.
• On March 24th, choose foods with more potassium, dietary fiber, calcium, and vitamin D. These are neglected nutrients according to this article on the new dietary guidelines.
• Enjoy fruit on Friday March 25th. Cut up your favorite fruits and snack on them all day. 
• Having friends over for dinner on March 26th? Make it a “build your own pizza party” with a variety of fruits and vegetables as toppings.
• On March 27th, combine fresh apples with the go-to lunch for kids – grilled cheese. View our version here.
• Make a delicious veggie stir-fry for dinner on March 28th and then have the leftovers for lunch on March 29th.
• On March 30th, combine sliced apples with your favorite “dip” for a tasty snack. Ideas include: peanut butter, caramel, almond butter, cinnamon, etc.
• Congratulations, you focused on nutrition every day this month! On March 31st, make a plan for continuing your healthy ways for April and all the months to follow.

We hope that you enjoyed our list of nutrition tips for the month of March. In addition to our website, there are a number of resources on healthy eating online for you to check out, including: Fruits & Veggies – More Matters and EatRight.org. Finally, we know that we missed some nutrition tips in our list above, so please share your favorite tips to stay healthy in the comments section below (or on our Facebook page)!

Which is heavier – the world’s heaviest apple OR the world’s oldest orbiting satellite?

Answer: The apple! The world’s heaviest apple is 4 lb, 1 oz according to Guinness World Records, while the oldest orbiting satellite is 3 lb, 1 oz.

Stemilt founder Tom Mathison was first to commercially brand apples with sticker. This later became a standard in the apple industry.

True or false?

Answer: True!

USDA just released new dietary guidelines for the U.S. How much of your plate should be filled with fruits and veggies at each meal?

A) 1/4 of the plate
B) 1/3 of the plate
C) 1/2 of the plate
D) The whole plate!

Answer: C) 1/2 the plate! You can read the press release on the new guidelines from our friends at More Matters. Find the release here.