National Nutrition Month® is an annual nutrition education and information campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign, celebrated each year during the month of March, focuses on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. In addition, National Nutrition Month® promotes the Academy as a valuable and credible source of scientifically-based nutrition information.
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day is also celebrated during National Nutrition Month®, on the second Wednesday in March. This occasion increases awareness of registered dietitian nutritionists as the indispensable providers of food and nutrition services, while recognizing both RDNs and nutrition and dietetic technicians, registered for their commitment to helping people enjoy healthy lives.
“National Nutrition Week”, initiated in March 1973, was embraced by members of the American Dietetic Association (now the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics) as a way to deliver nutrition education messages to the public while promoting the profession of dietetics. In 1980, in response to growing public interest in nutrition, the week-long celebration expanded to become a month-long observance.
In an effort to accommodate the diverse areas in which National Nutrition Month® is celebrated and allow greater flexibility in the promotion of healthful messages, this year National Nutrition Month® is the theme, allowing NNM to focus on its original purpose: “To increase the public’s awareness of the importance of good nutrition and position Academy members as the authorities in nutrition.”
The Academy’s mission is to promote optimal nutrition and well-being for all people by advocating for its members. With over 100,000 credentialed practitioners, the Academy is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals.
Be sure to visit the Academy’s National Nutrition Month® website for new and updated resources. For more information visit nnm@eatright.org.