It’s been a long and stressful year for a lot of people, what with the pandemic and its fallout, Oregon’s historic wildfire season and an epic snowstorm in February.
So it comes as no surprise that nutrition might have fallen off the list of priorities for folks with overflowing plates.
But with spring in full effect and summer just around the corner, now’s as good a time as any to get back on track.
“When we are going through stressful times, sometimes our nutrition can take a back seat,” said Amy Kearns, a wellness advisor with Moda Health. “That’s completely understandable. But it’s also important to recognize that we’re also in springtime and going into summertime, which is when fruits and veggies are going to be at the peak of their freshness. Now is a wonderful time to reset if you have been struggling with focusing on your nutrition.”
The pandemic has made it harder and less convenient for families to eat healthy. Parents are working from home while kids are in school remotely. To help keep nutrition in focus, Kearns said it’s important to have healthy, quick snacks on hand, not to mention healthy ingredients for easy meals.
“It’s important, of course, to make sure you’re feeding not only yourself but your family healthy foods,” she said.
Foods to avoid include highly processed foods full of sugar or artificial ingredients. And while fast food and takeout might seem like easy options, they’re not always the healthiest ones.
Moda has two nutrition-focused booklets available to help people eat healthier. One, called “Don’t walk by, foods to try,” offers a detailed overview of unique fruits and vegetables that people might not know that much about, including dragon fruit, escarole and kumquats. The other booklet is “Give smoothies a shot.” It offers up healthy recipes for making all kinds of smoothies. Both booklets came about through a partnership with Portland Trail Blazers star CJ McCollum.
