Chatham, ShopRite Offer Tips, Classes Promoting Healthy Eating

Chatham Borough Mayor Bruce Harris and Chatham Township Mayor Kevin Sullivan issued a special proclamation in honor of National Nutrition Month.

In addition to the special proclamation from the mayors of Chatham Borough and Chatham Township, ShopRite of Chatham is offering events in-store, hosted by in-store Registered Dietician Monica Hansen, to help customers follow a healthy eating plan.

According to a release from ShopRite of Chatham, events in honor of National Nutrition Month from ShopRite and Chatham include: In-store recipe samplings of foods like tofu, freekeh, and shiritake noodles; Kid’s Cooking Classes at the Chatham Library; free senior event at the Chatham Senior Center; and a joint event with the Madison YMCA to promote healthy eating and exercise on March 14th.

ShopRite listed a number of tips for healthy meal planning, as well.

• Snack! It’s a great way to provide your body with fuel to keep your energy level up all day. Choose healthy snacks that such as fruit, raw veggies, whole grain crackers or low fat yogurt.

• Control portions and eat from a plate, not out of a package.

• Eat slowly and put your fork down between bites. This allows your body to recognize fullness.

• Forget the “Clean Plate Club.” Listen to your body’s signals and stop eating when you are full. You can always have leftovers wrapped up.

• Don’t pick. Contrary to what we’d like to believe: sips, tastes, bites, foods that crumble, foods that don’t hit your plate, food you eat while standing up, or the remainder of your child’s lunch do in fact have calories and can add up quickly.

• Make eating the only event and enjoy it. When you eat while watching TV, you may consume more than you think.

• Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time so that you’re prepared when hunger strikes.

• Go food shopping on a full stomach and stick to a shopping list.

• When you’re not really hungry but you get the urge to nibble out of boredom or stress, do something else like read, take a walk, watch television, or call a friend.

• Keep portions in check since even healthy food can result in weight gain if you eat more than you should. For example, two cups of brown rice, yes even brown rice, is still around 500 calories. Try measuring your portions for about a week to make sure you are eating appropriate amounts.

• Exercise is not a license to overeat. It takes 30 minutes to burn around 200-300 calories, and 1 minute to eat 2 cookies for the same amount of calories.

(Photos courtesy of Amanda Fischer, Village Supermarket, Inc.)