March is nutrition month and that means it's a good time to remind ourselves about healthy eating.
Folks dining here at the Bistro café in Castle Medical Center have a good choice of fruits and vegetables - - thanks to nutritionist Ruby Hayasaka.
"The government recently came up with new dietary guidelines and in it, they talk about having half of your plate filled with fruits and vegetables, a variety of fruits and vegetables and goes right along with the American Dietetic Association's theme for nutrition month which is this month which is eat right with color," said Hayasaka.
That doesn't necessarily mean you should ONLY eat fruits and vegetables - your body needs protein, too. But Ruby says moderation is the key when it comes to THAT part of your plate.
"And that's going to cover a fourth of your plate, right? A good size serving is two to three ounces - not 8 to 12 ounces like some of us eat," Hayasaka said.
As much as possible, the café here uses locally grown products, especially when it comes to fruits and vegetables. Ruby told us the Bistro served locally grown beets until they ran out - when they substituted canned beets, consumption went down. People could tell the difference and they had done some research.
"Because when you do that, you find that you really learn to enjoy the vibrant and intense taste of the real food," Hayasaka said.
It's okay to season what you're eating - but avoid going overboard with the salt.
"When the government was looking into developing the new dietary guidelines, one of the things that they discovered is that more than half of Americans eat way too much salt and salt puts you at risk for heart disease," Hayasaka said.
Eat hearty, Ruby says, but eat healthy.
