In celebration of National Nutrition Month®, Dairy Council of California, a nutrition education organization, is proud to announce the release of The Healthy Eating TABLE, a scientific review that translates, amplifies and bridges the latest evidence in nutrition and dairy science. The 2021 edition emphasizes the important role of nutrition across the life span and why improving diet quality is critical to achieving optimal health. 

The theme of this year’s National Nutrition Month®, developed by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to elevate the importance of good nutrition, is Personalize Your Plate, which aligns with larger national efforts to “Make Every Bite Count” with the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 

“Dietary recommendations are expanding to be more realistic and practical. People eat different combinations of foods over time, rather than single nutrients in isolation,” said Ashley Rosales, registered dietitian nutritionist and director of nutrition science at Dairy Council of California. “That is why encouraging people to focus on the overall healthfulness of food choices has a greater impact on health than choosing foods based on individual components such as vitamins, calories or sugar.”

The Healthy Eating TABLE is designed to educate, inform and create dialogue among health professionals and changemakers, inviting them to the table to find ways to elevate and support the health of people through nutrition. The topics captured in each annual publication combine the latest in nutrition research and trends in the broader environment to create timely and relevant summaries that can be applied to real-life situations. 

Key topics addressed in this issue:

• The Evolution of Nutrition Science 
• Nutrition Across the Life Span
• Linking Food Insecurity and Diet Quality
• The Impact of Processing on the Food Matrix 
• The Dairy Matrix and Health Outcomes
• Food-Based Dietary Guidelines 

“Health professionals, educators and community leaders all play a role in fostering optimal health, whether that is through education, policy or access to nutritious foods,” said registered dietitian nutritionist Kristal Shelden, project manager at Dairy Council of California and lead writer of the publication. “Empowering healthier communities will require multisector collaboration, and having something to lean on like The Healthy Eating TABLE will support those efforts.”

For over a century, Dairy Council of California has elevated the health of children and families through the pursuit of lifelong healthy eating habits. The organization believes that collaboration is vital to prioritizing children’s health and building healthier communities, which is why it launched Let’s Eat Healthy, a movement that aims to empower stakeholders to champion community health through nutrition. Advocates for healthier children, families and communities through nutrition education can join the movement to improve community health at HealthyEating.org/Join.

The Healthy Eating TABLE, in its entirety, is available at HealthyEating.org/TABLE. 

About Dairy Council of California

For over a century, Dairy Council of California has empowered stakeholders, including educators, health professionals and community leaders, to elevate the health of children and families through the pursuit of lifelong healthy eating habits. Funded by California’s dairy farm families and local milk processors and under the guidance of California Department of Food and Agriculture, Dairy Council of California’s free science-based nutrition education resources, Mobile Dairy Classroom assemblies, training programs and online resources educate millions of students and families in California and throughout the United States. Learn more at HealthyEating.org.