Nutrition and Delaware County

March has been established as National Nutrition Month. The American Dietetics Association sponsors a campaign every March dedicated to education and nutrition awareness. This year’s theme is “Eat Right with Color” which conveys the importance of eating nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables which are not only rich in nutrients, but in color as well. For example, instead of simply cooking foods like chicken and potatoes, try to add more color to your plate in the form of colorful vegetables like carrots or spinach. To learn more about how to add color to your plate, go here.

There have been many events around Delaware County that have been indicating the importance of nutrition in our foods. The Delaware County Hunger Coalition and DIFAN held its annual Hunger Conference earlier this month entitled “The Challenge of Feeding Our Diverse Communities in Delaware County.” The conference emphasized cultural differences in food and the need to address food and nutrition in a culturally sensitive manner. Also this past week was the grand opening of a permanent location for the Chester Co-Op, now located on the Avenue of the States. The Co-Op is a community owned grocery store in Chester that provides residents with access to nutritious and fresh foods like locally grown fruits and vegetables, among others. The Chester Co-Op will be significant in providing residents in an area with no grocery store with the ability to feed themselves with foods that will provide nutritional sustenance. Not only are events like the Hunger Conference and the Chester Co-Op’s opening making nutrition a priority, but also food pantries throughout the county are ensuring that foods donated are lower in fat and contain nutrients necessary to lead a healthy life. Delaware County is clearly trying to make nutrition a priority!