Nutrition and Diet

Table of Contents 

• Introduction
• Evaluate Your Nutrition and Diet – Complete Survey for a Chance to Win a MUSC Promotional Prize
• Useful Resources 
• Eat Locally, Seasonally and Mindfully - Try a Recipe Using a Local Crop
• MUSC Dietetic Internship Program - Events Recognizing National Nutritional Month® 
• MUSC Nutrition Services Resource Page
• Video Discussion on Sustainable Nutrition
• MUSC Weight Management Center "Plan Your Meals"

Introduction

Food and nutrition play a crucial role in health promotion and chronic disease prevention. Healthy eating patterns (along with regular physical activity) can help people achieve and maintain good health.

Below are a few resources to assist in finding the healthiest eating patterns that work for you.

Build a Healthy Eating Style with help from the USDA’s MyPlate series of resources.

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Evaluate Your Nutrition and Diet Habits – Complete Survey for a Chance to Win a MUSC Promotional Prize 

Share your story with us on what you already do that contributes to your nutritional well-being and why it is beneficial to you. At the end of each month, we will draw from the submissions and award multiple MUSC Promotional Prizes (e.g. water bottle, beach towel, yoga mat)!

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Useful Resources

Content below extracted from: www.myplate.gov

• Focus on making healthy food and beverage choices from all five food groups including fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy to get the nutrients you need.
• Eat the right amount of calories for you based on your age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity level. Get started, click on the link above, then click the "start" button to begin entering your information into the calculator.
• Exploring additional key topics can help you avoid overweight and obesity and reduce your risk of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

• Use Nutrition Facts labels and ingredient lists to find amounts of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars in the foods and beverages you choose.
• Look for food and drink choices that are lower in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar.
  • Eating fewer calories from foods high in saturated fat and added sugars can help you manage your calories and prevent overweight and obesity. Most of us eat too many foods that are high in saturated fat and added sugar.
  • Eating foods with less sodium can reduce your risk of high blood pressure.

• Think of each change as a personal “win” on your path to living healthier. Start with a few of these small changes:
  • Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
    • Focus on whole fruits.
    • Vary your veggies.
  • Make half your grains whole grains.
  • Move to low-fat or fat-free milk or yogurt.
  • Vary your protein routine.

• Create settings where healthy choices are available and affordable to you and others in your community.
• Professionals, policymakers, partners, industry, families, and individuals can help others in their journey to make healthy eating a part of their lives.

Every 5 years, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and of Agriculture (USDA) publish a report containing nutritional and dietary information and guidelines based on the most recent body of scientific and medical knowledge. They also have a variety of other resources that healthcare practitioners of all disciplines can utilize for the patients and populations they serve. Use the link at the end of the citation below to access the many report and other resources.

U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th Edition. December 2020. Available at DietaryGuidelines.gov. 

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Eat Locally, Seasonally and Mindfully - Try a Recipe Using a Local Crop

Eating foods grown locally boost nutrition, minimizes environmental impact and benefits the local economy. Local eating is easy to do in our area which benefits from a robust agricultural community and long growing season. Reap the benefits for yourself by purchasing local foods.

Try one new recipe using a locally grown food. 

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MUSC Dietetic Internship Program - Events Recognizing National Nutritional Month®

March has been designated as National Nutritional Month by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the MUSC Dietetic Internship Program and the MUSC Wellness Center team up every year to bring you events to educate and inform on various nutritional topics. Previous events have included:

• Healthy Recipe Samplings in the Horseshoe.
• Food Is Medicine Program - Personalized evidenced-based nutrition consulting for MUSC students.
• Lunch and Learns – watch previous sessions: Budget Bites

Note: MUSC is an academic health and science center and looks for opportunities to provide purposeful learning experiences for all of our students. All programs are intended to benefit both the students attending the session as well as the students providing information. The students are not licensed (yet) and will be working under the guidance of a preceptor.

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MUSC Nutrition Services Resource Page

Decrease Sugar in Your Diet

Decreasing sugar intake has many benefits; from boosting energy to promoting weight loss and reducing the risk of cavities, diabetes and even heart disease.

Increase Fiber in Your Diet

Increasing fiber intake has many benefits including promoting fullness and weight loss, helping with digestion and bowel regularity, and reducing cholesterol levels and boosting heart health. 

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Video Discussion on Sustainable Nutrition 

The MUSC Office of Sustainability and Recycling and the Office of Health Promotion partnered to lead a discussion on sustainable nutrition. The following video is from the Conversation Cafe Series from January 2019.

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MUSC Weight Management Center "Plan Your Meals"

Healthy eating is neither difficult nor expensive once you learn how to plan your meals. Watch the video below from the MUSC Weight Management Center to learn the tricks of the trade in planning your meals and see how easy healthy eating can be.

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