National Nutrition Month - Eat better, save money, live longer

March is National Nutrition Month and it couldn’t come any quicker. After a long winter and spring around the corner, many Americans are ready to start eating healthier.

Healthy eating is not merely about shedding pounds. Good nutrition often leads to financial savings and enables us to reduce waste. One way to eat healthier is by cooking at home instead of eating out.

Unfortunately, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average household spends about $3,008 per year on dining out and the food consumed is usually high in trans-fats, sodium and calories. Eating out is an expensive and often times unhealthy habit. That habit is also becoming an addiction – in 1900, only two percent of U.S. meals were eaten outside the home. Recently, that number has climbed to more than 50.

It’s not always easy forgoing eating out, but the reward is truly worth the effort. Cost savings aside, cooking at home and eating as a family has proven to make people happier and feel more connected.

RD Natalie Allen, clinical instructor of biomedical science at Missouri State University, can share insights about cooking home-cooked meals that are tasty, healthy, cost-effective and don't take a lot of time. Contact her for an interview.

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