By Jackie Faiman

What we eat may be the greatest single determinant of our health and lifespan. Our nutritional choices, both good and bad, influence how we maintain mind and body and how we fight disease. Yet eating smart is often, in practice, quite tricky. What is a well-meaning but busy consumer to do?

Enter Eatright.org, the web site of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, an information resource on nutrition. Every year in March, the organization highlights healthy dietary practices with National Nutrition Month. This year’s theme, “Beyond the Table,” offers insights into the food production and distribution cycle. Topics range from navigating grocery stores and farmers’ markets to creating healthy food options on the go to decreasing food waste. The site provides tip sheets on subjects such as smart snacking and eating right on a budget.

National Nutrition Month is just a jumping off point. Maybe we want to improve our overall nutrition but are stumped on how to go about it. If so, a simple approach might be the best.

Start with one step. Tackle, say, the goal of eating more plants. How might this translate into daily habits? It might mean replacing a meat-based meal with one built on legumes. This might then prompt a search for appealing vegan recipes on the web, and, in turn, stocking up on shelf-stable pantry items (such as canned beans and whole grains) and robust vegetables (such as carrots, onions, potatoes, and cabbage.)

Or maybe we wish to waste less food and prepare it more efficiently. We might then break down our consumption cycle into meal planning, shopping, cooking, and storage. Simple strategies might include:

• Keeping a running shopping list and buying multiples of long-life items
• Preparing a large quantity of one dish and freezing some for future meals
• Avoiding single-use packaging
• Composting food waste

In other words, a dietary shift is a multi-prong process, and one we are more likely to adopt if the changes are doable and rewarding: delicious food, improved well-being, and streamlined preparation.

If initiating any change is overwhelming, it might be time to seek outside help. Registered dieticians provide nutritional education, menus, and other supports, and their fees are often covered or subsidized by health insurance plans. Eatright.org offers a list of dietary health practitioners at Nutrition Expert Search, and local physicians and hospitals are often able to make referrals.

This month, let us all start of the journey to smarter eating with one small step.