Vitamins have different jobs to help keep the body working properly. Some vitamins help you resist infections and keep your nerves healthy, while others may help your body get energy from food or help your blood clot properly. Most older adults can get all the nutrients they need from foods. Here are a few examples of important vitamins and their food sources:

• Vitamin D: Eat fatty fish, fish liver oils, fortified milk and milk products, and fortified cereals.
• Vitamin B6: The richest sources of vitamin B6 include fish, potatoes and other starchy vegetables, and fruit (other than citrus).
• Calcium: Eat milk and other dairy products, dark green leafy vegetables, soybeans, canned sardines and salmon with bones, and calcium-fortified foods.

National Nutrition Month® is an annual campaign created 50 years ago in 1973 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). During the month of March, everyone is invited to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthful eating and physical activity habits.
Visit AND’s website for more information, including this year's theme, 50 Ideas to Get Involved and campaign resources available in multiple languages.
Join us in congratulating the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics on their 50th Anniversary of National Nutrition Month®!

Overall there is no denying how wonderful pancakes are - especially during colder months when we need some extra warmth (and yumminess!). And since so many cultures from all over the globe have their own versions of this classic dish it really shows how versatile these little treats really are - perfect for anyone who loves good food on chilly days.
Grace Linden's recent article A Brief History of Pancakes, published on Smithsonian Magazine online, might just be enough to get some ideas going for a diversion from the ordinary.  Click below to check out a collection of 18 pancake recipes from around the world.

Regularly under-eating can lead to a number of mental, physical, and emotional health issues. Healthline's Franziska Spritzler gives these nine signs to help you know if you may need to eat more.

Sucrose, glucose, and fructose are three common types of sugar that are absorbed differently and have slightly different effects on the body. Whether they occur naturally in foods or are added to them also makes a big difference in how they affect your health.

Save money when food shopping! View the U.S. Department of Agriculture's resources and tips for eating healthy on a budget.

Here's an article we had a hard time opening.  But we did.  And because we all want to be healthy, we know you will want to open and read it too.

This article explains why commercially fried foods are bad for you and provides some healthier alternatives to consider (thankfully).

Preliminary findings from an NIA-funded study found that a daily multivitamin might improve cognition in older adults or protect cognitive health with age.

Check out Kaitlyn Berkheiser's article on the health benefits of vitamin B12, based on science.  She starts by writing that Vitamin B12 plays a key role in many aspects of health and may support bone health, red blood cell formation, energy levels, and mood.

Then read Melissa Grove's article on Vitamin B12 dosage.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis, free help is immediately available.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, via phone, text and online chat, offering people compassionate care and support from trained crisis counselors for individuals, families or their loved ones. One does not have to be suicidal to call 988 but can reach out when experiencing any behavioral health crisis. 988 call services are available in English and Spanish, along with interpretation services in more than 150 languages. Texting 988 and online chat are currently available only in English. Veterans and military service members can call 988 and press “1” to connect with the Veterans Crisis Line.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (ARS) researchers explore how regular protein consumption can ward off disability in older adults.
Read what ARS Office of Communications writer Kathryn Markham has written about it.

• Pancakes
  
• Pudding
  
• Muffins
  
• Smoothie
  
• Soup
  

That's something to delve into! 

Click the link below to dive a bit deeper into these five foods and learn how to incorporate pumpkin into them.

Ever wonder, if there is Good Nutrition what is it? Click below to read Healthline's take on what Good Nutrition is...

A properly stocked pantry is the key to preparing better-for-you meals at home. Having the right ingredients on hand lets you put together tasty meals in a hurry. Build your pantry over time by stocking a variety of the below items.

Balance of oils: canola and olive oil

• Use less expensive olive oil for cooking and more expensive extra-virgin olive oil for salads and finishing a dish. You won’t notice the difference in flavor when cooking with less expensive oil.
  

Variety of vinegars, citrus juices and fresh citrus

• Stock white, red, sherry and balsamic vinegars for salads, sauces and cooking.
  
• Lemons, limes and oranges have great flavor and acid, so they can be used as vinegar substitutes.
  
• Vinegars and citrus’ have unique flavors. Experiment to discover what you and your family like!
  
• Try vinegar on raw onions and garlic to cut the strong flavor but still maintain the powerful benefits.
  

Low-sodium stocks and broths

• These are useful for a soup, sauce or stir-fry base.
  
• Stocks and broths come in beef, chicken and vegetable flavors. Choose the unsalted or low-sodium varieties.
  
• Try stock or broth to thin homemade mashed potatoes instead of butter.
  

Herbs, spices and ethnic items
Herbs and spices add lots of flavor without adding fat. However, they should be used in moderation as they can be high in salt. Try a variety of the below items to add zest to your meals.

• Basil
  
• Cardamom
  
• Cinnamon
  
• Fish sauce
  
• Hoisin sauce
• Hot sauce
• Kosher salt
• Nutmeg
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Pesto
• Sage
• Sea salt
• Soy sauce
• Sriracha sauce
  

Assortment of whole grains
Whole grains are an excellent source of nutrients and fiber. Grains differ in their uses and flavors, so experiment to find the ones you and your family like best.

• 100% whole-grain breads
• 100% whole-grain oatmeal
• Variety of whole-grain, low-sugar cereals
• Brown, white or wild rice
• Brown or white rice pasta
• Whole-wheat pasta or couscous
• Quinoa
• Cellophane noodles or vermicelli
• Barley
• Flaxseed
• Quick cook, traditional or steel-cut oats
• Rice paper
• Wheat berries
• Wheat farro pearls
  

Thanks! to yumPOWER for these tips.

"I never follow recipes—I prefer to just cook with what I have."

• Soups are great dishes to use what you already have on hand and improvise! Almost any vegetable can be thrown into a soup or stew and it will just make the soup taste better.
• Soups and stews can be made to last for many meals. Simply add more water or broth to make more soup.
• Use the cheaper cuts of meats for soups and stews since they become tender when cooked for a long time.
• Soups freeze well. If you make a very large pot and freeze the leftovers, you can defrost them later.
• Add a hearty grain to your soup to make it more filling. Barley, farro, and brown rice hold up well in soups.
• Frozen and canned vegetables are easy additions to soups.
  

Follow the link below to reinvent the your leftovers into a delicious soup and find some enticing recipes.

Prevent foodborne illness during emergencies and disasters.

Check out these Resource Materials from USDA's Food and Nutrition Service.

Pumpkin, chia seeds, cactus, and chocolate - Who knew?!! 

Read the article by Krista Linares, MPH, RDN, from Healthline.

After reading yesterday's post we couldn't help but look at recipes for today's!  Check out these nightshade fruit and vege recipes...

What are nightshade fruits and veggies?
Nightshade fruits and vegetables are a broad group of plants from the Solanaceae family. Nightshade plants contain poisonous alkaloids, one called solanine.
While ingesting nightshade plants can be fatal, fruits and vegetables in this same classification of plant — many of which you’ll find at your local grocery store — are actually safe to eat.
This is because the amount of this toxic compound is lowered to nontoxic levels once the fruits and vegetables ripen. Still, the leaves and berries of the deadly nightshade plant are toxic and shouldn’t be consumed.
Find out exactly which of the nightshades are the most nutritious.

• Tomatoes
• Potatoes
• Bell peppers
• Hot peppers
• Eggplant
• Tomatillos
• Goji berries
• Blueberries

Avocados are in and easy to use in recipes.  Check out these four dishes with several ingredients in common—avocados, chicken, and tortillas. They would make great dinners to spread out over the course of the week.
Click the link below for downloadable recipes and shopping lists

Break out your best loaf pan, because there’s no way you’ll be able to browse through pumpkin recipes and not immediately want to try one. We can’t choose a favorite pumpkin recipe — how can you choose between pumpkin pie, roasted pumpkin seeds and pumpkin soup, all perfect in their own way? But we can easily say pumpkin bread is a classic we never get tired of making. The great thing about it is that it’s easy to enjoy year-round; many of these recipes call for canned pumpkin, so there’s no need to wait until fall. Start with our recipe for The Best Pumpkin Bread. It's perfectly moist, easy to make and not too sweet.
You can toast it and slather with butter or cream cheese, or maybe even try a slice with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.

The US Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center has designed a cheat sheet for cooking with spices.  And, if you look at their information on a computer you can follow the links they provide to actual recipes to help you make the most of those often unused spices.