A brief history of National Nutrition Month

Each March, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics sponsors National Nutrition Month to raise awareness about the importance of developing healthy eating habits. This year, National Nutrition Month will be honored as its own theme to accommodate a diverse range of topics in advocating for the importance of good nutrition.

National Nutrition Month began as National Nutrition Week in 1973. It was started by the American Dietetic Association (ADA) — now the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics — as
a way to raise awareness about the profession of dietetics while educating the public about good nutrition. Growing public concern about the topic of healthy eating led to the event’s transformation into a month-long event in 1980.

Over the years, National Nutrition Month has covered a variety of health and food-related subjects. The campaign’s first slogan was, “invest in yourself — buy nutrition.”

In the late 1970s, the ADA created a mascot to help promote its messages to children: Nutribird, a cartoon bird with lettuce for a body and a carrot for a beak.

During the 1990s, National Nutrition Month became increasingly focused around calls to action involving the federal dietary guidelines. And, with the emergence of the internet, it became possible to share information about the event more widely than ever before. Today, it’s one of the most celebrated health campaigns in the United States.