We live in a world today that has a cast of fancy food characters, from spirulina smoothies to noodles that aren’t really noodles, to black charcoal ice cream (yes, really. Check out another blog by PN’er Jimmy here.) It’s an exciting time – our quests for fun, new ways to enjoy food goes hand in hand with our desire for a healthier diet.
At times, though, I have to wonder – is it too much?
And when I say too much, I’m not even really referring to the great lengths we take to make it pretty or trendy (ever tried making an avocado rose?), but is our obsession with Instagram-worthy meals leading to extraordinarily long grocery lists that end up landing our trash cans or down our gullets too quickly?
This year, as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recognizes March as National Nutrition Month®, the theme was announced as “Go Further with Food.” The initiative is to encourage consumers to just be mindful of their food- be thoughtful in the foods you buy, the foods you prepare, the portions you eat; essentially, how you can make your grocery run meaningful from a nutrition and bank account perspective.
Here at Porter Novelli, that got our food team excited. Why? This is a mission that resonances deeply with us! Not only because we are dedicated to helping our food and nutrition clients communicate to consumers and even policymakers, some of the most pressing issues in the food industry, but that it cuts deep to our core at PN- it has purpose for good. A purpose to encourage a better diet, a positive relationship with food, a vision of reducing food waste, and responsible eating habits. This initiative not only encourages improving diets, but touches on an important concept in sustainability.
One of our Porter Novelli Registered Dietitians, Sarah Lewis, put it this way: National Nutrition Month®’s theme is something that can go beyond just the month of March, and can be part of the sense of purpose that we as PNers want to help elevate in our clients. The big question for us now is, “how do we bring this to life?” While the ubiquity of #foodporn and #instafood isn’t slowing down, we can capitalize on what consumers love to post about, but add this twist of purpose. We can look for ways to encourage our clients to talk about and activate around this idea of how to, “Go Further with Food.” Whether that means promoting no-waste recipes, sustainability activations, or tips on food utilization – the opportunities to use this as inspiration for our clients to solve challenges and even promote new thinking are endless.
My grandfather always did say “Take all you want, but eat all you take,” and these are words we should all live by! I’ll remind myself of this at brunch this Saturday as I reach for one slice of avocado toast instead of two.
Interested in learning more about how we put these ideas into practice? Email Sarah Lewis or myself with questions!