Dallas County Community Health Educator Natalie Peters examines the area where Dallas County residents struggle in nutrition.

Peters tells Raccoon Valley Radio that nutritional health is important as it is beneficial for a lower chance of heart diseases and can improve a person’s well-being. She encourages people to monitor their intake of the amount of fruits and vegetables throughout the day. However, Peters points out that Dallas County residents struggle with this and offers some guidance.

“Well there are a lot of ways to make vegetables taste better already, I think a lot of people maybe avoid them because they don’t know how to cook them, so don’t be afraid to use seasoning, sauces, or just cut them up and incorporate them into dishes you already make a lot, like pastas or soups. And also, focus on adding more fiber into your diet with foods like lentils, oatmeal, and obviously fruits and vegetables.”

Peters suggests for people to follow the American Heart Association guidelines or the “My Plate” guidelines from the Department of Agriculture to help navigate the serving sizes for the different food groups.