(KXNET) — March is National Nutrition Month, an annual campaign created 50 years ago in 1973 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. And nutrition is always evolving.

“Nutrition is an ever-changing world and it really has evolved over the past several years and decades,” said Katie Johnke with the Bismarck-Burleigh County Public Health.

So, our knowledge has to evolve with it.

“I really think in recent years and even decades as a society we have invested a lot more time and money into researching foods and researching what we should be eating to maintain a well-rounded balance diet,” said Sam Schilling, registered dietitian at Sanford.

There have been studies to even show that eating healthy can help medical conditions, this is called Medical Nutrition Therapy.

“Incorporating foods in our diet to help prevent or even treat various medical conditions, such as heart disease, kidney disease, or diabetes,” said Schilling.

So, limiting the amount of fast food is a must, but for those with a budget, that’s not always easy to do. And with inflation and shortages of different food in stores, shopping for healthy alternatives can be stressful.

“There are ways to eat on a more cost-mindful or budget-friendly tactics. You know trying foods that are frozen or steamable such as those birds eye frozen vegetables. And the nice thing about that is you are not really under the pressures to eat them as quickly as we be if we got fresh fruits and vegetables sitting in our frig,” said Schilling.

Even though dietitians’ main goal is preventing chronic diseases, like diabetes, it’s never too late to start a healthy lifestyle.

“We can improve our nutrition at any point in our lives. There’s really no set time that works, any opportunity you have to improve your food choices, we encourage you to do so,” said Johnke.

But before you jump on the latest diet trend on TikTok or Instagram, make sure that it’s the correct diet for you.

“One of the dangers we see is that with weight loss trends they are based on non-credible sources and it can actually do a lot more damage,” said Schilling.

Always make sure you’re communicating with your registered dietitian or your physician before making drastic changes to your diet.