March at a Glance

HEALTH
March 1 through March 31
National Nutrition Month
This month, skip the added sugar and salt in your cooking and instead use fragrant herbs and flavorful spices like sage, rosemary, and ginger to whip up creative, yet easy meals. This year’s theme for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ National Nutrition Month is “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right”. The Academy’s annual campaign spreads the word on the importance of making good food choices and developing healthy eating habits. Studies show that enjoying food’s natural tastes, which are often masked by additional sugar and salt, can help lower intake of calories, sodium, and saturated fats. And not only do herbs and spices boost your food’s (and beverage’s) flavor without adding any sugar or salt, they’re full of antioxidants that help fight illnesses and diseases. So, try saffron in shellfish and rice, turmeric in vegetarian dishes, or chili pepper in a savory steak rub. For tips on reducing sugar, sodium, and saturated fats in your diet, go to nationalnutritionmonth.org

THEATER & ART
April 21 through May 7
New York City Ballet’s The Most Incredible Thing
Get your tickets now for the New York City Ballet’s fantastical production of Hans Christian Anderson’s dark literary fairy tale, The Most Incredible Thing, next month. Choreographed by Justin Peck with music composed by Bryce Dessner, the story tells of a young man who creates a magical clock in an attempt to do the most incredible thing to win the king’s daughter and half of the kingdom and the spectacular consequences that occur when the true winner is chosen. The elaborate set and costumes for the production are created by contemporary artist Marcel Dzama, one of the world’s renowned young artists known for his whimsical designs. Last month, the New York City Ballet featured an installation by Dzama in their 2016 Art Series, but you can check out Dzama’s pieces on permanent display at The Museum of Modern Art and The Guggenheim Museum to get a taste of his work before you see the ballet. For tickets, go to nycballet.com

ENTERTAINMENT
March 15 and April 15
Billy Joel at the Garden
One of our favorite New Yorkers and multi-Grammy Award winners, Billy Joel is in full swing at Madison Square Garden. The first artist to score a music franchise at Madison Square Garden, the singer-songwriter makes the arena his professional home alongside the iconic Knicks, Rangers, and Liberty sports teams. His monthly shows are filled with songs that are loved by generations like “Piano Man”, “Uptown Girl”, and “We Didn’t Start the Fire”. You might have missed The Tonight Show’s host Jimmy Fallon performing The Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up” with Joel in January (YouTube it!), but you never know who else might pop up to join Joel on stage this spring. For tickets, go to billyjoelmsg.com