Eating more plant-based foods is a good goal for most everyone. After all, only 1 in 10 adults in the U.S. meet the recommended 1 ½-2 cups of fruit and 2-3 cups of vegetables each day. Plant-based eating is trending, and whether you are ditching the meat altogether or you’re simply trying to eat...
You’ve likely been told to eat more fresh foods and less processed foods for better health. It may sound simple, but what exactly does the term “processed” mean, and what about the terms, “ultra-processed” and “minimally processed?” Let’s dive into some definitions set by the NOVA classification...
To some, coffee is a love like no other; it’s a must-have every morning with a specific preference for the “perfect cup.” But a new type of coffee has been swarming the internet: mushroom coffee. Luckily, it is not coffee that tastes like mushrooms. On the contrary, it tastes and looks much like...
Kefir (pronounced ‘kuh-feer’) is a fermented dairy product that is in the mix of “good for the gut” foods, along with kimchi and yogurt. Kefir is made with a starter called kefir grains, which are not grains at all but rather cultures of bacteria and yeast that resemble small cauliflower florets....
It’s the time of year where pomegranates appear in the produce section of the grocery store. This round fruit is about the size of a softball and has shiny red, leathery skin with a blossom end that looks like a crown. They make a decorative holiday centerpiece for the dinner table, but they also...
It’s the beginning of the new year and so often we set resolutions around physical health, including diet and exercise, but we might be missing out on opportunities to work on other areas of wellness, including the eight dimensions of wellness, which are all interwoven: physical, financial,...
When comparing pumpkin pie recipes for my Thanksgiving dinner, one used clove while the other one did not. I opted for the recipe that used clove. Not everyone is a fan of this strong pungent spice, but when used sparingly and combined with other flavors, I personally think it’s delightful.
Native...
The scent of vanilla is found in so many things, including candles, soaps, and lotions, but it’s also in tons of different foods, topping the list for the world’s favorite flavor. Why do we love vanilla so much? It’s widely accepted scent is rich, smooth, slightly floral, and subtly sweet.
Either...
Several years ago, I attended a Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo where I had the experience of wading through a gigantic makeshift cranberry bog. It was a strange but satisfying encounter! Cranberries are a unique crop that thrive in natural wetlands called bogs, although most bogs for...
Dates are the fruit of the date palm tree commonly grown in tropical climates. They can be sold fresh, but they are regularly found dried in the grocery store. The drying process makes dates sweeter and concentrated in nutrients. Dates are a good source of fiber, potassium, magnesium, and...
