Live Well. Eat Well. 2014

This is my third post now touting the health benefits of sprouts, and inspired by a recent study published in the Journal of Cancer Prevention Research. 291...

Mothers tend to take better care of others than they do of themselves in some cases, but there is one way to help all mothers this M

Each year, the summer season signals the arrival of juicy, sweet peaches. In the United States, most peaches are grown in California, Georgia, and South Carolina. Unfortunately, our cold temperatures in Illinois are not typically suited for abundantly growing this wonderful fruit tree....

Pita chips are the perfect vehicle for all sorts of dips. They're super easy to make at home, so why not?Start with 6" whole grain pitas. Using kitchen shears, cut them into pieces and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet prepped with nonstick spray.Brush the tops...

Want to make a small change that will have lasting health benefits? Try cutting down on salt! One easy way to do this is by using more herbs and spices in cooking. Fresh or dried, either can enhance the flavor of any dish. Pairing Foods with Herbs and Spices Learning what...

A muffin makes a quick and easy breakfast when you're in a rush, but oversized baked goods can set you on the path for poor eating the rest of the day. Make your own muffins at home to save calories AND cash. (Scroll to the bottom of the post for a printable PDF version of the recipe...

Protein foods like beef, poultry, pork, and seafood take up the largest proportion of our food budgets. You can find deals at the market, but there are things we can do to save money even when meat isn't on sale. At the deli counter, specifically, lunch meats can be somewhat expensive because it's...

Low-fat beliefs 'Diet', 'weight loss', 'low-fat'…these terms usually go hand-in-hand and when looking at Gallup poll data from 2012 on Americans' views on best diets, Americans tend to...

Remember Chia Pets? What ever happened to those things? Nowadays chia is having a second life as a nutritional "it" item. Recently there has been a surge in cia products- Whole and ground chia seeds are being added to fruit drinks, snack foods and cereals; baked in cookies and sprinkled on yogurt...

This time of year finds families scrambling into the chaotic fall school sport schedules. In addition to making sure your young athletes have the necessary sport gear, it is also important that you make sure they are fueled up for their game or match. Many young athletes have nothing to eat from...

On this New Year's Eve, you're probably thinking about your resolutions for 2015. If they're the same as last year's (and maybe the year before), you might you say you failed in 2014. I disagree. The path to success is rarely a straight line. I'm confident that if you...

In our last post we discussed what to consider when cooking with herbs. Today, we will explore substituting dried herbs for fresh (and vice versa), provide examples of great pairings for herbs and vegetables, and share the nutritional benefits of seasoning your favorite dishes with vegetables....

Water; sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose), starch, fiber , amino acids (glutamic acid, aspartic acid, his-tidine, leucine, lysine, phenylalanine, arginine, valine, alanine, serine, glycine, threonine, isoleucine, proline, tryptophan, cysteine, tyrosine, methionine), fatty acids: palmitic...

Let's face it, eating healthy is tough. It can be expensive, time consuming, and it doesn't taste as good as eating junk food. There is no magical food that will help in this task, but smoothies might be the ticket to helping you with your healthy habits. Here are 8 reasons why you should add...

  What kind of fats and oils do you cook with? Do you reach for whatever you have on hand or do you take into consideration the smoke point, flavor, and method of cooking? One might think that as long as the oil does its job of keeping your food from sticking to the pan than you're good to go…...

If you are anything like me, you welcome the blazing sunny days of summer. Every chance I get, I am poolside soaking up the sun. What's better than a summe

I want to let you all in on a little secret: dietitians do not eat perfectly! I really do enjoy fresh, wholesome, colorful foods, but I also include a little bit of "junk." I have a huge sweet tooth-total chocolate addict! All shapes and forms! One being chocolate pudding! A super comfort food...

Would your Thanksgiving table be complete without sweet potato casserole? I know mine wouldn't! My grandma always made hers with canned sweet potatoes, loads of butter and sugar, plus a to-die-for topping of sugary spiced pecans. The taste is over-the-top, and so are the nutritional stats! I've...

Tortilla chips are a mainstay in Mexican restaurants and home kitchens alike! They're the perfect vehicle for all kinds of dips - salsa, guacamole, French onion, spinach artichoke, the list goes on and on. Problem is, tortilla chips are usually fried and salted, making them high in fat, sodium, and...

Pancakes are usually just a vehicle for butter and syrup, which can end up slowing you down mid- morning. Try these protein-packed pancakes instead, with lots of room for creativity. (Scroll to the bottom of the post for a printable PDF version of the recipe!) ...