If you’ve ever tasted hummus, you’ve likely eaten tahini. Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. It’s similar to a nut butter, but instead of using nuts, it uses sesame seeds. Tahini is typically expensive, and thus, I’ve always avoided this specialty ingredient. Instead, I always made...

This blog post was written by Illinois State University student, Hannah Gold. Zucchini is a great source of antioxidants and nutrients, but it might seem like there are only a few ways you can prepare it, such as eating it plain or with minimal seasonings. A fun new way to eat zucchini is...

Osteoporosis doesn’t typically have any symptoms, and most don’t know they have it until a bone breaks. While it mainly affects postmenopausal women, it’s still a major cause of fractures for older men, too. Prevention begins in childhood and continues throughout adult life, but no matter your age...

Broccoli rabe, also known as rapini, isn’t the most well-known vegetable, but that doesn’t mean you should count it out. The whole plant is edible, it’s extremely easy to cook, and it’s loaded with disease-fighting nutrients. Broccoli rabe may have edible buds that resemble broccoli, but it...

I love a good salad but often get bored using the same greens and the same bottled dressings over and over. What’s the solution? Try watercress! Watercress adds a fresh, slightly peppery flavor that can be added to other salad greens or stand alone as the star. Hence the name, watercress is...

Which is healthier, ground turkey or ground beef? Most people will tell you ground turkey, and they’re not wrong per say. But is it really that much healthier? First, when comparing one meat to the other, you must level the playing field and compare the two using the same number of ounces and the...

As berries start to ripen, mason jars are being gathered and dusted off in preparation for making jam. Unlike jellies, jams include the actual fruit and not just its juice. They’re made by cooking crushed or chopped fruits with sugar… lots of sugar! Jams will hold their shape and are easier to...

One of the questions I often receive is “what about coconut oil?” Coconut oil has increased in popularity because of it’s perceived health benefits, and people want to know if it truly lives up to all the hype. I often feel bad for disappointing people when I must tell them that coconut oil is not...

March is National Nutrition Month. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics created the annual campaign in 1973 (50 years ago), and it includes a new theme each year. This year’s theme is “Fuel for the Future.” But what exactly does that mean? Food is the fuel that our bodies need to keep our system...

I recently tried a new white chicken chili recipe and it called for both cannellini beans and Great Northern beans. I have always used one or the other, but never at the same time. The two beans in the same bowl of soup allowed me to see and taste their similarities and differences, though honestly...