The importance of healthy fats as a part of a nutritious eating plan is becoming more and more emphasized in the world of health and nutrition. In celebration of National Guacamole Day, which is tomorrow, I am going to talk about one of the richest sources of healthy fats – the avocado! Avocados are…
September is celebrated as Whole Grains Month in the world of food and nutrition. Each year, there is a different theme. The theme for 2014 is “Make the Switch”. As you can guess, this theme is referring to switching from refined grains to whole grains! Making the switch can be as simple and easy as…
I know how much you want to lose weight. You have tried for many years. You’ve been successful in that you lost weight on whatever diet you were on at that moment, assuming you were “good”. But then, the inevitable happens. You crave foods that you love that you have restricted for so long. You…
Vegetarian and vegan lifestyles are growing in popularity as millions of Americans choose to go meatless, whether because they are animal lovers or feel that eliminating meat from their diet is simply better for their health. In hopes to bring attention to the vegetarian lifestyle, this week is recognized as Vegetarian Awareness Week. Raising awareness…
Sunday September 7th is National Acorn Squash Day! Learning about and enjoying all the possibilities this unique type of squash has to offer is the perfect way to kick off the fall season. As summer ends and fall quickly approaches, one of the things I automatically notice before the leaves start changing is the…
Portion control is something that is always stressed when discussing weight loss and healthy eating. It is undeniable that the portions of food people eat are much larger than they were years ago, which is a direct contributor to the obesity epidemic this country is facing. Several experiments have recently been conducted at Vanderbilt…
The Nutritional Power of Cauliflower Kale better brace itself because there is a new “it vegetable” in town and that is cauliflower! Because of its naturally mild flavor, cauliflower is extremely versatile. It can be roasted, broiled, cooked, and steamed. It’s wonderful eaten on its own, added to soups and salads, or even manipulated into…
When I first heard of the concept of substituting flour for various types of produce for a pizza crust, I was skeptical at best. How could a healthy vegetable achieve that chew and crispy texture that we have all grown up to love? Well, after some research and lots of experimenting, I was pleasantly surprised. The key to a great crust is squeezing out all the moisture in the vegetable, which in this case is cauliflower. You will be surprised how delicious this low calorie slice of pizza tastes!
This dish is a wonderful substitute for those comfort food mashed potatoes that we all crave. The parsnips contribute to the fluffy consistency and add a hint of sweetness to the dish. The Greek yogurt is a great alternative to sour cream and lends a creamy tanginess to the puree. The Pea and feta cheese garnish is optional but it definitely adds a fun sweet and salty dimension.
Nuts come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are an important part of a healthy eating plan. Though every nut has something special to offer, I am highlighting the macadamia nut in this post in celebration of National Macadamia Nut Day on September 4th. While you often find macadamia nuts covered in chocolate…
I am excited to bring to you, my readers, a brand new series on my blog, called Monthly Morsels. This idea came to me as I was mentoring one of my nutrition interns, Charna Sheinfeld. Charna shared the following thought with me: “I remember as a child hearing the expression “you are what you eat”,…
August 31st is National Trail Mix Day. I encourage you to get ingenious today and create your own version of a healthy trail mix! The beauty of this national food day is that you can put basically any combination of healthy treats in your mix and it will taste delicious. National Trail Mix Day…
How often do you actually take the time to appreciate the food that is on the plate in front of you or in your mouth? The food that is giving you fuel to power through your day and energy for your workouts? For most of my clients, not often at all. Until they start…
Sadly, the summer is coming to an end and it’s time to prepare for a new school year. With less free time, you might find that you are ditching your healthy habits, which is why it is all the more important to be prepared so you can ensure your kids will be getting proper nutrition…
August 22nd is nationally known as Eat a Peach Day! What could be a better way to celebrate than to sink your teeth into a delicious peach? Don’t have any ripe peaches handy? Don’t worry! Crack open a can of peaches (preserved in water or its natural juices instead of syrup of course) or take…
How many times have you eaten something because if you didn’t, it would likely spoil and go in the garbage? For a lot of mindless eaters, they eat in order not to waste food, not because they are hungry. Several factors can fuel this desire to waste-not. Maybe it’s a cost factor. After all,…
Whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner there is one food that can be eaten at any time of the day, the sandwich! August is National Sandwich Month, in which we appreciate the food that we all grew up on and continue to love in all of its delicious varieties, shapes and sizes. From the classic…
When you are eating, do you pay attention to how satisfied you are getting? Or, do you eat until all the food on the plate is gone? I ask you these questions because as a chronic dieter, you more than likely have become a member (or hopefully an ex-member) of the “clean the plate”…
I remember as a young girl, we would sit down to have a family dinner every night of the week. My dad would arrive home from work at 6:15 pm and by 6:30 pm dinner was served. We gathered around the table, talked about our days and enjoyed our meal together. This is a…
Today is National Zucchini Day! It’s time to celebrate this versatile green vegetable and all the glorious, scrumptious and tasty possibilities this squash has to offer! But first, did you ever wonder where the zucchini comes from? Zucchini is actually one of the many types of squash that comes from Italy. Italians introduced it…
