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Protein-Packed Lunches
Easy add-ons for a boost in protein and healthy fats Lunch: the meal that is often treated as an afterthought. In our busy lives, lunch is a meal that we “grab”, “pick up”, eat at our desks, or consume while doing something else entirely. Increasingly, lunch is simply a means to an end – a way to prevent hangriness – so we can keep going through the rest of our day until dinner. This relegation of lunch to the sidelines of life just makes me sad. My ideal would be to sit down at a table, maybe with other people (what?!), and enjoy each bite of a simple, fresh, and…
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10 Healthy Snacks Under 200 Calories
Being hungry is the pits. That gnawing, empty, relentless feeling of your body wanting food is hard to ignore. If you’re like me, you’ll be irritable, have a hard time concentrating, and give the dirtiest of looks to anyone who causes you to be late for lunch. While not yet in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word “hangry”, or, irritable due to hunger, is a feeling I try to prevent every day. Snacks are the antidote to hangriness, but if you’re not careful, snacks can be unhealthy, meal-sized, and leave you feeling like you need a nap. Whether you work in an office, are at home during the day, or out…
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This is Meaty – 4 Reasons Humans Should Eat Animals
If you’ve read my post on the pros and cons of veganism, you know that I was a vegan for two years, meaning I did not eat any animal products (even honey!). My choice to eat plant-based was motivated by a desire to lower my risk for chronic disease (personal health) have less impact on the environment. While I know that eating vegan is more Earth-friendly than an omnivore diet, I’m not convinced that avoiding animal products is the healthiest way to eat. Made For Meat-Eating Sorry vegans, but humans are omnivores, and we wouldn’t have progressed this far, meaning, we wouldn’t have become homo sapiens without the nutritional density…
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Magic Sauce – Salad Dressing, Dip, Simmer Sauce
Salad dressing can be many things – creamy, tangy, sweet, chunky or smooth. When it’s good, salad dressing makes a salad. Think fresh Caesar dressing made with egg yolks, anchovies, lemon, and a great olive oil. The flavors meld together in a velvety, briny goodness. A great salad dressing evenly coats the greens and vegetables it is served with. It makes greens, vegetables, and other toppings taste better and compliments their textures. In addition to tasting great, salad dressings made with quality ingredients are fabulous sources of healthy fats like olive and avocado oils. When made with nut and/or seed butters (think tahini or peanut butter), salad dressings and sauces…
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Thinking Vegan?
The pros and cons of eating animal-free Years ago, a health-conscious aunt of mine recommended I watch a documentary entitled “Forks Over Knives”. If you’ve not heard of Forks Over Knives, it is a film that examines the idea that chronic disease can be controlled or reversed by rejecting animal based and processed foods. The film follows individuals with chronic conditions (eg, heart disease, type 2 diabetes) as they attempt to reduce their dependence on medications through adopting a whole foods, plant-based diet. If you haven’t watched the film, it is a compelling case for adopting a vegan diet. In fact, after watching it eight years ago, I did just…
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Vegetable Roundup: 10 Recipes For a Veggie Boost in < 30 Minutes
Nutritional powerhouses but famously avoided and disparaged by both children and adults, vegetables tend to be viewed as the least exciting part of any meal. Some view vegetables as something that they “have to” but don’t particularly “want to” eat. Yes, I’ve had vegetables that were bland and off-color, but I would argue that comes not from an inherently untasty food, but poor preparation. In the suggestions that follow, my aim is to offer quick and super-tasty vegetable dishes that will have your taste buds singing and your body fortified with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. From cold salads to cooked and mashed to grilled – vegetables are diverse and wonderful…
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Your Body is a Temple – 5 Mantras for a Healthy Eating Mindset
Negative thinking and self-doubt are easy to fall into when trying to change your health for the better. However, beating yourself up over a mistake or being self-critical is counter-productive (not to mention hurtful – to yourself!). As with most positive behavior changes, it can feel like a lot of work – or like it’s not working – at first, so it’s important to stay positive, motivated, and focused on the “why” of healthy living. There are countless affirmations (or positive statements that we will say to ourselves) for health, wealth, and other topics. I’m including my five favorite healthy eating ones here. Focusing on these encouraging ideas will help…
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Keto is Crap!
3 Reasons to Not Put Yourself Through It Keto is “all the rage” in the fad diet world these days. I’ll bet you know someone doing it, or perhaps you’ve done the keto diet yourself. We see celebrities and others in the media advertising the dramatic weight loss or cognitive benefits of the keto diet. What’s more, now one can buy “keto-approved” pre-packaged and convenience food items. You know a fad diet has reached peak frenzy when food companies invest in tailor-made products for its followers. So what’s all the fuss about? What even is the keto diet? The ketogenic or “keto” diet is a very low carbohydrate, high-fat eating…
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Healthy In-flight Snacking
7 carry-on friendly alternatives to cookies and pretzels For our family, summertime is travel time. The kids are out of school and the weather is less blizzardy; thus, making it the ideal time to trek across the country to see our far-flung loved ones. With our relatives anywhere from 1100 – 2500 miles away, we find ourselves on several flights every year, just to visit family. Add in work-related trips and the occasional vacation, and I might average a roundtrip flight once a month. If you travel even a few times a year, I’ll bet you’re familiar with the challenges of eating well while traveling. Often, you can’t control where…
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4 Ways to Slower, More Mindful Eating
What I’ve learned from having braces (again). I’ve been studying food and nutrition for over 20 years, but the last six months of wearing braces on my teeth has taught me some new things. Braces have also reminded me of some key mindsets for successful and joyful eating. Having adult braces comes with a unique set of challenges (mostly of the self-conscious, embarrassing sort) compared to having braces as a kid or teenager: fear of judgement from others, eating in professional settings, none of your friends are “doing it”, etc. I’ve experienced all of these and more. However, I am surprised at how wearing braces has changed my relationship with…
A nutrition blog that promotes healthy eating habits and recipes
