Special Diets
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Pumpkin Power! Easy Gluten-Free Muffins to Energize Your Fall
It’s not quite fall, but I’m already seeing Pumpkin Spice everything. Advertised in coffee shops and stores, pumpkin spice is like a retail cue of the fall season. Have you seen the Pumpkin Spice ads yet? Lattes, coffee creamers, nail polish (not kidding). While some new pumpkin spice products are questionable, I know Pumpkin Muffins are a winner. Honestly, I think Pumpkin Spice Lattes (or “PSLs”)) are kind of disgusting-tasting, even though I love pumpkin. đ And, if you’re trying to reduce sugar intake, PSLs are something you might not want to drink. Pumpkin itself, spiced or not, is an amazing vegetable packed with nutrition and flavor. What I also…
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What is a Plant Based Diet? The Fundamentals and How to Know if it’s Achievable For You
Have you thought about trying a plant-based diet? If you answered âyesâ, youâre in good company. Plant-based diets are on the rise – around 10 million Americans say they follow a âplant-basedâ diet. Thatâs up from 290k in 2004! Interestingly, the number of self-identifying âvegansâ hasnât changed much. Are you asking yourself, âwhatâs the difference between vegan and plant-based?â In this post, weâll get clear on just what a plant-based diet is (and is not). At the end, youâll have the information you need to decide if you want to try plant-based yourself. What You Need to Know About Plant-Based Diets Letâs first define a plant-based diet and distinguish it…
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Best Breakfast Bowl for Special Diets
If you’ve read my original Best Breakfast post, you probably know that I love a big bowl of nutritious goodness to start my day. But what if you’re vegan, or doing the Whole30? If you’ve read some of my other content, you know I’ve practiced and respect many special diets. So,this post is meant to demystify and lay out your perfect breakfast bowl, no matter what your food preferences or restrictions. Gluten-free: You’re in luck-the original Best Breakfast Bowl is already gluten-free! 1/2 cup whole milk plain yogurt (eg, Fage Total 5% Greek) 1 banana, sliced 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk 1 tablespoon no-sugar-added peanut butter, nut butter, or chopped…
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Make a Plant-Based Dinner Meat-Eaters Will Love
Are you looking to add more plant-based meals to your diet, but are not sure where to start or afraid your family won’t like it? Believe me, I’ve been there! When I was a vegan for a few years, I constantly tried different dinner recipes, hoping that they would be easy, use “normal” ingredients, and – most importantly – be edible. Not just for me, but also for my kids and husband. After many fails, complaints, and even ridicule from my meat-loving family, Fiesta Pasta is one plant-based dinner that even has the meat-eaters going back for seconds. Goal: Plant-Based Dinner That’s Easy and Delicious The goal here is to…
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Make Easy, Delicious Peanut Sauce and Dressing in 5 Minutes
Do you want to be able to make restaurant-quality peanut sauce – or a nut-free version – at home, and in less time than it takes to read a take-out menu? Nothing beats a creamy, coconut peanut sauce – for Pad Thai, on salads, chicken satay, tofu – it’s delicious on almost everything. Recently, I was mixing up some peanut coconut sauce to go with Pad Thai, and had a “lightbulb” moment. What if I used the extra coconut milk from my peanut sauce to make a salad dressing?! If you have one can of coconut milk, you can make an amazing peanut coconut sauce AND peanut coconut salad dressing.…
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Amazing Super Bowl Party Dips That Aren’t Guacamole
Sick of guacamole? Me either – I could eat it forever! Still, if you’re looking to change up the dips you serve this superbowl, here’s a roundup of non-guacamole options that are healthy and delicious. There are options for every dietary restriction – all are gluten-free, most are paleo, and some are vegan and dairy-free as well. I’ve included helpful labels to let you know which categories they fall into. Easiest – Homemade Ranch Dip Gluten-Free, No Sugar Added Ranch Dip – it’s a crowd-pleasing classic, not to be underestimated! Mix a cup of sour cream with 1 – 2 tablespoons of these dried herbs and spices and a few…
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Ring in the New Year with Spicy Peanut Stew
Whether you believe in “good luck” foods or not, you’ll love to ring in the new year with Spicy Peanut Stew. It’s full of “lucky” legumes – black beans, garbanzo beans, and peanuts. (Feel free to throw in some black-eyed peas, if you’re a purist.) According to popular folklore in the United States and elsewhere, eating certain foods on New Year’s Day will guarantee good luck in the new year. Legumes – especially beans, black-eyed peas, and lentils – are traditionally “lucky” foods because they symbolize money or wealth. Other so-called lucky foods (and recipes) are: Pork – Juiciest Pork Chops Cabbage – Pan-Asian Chicken with Cabbage Greens – Salad…
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No Beans About It – Killer Slow Cooker Chili
Warm up with a slow cooker chili that takes 20 minutes to prep, has no beans, and is super nutritious and delicious.
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5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Intermittent Fasting
Weight loss is difficult – could intermittent fasting (IF) be the answer? This eating pattern – that defines WHEN, not WHAT , you eat – has actually proven to help people lose weight. At least, in the short-term. IF is Different Than Other Diets With IF, you can eat anything you want – that’s the primary difference between it and regular diets. There’s no “food rules” or supplements to buy, you don’t have to eat lots of kale or drink mystery diet elixirs. Sounds easy, right? Well … what makes IF effective is that you cycle between regular periods of eating and not eating. And, the non-eating timeframes can be…
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5 Reasons Intermittent Fasting is So Popular
Why people choose to go hungry on a regular basis. Intermittent Fasting is an “eating plan” that is credited with everything from weight loss to making you live longer. The big question is, “Is changing when you eat worth it?” Intermittent Fasting is Worth it for Some People Fifty million people have done it. A lot of them have lost a lot of weight, improved their overall health, and feel energized. One can’t argue with success, right? Proponents of IF say that it works by putting your body is in a truly fasted state, say 12 hours after your last meal. The argument is that, when you don’t eat for…
