Food Feature

Winter brings a little disappointment due to the lack of local fresh greens and herbs. But, maybe not. You can have a little indoor garden and include the kids in the fun without a lot digging and weeding. You can easily grow herbs, celery and lettuce on a window sill or glass doors with a southern exposure. Here’s how: Herbs – Start with those packages from the grocery store in plastic bags or pots. The easiest to find is basil. Stand up the basil, while in the bag, and add some water ...

Have you heard that tart cherries are the new superfood? Along with nutmeg, apples, and cranberries, many classic holiday foods have wonderful health properties. Today, the term “superfood” does not have a standardized definition and is mainly used by manufacturers as a marketing strategy. The trendy name suggests that these foods are hyper-concentrated with health-promoting substances beyond vitamins and minerals…but are they? As vegetarianism and plant-based eating continues to grow so does ...

How does a choice to eat vegetarian or vegan fit into holidays centered around animal-based foods? The holidays are filled with family, celebrations and lots of food. Delicious meals and traditional dishes are an important part of cultural heritage and customs. So how does a choice to eat vegetarian or vegan fit into holidays centered around animal-based foods? The good news is that being vegetarian or vegan doesn’t mean you can’t partake in holiday celebrations with meat-eating family and friends. ...

Winter is a time to take comfort in warm food. The weather outside might be frightful, but winter meals need not be. Three Vegetarian Nutrition members submitted recipes that are sure to become your favorite comfort food for cold weather days.

Often the star at holiday celebrations, sweet potatoes make a wonderful addition to lunch or dinner throughout the year. Often this vegetable is the star at holiday celebrations when it finds its way into sweet side dishes or baked into pies, but sweet potatoes make a wonderful addition to lunch or dinner throughout the year. Sweet potatoes can be baked, boiled, or even micro-waved as a healthy side dish or added to a main dish at any meal. One baked, medium (5″ length) sweet potato provides approximately ...

October is Vegetarian Awareness Month! We invite you to celebrate plant-based nutrition with us all month long (all year long, let’s be honest) by sharing yummy recipes and helpful nutrition information. Be sure to join the conversation on Twitter by following us @VNDPG

Challenge yourself to add one new serving of legumes to your day! Legumes are a class of vegetables including beans, lentils and peas. There are countless reasons to love legumes. For starters, they are nutrition powerhouses, rich in protein, fiber, iron, potassium and folate – all of which are important nutrients that our bodies need to function well. Legumes have one of the lowest carbon footprints of all the food groups and require about 19 times less water to produce than meat, making them ...

Autumn is here and it is time for the harvest. If your garden included herbs — now is the time to reap the harvest before the frost comes. Herbs such as thyme and oregano, which are used for their leaves, are best harvested before they go to flower. Herbs grown for their flowers such as chamomile and borage are best harvested when they are almost in full flower. Herbs grown for their roots such as ginseng and chicory are best harvested after the foliage fades in the fall. Herbs grown for their seed ...

To the uninformed eye kohlrabi looks like a large, green turnip. In fact another name for this member of the Brassica family is German turnip. Kohlrabi can be eaten cooked or raw. It comes in a variety of colors from light green to dark purple, although in both varieties the flesh is white beneath the skin. Kohlrabi is best consumed when it is young and tender. The taste is milder than other Brassicas and the flesh is crisp and juicy. Except for a few Gigante cultivar, kohlrabi is best harvested ...

Research shows that children who eat breakfast are able to Pay attention in the classroom Follow directions Solve math problems. But, who has time to sit down and eat breakfast? Children barely manage to get ready in time to catch the bus in the morning and breakfast is the least of their priorities. The solution is planning ahead. Create grab and go breakfasts that save time, reduce stress and nourish the morning rush hour. Create one of these breakfasts that will last until lunch ...

Singapore’s reputation as a food paradise extends to its vegetarian and vegan dishes as well. Singapore, also known as Lion City, is a vibrant Asian country with rich culture mostly drawn from four main ethnics: Chinese, Indian, Native Malays, and Eurasians. The vegetarian and vegan foods are equally interesting making Singapore the No. 2 spot on PETA’s list of the Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Cities in Asia in 2016. With Changi Airport quoted to more vegan options than few major cities in the ...

For those of us lucky enough to live in the “snow belt” winter can seem like a never ending season. Although soups and casseroles are easy comfort foods, nothing helps to beat the winter blues like a nice, crunchy salad. Celebrate the end of winter by combining these winter and spring fruits and vegetables.

When it comes to dressing up your dishes this holiday season, go green (use avocados)! This fruit, also known as the butter pear and the alligator pear, is native to the New World and can be used in everything from appetizers to desserts. Its mild flavor and high fat content help to balance out highly flavored dishes. Although 82% of the avocado’s Caloric content is derived from fat, the majority of that fat is monounsaturated. The avocado is also a good source of potassium and vitamin C. A 100 gram ...

October in the upper Midwest is usually the time for final fall harvests from the garden. The last of the tomatoes are gathered and processed. Herbs are cut and dried. Apples of all varieties are picked for snacking enjoyment. Annual trips to corn mazes are planned and taken and golden trophies are carefully chosen and carried or carted from the pumpkin patch. I am fortunate to have grown up in and continue to live in an area that is rich in agriculture. I can attend a farmer’s market almost ...

Tired of snacking on potato chips? Need something to munch on during the day without adding a lot of Calories to your diet? Try Crispy Collard Green Chips by Megann Harris, RD, LD! This crunchy recipe is rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin C. A dehydrator is recommended to help completely dry these super-thin chips to just the right crispness. Store in an airtight container when done to help chips stay crunchy and enjoy!

Let’s take a lesson from the squirrels and save some room for nuts in your diet. Nuts are considered a healthy addition to the diet in moderation. According to MyPlate.gov, a recommended serving for nuts is a one-ounce serving, which is equivalent to 23 almonds, 13 cashews, or 9 walnut halves. Although many nut lovers tend to favor a few particular kinds of nuts, eating a variety of nuts can help to maximize the benefits that this group can provide. Soy nuts , which are a legume, contain 11 ...

Bring some color to your table with two savory dishes from Frances Arnold and Gita Patel.

Celebrate berries and indulge in the fruits of the season. This triple berry recipe is a family favorite from my mother in law and is packed full of vitamin C, potassium, phytochemicals, and of course, flavor! So this summer, triple your benefits by combining the fruits of this season.

Dialing up our weekly call, Suzy client laments, “I’m on a plane so much this week, how am I supposed to feel good about my body?” Having more frequent flyer miles than a pilot, she knows full well the effects of flying: bloating, water weight gain, stiffness and lethargy. And it makes her incredibly anxious to feel a victim to fall prey to high fat, high sodium and sugar options. What to do? Having a plan is key. Suzy and I talked about deciding beforehand what is the best flying fare so ...

Looking for a fun and refreshing way to cool down your menu? Why not try a sorbet! Sorbets are fun and easy to make. Unlike ice cream, sorbets do not require a special piece of equipment, just a good blender or food processor. Sorbets can be made using one type of fruit or several types of fruit A recommended combination is 8 oz of frozen fruit to 1 cup of juice. Just blend and freeze until mixture is firm. This makes about 2 cups of sorbet so invite a few friends over to try your latest concoction. ...