Sweet plums and peaches are great on their own, a good source of potassium and a sweet low-cal snack with only 40 calories each. But you can also use them as the foundation of dishes perfect for summer entertaining. When it comes to picking out the best stone fruit, look for firm, unblemished skins — no scratches or bruises. If they’re firm to the touch, let them rest on a countertop or windowsill or in a basket for four to five days until ripe. If you love fruit pies, but not their calorie overload, fruit crisps are a great swap. They’re lower in calories because they have only a streusel topping, no pie crust. This also makes them easier to prepare. Stone Fruit Crisp 4 plums, halved, pitted and thinly sliced 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or cinnamon 1/2 pint raspberries For the streusel: 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1/3 cup rolled oats Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the plum slices in a large bowl along with the lemon juice, vanilla and ground black pepper (for a spicy kick) or cinnamon (for a sweet kick). Toss well. Arrange plums in an 8-inch square baking dish, overlapping them slightly, and then sprinkle with the…  read on >

Imagine this: You open a bag of fresh salad greens and out pops a lizard. Or worse. Unfortunately, that scenario is more common than many might think. Researchers analyzed online news between 2003 and 2018 and found 40 articles about U.S. consumers discovering live, dead or severed parts of animals in their produce. More than half of the cases involved frogs, but lizards, snakes, mice, birds and even a bat were found in salad greens, green beans or mixed vegetables. Ten of the animals — nine frogs and one lizard — were found alive. In three-quarters of the cases, the produce was conventionally grown, not organic. “It was implied over and over in these articles: If you buy organic, getting a frog is par for the course, essentially,” said study author Daniel Hughes, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois. “If that was true, we should have seen the opposite of what we found. We did not take into account market-share differences between conventional and organic produce, but this result ran contrary to common opinion,” Hughes said in a university news release. Only one of the incidents — a dead bat found in a package of salad greens in Florida in 2017 — led to a recall, according to the study published on July 20 in the journal…  read on >

Having “friendly” bacteria in your digestive system is important for good health. They help the body extract nutrients from food, and boost the immune system in the fight against inflammation and many diseases associated with it. Gut microbes do much better with a plant-based diet, according to a study done at the Washington University School of Medicine in Seattle. That’s because plant-based foods “feed” the good bacteria in your digestive system. The researchers also found that a diet of roughly 1,800 calories a day is best, rather than the typical American way of eating, which clocks in closer to 3,000 calories and is linked to excess weight and chronic illnesses. Rather than feeding unhealthy inflammation, plant-based foods help minimize it. Getting more plant-based foods in your daily diet is a great health resolution, and it doesn’t mean that you suddenly have to go vegan. Where to begin? Start with foods that seem to be especially good for the gut, rich in nutrients and the various types of fiber that create healthy bacteria when they reach the colon and/or push out unwanted ones. Bacteria-boosting foods include bananas and blueberries, Jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, leeks, onions, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale, cabbage and cauliflower, polenta (a type of ground corn), all kinds of beans, and fermented foods rich in probiotics, such as pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso and kefir,…  read on >

Sweet corn is an irresistible summer veggie and a good source of fiber. Ideally, you want to eat it as soon as possible after it’s picked, but you can store corn for up to one week — keep the husks on and refrigerate in produce bags. There’s nothing quite like biting into fresh corn on the cob, but you can turn this “fruit” of summer from side dish into a main dish. For a do-ahead time saver, prep the corn in advance: Discard the husks, cut off the kernels with a serrated knife, and store the shucked kernels in an airtight container until ready to use. Corn pairs well with superfoods like beans and greens, and lends a naturally sweet taste to recipes like this delicious take on falafel. Corn & Chickpea Falafel 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and well rinsed 2 cups corn kernels 1 cup parsley 4 scallions 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 tablespoons tahini paste 1/4 cup olive oil, divided 8 cups baby greens Place the chickpeas in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, and then transfer to a bowl. Fold in the corn kernels. Chop the parsley and scallions, and add to the bowl. Add in the flour and baking powder. Mix well until a heavy, thick and wet mixture forms, and then stir in…  read on >