Fresh vegetables are nutrient-rich diet mainstays and can be inexpensive when bought in season. Simple selection tips will enable you to choose the best produce to turn into delectable meals and, just as important, to store your vegetables to maximize flavor and “shelf life.” Tips for Picking Produce Broccoli should be emerald green with a head of tight florets and a moist stalk. The stalk shouldn’t look shriveled or dried out. Store in the fridge in a closed produce bag. Carrots should be firm and bright orange with no green tinges or soft brown spots. If the tops are attached, they should be bright green and bushy (use them to add flavor to soups). Store in a closed produce bag in the fridge. Eggplant should feel firm and somewhat heavy in your hand. Its skin should be free of blemishes and have glossy deep purple shine. Refrigerate in a closed produce bag. Onions should be firm to the touch with no soft areas. They should have tightly closed, papery skin with no mold or dusty dark spots. Store on a cool, dark spot, such as a deep kitchen drawer. Spinach should have deep green leaves without creases or dark spots. Refrigerate in a closed produce bag lined with paper towel. Tomatoes should be slightly soft to the touch with the stems on, if possible, and…  read on >

Berries are nature’s natural sweetener and they come loaded with benefits. Fiber, vitamins and antioxidants sweeten the deal. Fresh strawberries are a plentiful spring and summer fruit, so load up on them at the farmer’s market. One cup contains 100 percent of your daily vitamin C needs and has just 46 calories. Here are two great ways to turn a basket of berries into sweets. The first is a simple, low-sugar refrigerator jam that you can use in many ways, from a tasty topping for toast to a sweetener in smoothies. Low-Sugar Strawberry Jam 4 tablespoons cold water 1-1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin 1 pound strawberries, chopped 1 tablespoon honey Place two tablespoons of cold water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface; do not stir. Set aside to soften. Meanwhile, place the strawberries in a heavy saucepan, along with the other two tablespoons of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until berries are softened, about five minutes. Stir in the gelatin and the honey. Chill at least one hour before serving. Yield: About 2 cups A fresh trifle is a tasty way to showcase seasonal berries, but most traditional recipes are heavy in fat and sugar, mostly from the lemon curd. By lightening up homemade curd and using yogurt instead of cake layers, this dessert is guilt-free. Strawberry Trifle…  read on >

If you’re a hamburger lover who no longer wants to eat meat or simply wants to cut down on beef consumption, there are ways to get the taste and texture of a traditional burger. Start by experimenting with beef alternatives like firm tofu. Because it takes on the taste of ingredients in a marinade, you can flavor it with spices and condiments before grilling. Tempeh is another soy food, more grainy than tofu, so you may find it tastes closer to ground beef. Legumes like lentils and beans can be cooked, mashed and shaped into patties and lightly sauteed or skillet-grilled. But if you’re looking for a very simple option with a more familiar, meaty taste, look to mushrooms, especially large Portobello mushrooms whose shape mimics the roundness of a beef patty. They not only make a great tasting burger, they’re also high in nutrients, including copper, selenium and many B vitamins. Here’s how to make a savory grilled mushroom burger. Grilled Portobello “Burgers” 2 large Portobello mushroom caps Cooking spray 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 slices cheddar cheese 2 whole-wheat burger buns 1/2 avocado, sliced 2 slices tomato 2 lettuce leaves Start by cleaning the mushrooms. Gently brush the caps with a damp cloth or paper towel. Because the gills can have a bitter taste, remove them by scraping them out with a spoon. Heat…  read on >

(American Heart Association News) — Tipping the scales at 233 pounds, Charles Joy realized he needed to make some changes. The 28-year-old Louisville, Kentucky, native already had tried many diet plans to varying degrees of success. In 2013, he lost more than 100 pounds through exercise and diet. But afterward, his weight slowly began to creep back up. In 2017, Joy decided to try time-restricted eating, consuming all his meals within an eight-to 10-hour window each day. The pounds melted away. Today, he weighs 183 pounds. “It’s working much better, because it’s so flexible,” Joy said. “With calorie restriction, you have to plan out everything, and I was never satisfied. Now I don’t even think about food until the afternoon.” Time-restricted eating is one variation of a hot diet trend that also includes intermittent fasting. According to Krista Varady, an associate professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois at Chicago, there are several types of intermittent fasting, including one meal per day, the 5/2 method, which involves five feast days and two days with restricted calories, and alternate-day fasting. Fasting is nothing new. For a month every year, practicing Muslims celebrate Ramadan by fasting from sunrise to sunset, and it’s a part of many other major religious traditions. But is it healthy and effective to restrict eating or fast on a regular basis? It…  read on >

Fish is a delicious, lean protein with healthy fats, but many people are afraid to cook it and save it for when dining out. Whether you avoid cooking fish because you’re concerned about causing a fishy odor in your kitchen (which only happens when the fish isn’t fresh) or the calories of typical breaded and fried fillets, a nifty technique using parchment paper can solve both dilemmas. What’s more, cooking fish in parchment paper also makes for speedy clean-up. Of course, it’s important to start with fresh fish. A white fish like tilapia, readily available at most fish counters these days, should be odorless and have firm flesh that isn’t breaking apart or discolored. Make friends with your fish monger, whether at your supermarket’s seafood counter or a fish store. Regular shoppers tend to get the freshest catch. While you’re at the market, buy a roll of parchment paper. You’ll find it in the baking aisle or the foil and plastic wrap section. Once you have it in your kitchen, you’ll find many uses for it, such as lining baking sheets for roasting vegetables. Here’s how to use it for baking virtually any type of fish. Note: While this recipe is for small individual fillets, you can use a single, longer piece of parchment for larger fillets or even a whole fish. No-Muss, No-Fuss Baked…  read on >

More and more research supports the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, the way of eating followed by people who live in countries around the Mediterranean Sea, such as Greece and Italy. Various studies have indicated that it may help ward off Alzheimer’s disease and other changes related to thinking and memory. It may also reduce your odds of getting type 2 diabetes. And eating this way when you’re younger can increase your chances of living past 70 without a chronic illness. While some studies have cast doubt on its seemingly infinite health benefits, more definitive evidence of its value was announced in December 2018 in a study done at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Researchers found that among women who most closely followed the diet, heart disease was cut by more than 25 percent. It’s also important not to lose sight of the big picture: Because it’s a diet that relies on fresh food rather than packaged or processed choices, it can be a healthful way for everyone to follow general nutrition guidelines for wellness. One aspect that people like about the Mediterranean diet is its flexibility — it’s more of a style of eating than a strict regimen. That means that, within the parameters of what’s acceptable, you have many choices and can build your own daily menus. The Core…  read on >