Seasonal Greenery

Whether the obligatory resolution was made or not, chances are just about all of us are making an attempt to take a little better care of ourselves after the frantic holidays. 

Eating Healthy on a Budget

The myth out there is that you cannot eat healthy on a budget, but after reading these tips and trying them, it will no longer be a myth to you!

New Year's Resolutions

Every year we make a goal, and almost every year we forget about it before May Day. Why is it so hard to follow through? 

Winter's Big Red

Is it possible to see the combination of red and green together without automatically thinking of Christmas? Eating red and green together, unfortunately, is seen far less often than the colors of the holiday pageantry. 

A Healthy Holiday (and a Happy New Year!)

I don't know about you, but I could use a little Christmas right this very minute. So thank goodness the holidays are upon us again! Like most people, for me the best part of the holiday season is the food. Stop by my house this time of year and you better be prepared to indulge in some homemade cookies and nog. Now not to be a Grinch, but eating an extra 500 calories a day will add a pound of fat to your waistline (or hips...) in only a week. 

Delighting in Farm to Table

Farm-to-table has become a national trend where consumer preferences have started to shift demand from conventional to locally supplied foods. As seen in Western New York, the movement of locally sourced food like fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, and grain has become more of a standard rather than a fad. Incorporating sustainable, ethical and even organic practices, farms in the area have provided communities, restaurants, and cooperative markets with an array of locally sourced items. 

Sweet and Sour

When the days get increasingly shorter and the holidays start looming near, few fruits are as evocative of deep autumn for me as the cranberry. Cranberries are quite often enjoyed year-round as a deliciously pucker-y juice and, when dried, as a salad bar essential. These ingredients can add a nice sour *pop* to punches or dishes, but taking advantage of the fresh berry while you can is a great way to cash in on the antioxidant power that cranberries offer.

Rethinking Thanksgiving Sides

I suppose I should begin with a disclaimer. My still fit very octogenarian mother has been the poster child for responsible eating and living since she was an early teenager. She lost weight when she was 14 years old and has literally kept it off for over 70 years.

Food Marketing Tricks - Is That "Healthy"?

With our nation on the brink of a health crisis people are becoming more health conscious. This is a good thing - people are making healthier choices! Or so they think. 

The Great Pumpkin

The changing of seasons is always accompanied by delicious new smells. As summer warmth gives way to the chill of autumn, I inevitably perk up at the unmistakable aroma of cinnamon scented cider, the deliciously smoky tendrils of last-ditch efforts to squeeze in one more day of grilling before the weather turns, and most prominently, the nutmeg waft of pumpkin coffee in all my favorite shops.

Swapportunity - Going Greek

Okay, so what is a swapportunity?

A swapportunity is when you swap an unhealthy food/snack for a healthier food/snack.

It might not sound like fun, but wait until you see how this can change your life.

Healthy Football Season

It's that time again - football season is underway! (Let's go Buffalo!) But before you break out the game day snacks take a second to think about it. A football game is typically 3-3.5 hours long. That is plenty of time for you to stare at the TV while mindlessly eating. 

You Say Tomato...

Late summer is truly the most generous time of the year. Neighbors anonymously gift each other with the overrun from their gardens. Grocery bags full of summer squash show up mysteriously on doorsteps all over town. Countless co-workers bring the bounty of their gardens to work and give them to whomever will take them. Cucumbers and zucchini are the biggest, most common gifts, but I hold out for my absolute favorite garden treat - homegrown tomatoes!

Junk is Junk

Food has no power yet I used to assign it a personality complete with a voice I could not resist. Food ruled my world. I thought about it all of the time. I didn't always eat bad food, just way too much of it.

Meatless Mondays

Meatless Monday is an initiative associated with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to get people to eat less meat by going vegetarian one day a week . Wait! Don't stop reading! It's not as bad as it sounds, I promise.

Flame Kissed Desserts

Food gives us so many reasons to fire up the grill this time of year. One of my favorites is grilled corn on the cob -- a fleeting pleasure with a very short seasonal window that we are lucky to be entering right now. But after all the steaks and burgers and veggies come off the grill, the party doesn't have to be over. There are plenty of burning embers left to give a glorious char to, of all things, a dessert course!

Vacation and the Eating is OH SO EASY

"You don't go on vacation to save money or lose weight."

I can tell you I did not save money although the accountant in me did have a budget which I stayed pretty true to.

But, in a shocking twist, in spite of tasting everything I wanted and drinking anything I pleased, I lost nearly three pounds on that trip.

Weight Loss Myths

Everyone has a tip for weight loss. The first thing out of a person's mouth when they find out I study nutrition is often along the lines of "Last summer I lost a lot of weight by drinking vinegar", or "Can you believe people are still eating carbs?" Not surprisingly, these are usually people who have struggled with weight loss and are confused by all the conflicting information out there. And why shouldn't they be? 

Summer Veggie Lovin'

I'm not the kind of girl that turns down a dinner invitation... especially in the summer time! There is something magical and wonderful about dining al fresco that fine-tunes the senses in a way that cooler weather just doesn't. Maybe it is the smell of burning charcoal that makes your nose perk up in anticipation when you are still a block away from your destination... or perhaps it is the warm breezes as you eat, or even the open-air sunset views as the guests linger over their drinks or desserts. In any case, outdoor summer dining sees a relatively small window of time here in Western New York and we all want to take advantage of it.