Trends come and go, yet what will always make sense for achieving better nutrition is to Keep it Simple in the Kitchen. As a registered dietitian, I meet many people who want to find and follow a path to better nutrition. Some people invest a little in their effort and others invest a lot of energy and resources. For some goals in life, a bigger cash investment leads to better success. Yet with nutrition, it isn't necessarily true. Let's take a look at a Keep it Simple Approach to Better Nutrition for everyday people who lead busy lives. The energy investment is reasonable as is the cash … [Read more...] about Keep it Simple in the Kitchen for Better Nutrition
Breads, Cookies and Muffins with Quality Nutrition and 3 Recipes
Baked goods with carefully chosen ingredients can fit everyone's good nutrition plan if you keep an open mind. Baking Best Practices There are a few best practices to rely on when you want to bake a healthy loaf of bread, a dozen muffins or a batch of cookies. Taking time to work these out will give you a perfect starting point for better nutrition. Why? Because you'll have new items for your grocery list and other items you may take off your grocery list or buy less often. It's always smart to plan ahead. Here are my favorite best practices: Keep it simple Make substitutions … [Read more...] about Breads, Cookies and Muffins with Quality Nutrition and 3 Recipes
Simple Ingredients Make Great Flavors in Tomato and Basil Soup
If you think seriously about flavor, there are certain food pairs that work together in perfect harmony. For example, tomatoes and basil. There are many Mediterranean recipes that combine tomatoes with basil - and, almost always there's some extra virgin olive oil included, too. Here's an easy-to-make soup that works all year round, hot or cold. Out of fresh tomato season (fall, winter, spring,) use canned tomatoes for the best results and dried basil. In fresh tomato season (summer) get the best flavor by using both canned tomatoes and fresh ones, along with a big handful of fresh basil … [Read more...] about Simple Ingredients Make Great Flavors in Tomato and Basil Soup
A Tasty Little Marinade for Chicken, Steak, Seafood and Veggies
Since so many of us enjoy a dinner from the grill, here's an easy and tasty marinade recipe to love. I see two big advantages to having a go-to marinade recipe. The first is that marinating chicken or steak or fish or shrimp forces us to have a plan for dinner hours ahead of time - when marinating ideally begins. The second is that having a trusted recipe on hand erases the worry of how the final flavor will turn out -- it's always a big success. Here is a marinade that fits just about everything that's a protein food. For veggies, it works as a delicious brush-on-when-grilling … [Read more...] about A Tasty Little Marinade for Chicken, Steak, Seafood and Veggies
Homemade Vegetable Broth in a Snap
In cooler seasons everyone wants soup, stews, and other comfort foods so one ingredient you'll need for sure is a tasty broth. In the true spirit of keeping it simple, let's go with a vegetarian broth since it will fit every recipe whether it's plant-based or a mixture of lean meat, chicken, and/or seafood. And, let's go with a homemade broth that isn't loaded with salt/sodium like so many broth products at the grocery store. When you make it yourself, you control how much salt goes in and letting the flavors of the vegetables and herbs shine is high priority. Cook it Low and … [Read more...] about Homemade Vegetable Broth in a Snap
Mealtime Traditions Sprinkled with Good Nutrition
Most of us have meals or recipes that we consider traditions, but what we forget is that they don't have to be difficult and time consuming. The best sprinkled-with-good-nutrition traditions are ones that can be repeated and enjoyed. So, please keep it simple. Making time to cook isn't always easy so do your best to choose a tradition that's meaningful and also quick to fix. Will something below be your 'spark' to a delicious, new food tradition? I hope so. Quick-to-Fix Breakfast Traditions The morning meal is wide open for creative and satisfying nibbles. Here are a few new ideas … [Read more...] about Mealtime Traditions Sprinkled with Good Nutrition