Wasn’t it just January? The months do seem to slip by quickly and with Thanksgiving behind us, it’s time to think about our holiday meal (if you’re celebrating, of course). I’m sharing something a little different than what you might typically expect for a holiday meal, my plant-based Moroccan Holiday Menu. I’ve made this on…
Food Facts
Zero-Calorie Sweeteners: Are They Healthy and Safe?
In our previous articles on sugar, we’ve learned why added sugar is so bad for you and how to avoid it, how mineral deficiencies can cause sugar cravings, and how the sugar in whole fruit is fundamentally different from other sugar. We’ve also taken a look at date sugar and blackstrap molasses, the only two…
Coconut Sugar and Evaporated Cane Juice: Health Foods or Hype?
In our last Plant-Based Cooking “sugar” article, “Two Healthy Sweeteners You Need to Know About,” (fourth in my series on sweeteners), we discovered that two relatively uncommon natural sweeteners, date sugar and blackstrap molasses, are the only sweeteners with any kind of significant nutritional content. They’re excellent choices for natural sugars – when and if…
Two Healthy Natural Sweeteners You Need to Know About
Date Sugar and Blackstrap Molasses (This is the fourth in a series of articles on the perils of added sugar. Be sure to check out the third article, “The Truth About Fruit Sugar on a Plant-Based Diet.”) By now we’ve all heard of refined sugars being referred to negatively as “empty calories” – and that’s…
The Truth About Fruit Sugar on a Plant-Based Diet
(This is the Third in a series of articles on the perils of added sugar. Be sure to check out the second article, “Fight Sugar Cravings with Plant-Based Nutrition”). My previous two articles in my series on added sugar, “12 Tips for Avoiding Sugar Cravings on a Vegan Plant-Based Diet” and “Fight Sugar Cravings with…
Fight Sugar Cravings with Plant-Based Nutrition
Sugar Cravings Can Be a Sign of Mineral Deficiencies (This is the second in a series of articles on the perils of added sugar. Be sure to check out the first article, “12 Tips for Avoiding Added Sugar On A Plant-Based Vegan Diet.”) If you’re like most people, you probably struggle from time to time…
12 Tips for Avoiding Added Sugar On A Plant-Based Vegan Diet
(This is the first in a series of articles on the perils of added sugar. Be sure to check out the second article, “Fighting Sugar Cravings with Plant-Based Nutrition”). One of the hardest things for many people to give up on a plant-based diet is sugar. It’s a rare person in our society who doesn’t…
Does Organic Really Matter?
Some people swear by organics, while others couldn’t care less. Where do you fall on that spectrum? Are you someone who won’t even take a single bite out of a conventional apple because of concerns about pesticides or artificial waxes? Are you constantly reading labels and checking for organic certification symbols? Perhaps, on the other…
Aquafaba: The Hottest Ingredient
Are you a vegan foodie who stays up to date with the latest and greatest in plant-based trends? Well, whether that describes you or not, if you’re at all into the plant-based lifestyle I want to make sure you’re in the loop when it comes to aquafaba, which according to Bon Appetit magazine is today’s…
Gentle Lentils: Nutrition and Health Benefits
Lentils, a dietary staple of world cuisines such as Indian, Nepalese, Greek and Italian, are a wonderful and sometimes-overlooked plant-based food. Lentils come in many varieties ranging in color from black and various shades of brown to red, orange, yellow and slate green. As you can see below, there are many nutrition and health benefits…
The Science of Smoothies: Rick Bruess’ Superfood Smoothie for Your Health
Rick Bruess takes it in stride when his wife of 33 years, Laura, teases him about how long it takes him to make his signature “Superfood Smoothie” each morning for breakfast (see the complete recipe below). The retired Boulder couple are long-time vegans and competitive runners, and the Superfood Smoothie is essential for fueling their…
49 Plant-Based Vegan Recipes from Canned and Packaged Foods
If you’ve had a busy day at the office or shuffling children, sometimes tackling dinner is the last thing on your mind, but I know you want wholesome plant-based food. What’s a busy cook supposed to do? Pull from your canned and packaged whole food cupboard quickies. Although you may have time to prepare homemade…
How to Keep Fruits and Vegetables Fresher Longer
There’s nothing worse than getting ready to prepare a delicious meal only to discover that the lettuce, kale, carrots or cauliflower that we need for our favorite recipe have long since gone south. Not only are our dinner plans soured, but now we’re likely upset because we’ve wasted what was perfectly good, perhaps even organic…
How to Stock Your Plant-Based Pantry
It may seem basic, but knowing how to stock your plant-based pantry with essentials is an important step to staying on a plant-based diet. Keeping a well-stock pantry leads to better meal planning and saves you time and effort, as well. You might find like I have, that eating pretty much the same thing over…
3 High-Protein Plant Foods You Need to Know About
These days it can seem like everyone is jumping on the high-protein bandwagon. In fact, some folks may even hesitate when it comes to adopting a healthy, whole foods vegan plant-based lifestyle due to concerns about getting enough vegan protein. You can rest assured, however, that whatever your reasons for needing abundant protein – whether…