The Mediterranean Diet Isn’t Just About What You Eat, It’s Also How You Eat

  The magic of the Mediterranean diet is that it manages to satisfy chefs and nutritionists at once. With its bounty of vegetables and fruit; garlic and herb seasonings; beans, nuts, and ancient grains; its luxurious use of olive oil; and, of course, good wine,...

Why You Should Stop Trying to Lose Weight

Photo: Natalie Grainger   As someone who has personally suffered from and eventually escaped the diet roller coaster, and who has professionally been on a mission to help others get off it too, it’s no surprise I follow many anti-diet voices on social media –many...

Ellie’s “Usually, Sometimes, Rarely” Food Lists

  No single food eaten occasionally will ruin an overall good diet, so instead of thinking of foods in absolute terms–good/bad, clean/sinful, healthy/unhealthy– try taking a wider-angle view of your eating pattern.  Since it is what you eat...

Five Mistakes That Can Ruin a Summer Cookout

Photo: Vincent Keiman on Unsplash I have a confession to make: I sometimes find it hard to relax at a cookout or pool party. While other guests are chatting away and happily sipping on cold drinks as the meal is being prepared, my food-safety radar is usually going...

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Cooking Chicken Breast

Photo: Stacy Zarin Goldberg for The Washington Post After countless meals of dry, bland chicken breast, you might think that’s just the sacrifice you have to make when you are trying to eat healthy. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Avoid these common mistakes to...

Seven Surprising Ways to Use Pesto

A dollop of pesto is like flavor magic, instantly transforming everyday ingredients with its herbaceous savory essence. There are many variations of pesto, but the classic is made with basil, olive oil, pine nuts and parmesan cheese.  (See my recipe below.) I...

Surprising Ways to Use Canned Beans

I have always kept a huge variety canned beans in my cupboard – black beans, chickpeas, white beans, pinto beans, lentils, and more. My friends used to make fun of me about it, but now that we’re facing the Corona quarantine they see how on point I have been all...

10 Ways Ideas About Healthy Eating Have Changed

(Photo Credit:Photo by Anna Pelzer on Unsplash) Healthy isn’t what it used to be. I don’t mean that in the whiplash-inducing way all the clickbait headlines out there would have you think. Despite the seeming back and forth, there is remarkable consistency in core...

6 foods and drinks that will get you through the holidays healthfully

Photo by Jennifer Chase It’s no coincidence that the holiday season overlaps the darkest weeks of winter. It’s that way by design. The parade of cookies, cakes, chocolates, cheesy dips, bacon-wrapped bites and grogs and glasses of spirits–lift us up, imparting a...

The United Nations of Yogurt

It all started with Greek yogurt. Once available only in specialty stores, in the past decade it has come to dominate the yogurt aisle in just about every grocery store. Its success has opened our minds and taste buds to yogurt’s world of possibilities, clearing the...

A 4-Step Formula for Fast Healthy Dinners

Even when life is at its most hectic, (which, if you are like me, means every weeknight!) you can still get a healthy meal on the table fast and fuss-free. This simple 4-step strategy is a sure-fire way to win at dinner, every time. Cod with Kale and Chorizo in Broth...

5 Reasons Every ‘Body’ Loves Fish

You already know fish is healthy–but it may surprise you to learn just how profoundly it can impact your whole body. Here are 5 head-to-toe reasons you want to put seafood on your plate more often. Your brain Eating fish regularly may help keep you mentally...

5 Strategies To End Late-Night Snacking

(Photo credit:Photo by Emiliano Vittoriosi on Unsplash) This January, five Washington Post staffers embarked on a 30-day diet challenge and wrote about their experiences weekly. I had a role in it, too, interviewing each of them so I could lend my perspective as a...

Comfort Food Doesn’t Have To Be A Guilty Pleasure

Photo credit: (Lauri Patterson/Getty Images/iStockphoto) Food is supposed to make us feel good — content, fulfilled, connected. It’s meant to comfort us physically by easing hunger and bringing satisfaction, and emotionally by bonding us to others as we share in the...

5 Fun Ways to Teach Kids Where Food Comes From

Teaching kids where food comes from and engaging them in the process of growing and buying it is one of the best ways to put them on track for a lifetime of healthy food choices. Here are 5 fun and easy ways to make that happen: Grow Something Planting a seed,...