As kids stake claims to their independence when it comes to eating, more tweens and teens are experimenting with vegetarian and vegan diets. Parents may be concerned that their children are undernourished when adopting these eating patterns, but they can rest easy. Kids can thrive on plant-based diets. All parents need are these 3 steps for feeding a tween or teen vegetarian…

Remember the Nutrients of Concern series we ran about the Dietary Guidelines for Americans? It turns out that -- in addition to calcium, dietary fiber, potassium, and vitamin D, which are of concern for almost all Americans -- there are additional nutrients of concern for specific groups. Let's tackle them today!

The holidays are full of heavy meals. Now that we've got Thanksgiving under (and perhaps straining) our belts, wouldn't it be nice to lighten things up for a while? This carrot ginger soup is the answer. Light and full of vegetables, it's still hearty and warm enough to make a cozy meal on a chilly night.

Looking for a healthful vegetable side dish? Try the grill-steam process! Combining the hot sear of a grill with steam's gentle touch is a perfect -- and speedy -- way to add pep to any vegetable side dish.

Between celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, and dietary choices, it seems like everyone knows at least a few people who are no longer eating gluten. However, just because you or a family member has given up gluten doesn't mean that you have to miss out on nutrients. Today I'd like to share a guide to a few of my favorite healthful, vitamin- and mineral-rich foods, all of which are free of gluten...

Are you ready for a tasty and warming winter soup? This one comes together in just 30 minutes! It's also loaded with healthful vegetables and tasty spices...

Learn the basics about butternut squash in today's special veggie post! In this post, you'll find a discussion of what butternut squash tastes like, what nutrients it contains, and how to cook with it. There's also downloadable clipart and a free PDF handout...

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that Americans gain an average of 0.4 to 1.8 pounds each year during the holidays. Sadly, this weight isn’t likely to disperse with the holiday cheer. Here are a few strategies for keeping the holidays healthful and fun, without the weight gain…

If Americans stick with a diet that is far lower in fatty animal products and cholesterol and composed largely of whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, then they will reduce the inflammation and other chemical changes that promote colon cancer.

Catering to the individual needs of eaters can be a difficult challenge, even for the most well-prepared cooks. When a member of the house is a vegetarian, creating meals that are both nourishing for the vegetarian and suitable for the meat-and-potatoes crowd can seem almost impossible. But, with these four tips, feeding a vegetarian in a meat-eating household is as easy as 1, 2, 3 (and 4)!

What is potassium? Why is it a nutrient of concern? How can people increase their potassium intake? What impact does potassium have on health? Get the answers to all these questions -- and more! -- in today's post!

One of the things I love about MyPlate is its practicality. Rather than asking you to imagine your daily eating habits as a pyramid, MyPlate simply rallies its viewers to make their plates look like its own image: a balanced plate. With half the plate devoted to fruits and vegetables, and the rest divided between protein and whole grains (with some nonfat dairy on the side), MyPlate presents a healthful approach to any meal or snack...

Today, I want to talk about sweetening drinks, both hot and cold. There’s so much more to the story than sugar! Here are some of my favorite ways to sweeten drinks…

Try this tasty and sweet smoothie in your next cooking demonstration -- it couldn't be easier or more versatile!

What do you know about citrus? What do your clients know? Today I want to offer a closer look at the basics of citrus -- what types of citrus fruits there are, what nutrients they contain, what impact on health they can have, and ways to incorporate them into a healthful eating pattern. There's even a new handout, if you know where to look!

This tasty side takes mere minutes to come together, and it's loaded with nutrients to boot!

Here are 2 3-step recipes that are perfect for client counseling sessions, handouts, and cooking demonstrations. I hope you like them!

A fascinating tour of the Sacramento Sunday Farmer's Market shows beautiful photos of local produce plus many recipes and ideas you can use at home or in demos.