Special Diets
Healthy Delicious Paleo Thanksgiving Sides That Everyone Will Love
Five healthy delicious paleo Thanksgiving sides that everyone will love, including and app and dessert. Nut-free and vegan options, too.
How to Make Quick Gluten-free, Dairy-free Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Want some mac and cheese, but need a healthier option? Try this quick paleo (gluten-free, dairy-free) Cauliflower and Cheese recipe.
Pumpkin Power! Easy Gluten-Free Muffins to Energize Your Fall
It’s not quite fall, but I’m already seeing Pumpkin Spice everything. Advertised in coffee shops and stores, pumpkin spice is like a retail cue of the fall season. Have you seen the Pumpkin Spice ads yet? Lattes, coffee creamers, nail polish (not kidding). While some new pumpkin spice products are questionable, I know Pumpkin Muffins are a winner. Honestly, I think Pumpkin Spice Lattes (or “PSLs”)) are kind of disgusting-tasting, even though I love pumpkin. 😝 And, if you’re trying to reduce sugar intake, PSLs are something you might not want to drink. Pumpkin itself, spiced or not, is an amazing vegetable packed with nutrition and flavor. What I also…
What is a Plant Based Diet? The Fundamentals and How to Know if it’s Achievable For You
Have you thought about trying a plant-based diet? If you answered “yes”, you’re in good company. Plant-based diets are on the rise – around 10 million Americans say they follow a “plant-based” diet. That’s up from 290k in 2004! Interestingly, the number of self-identifying “vegans” hasn’t changed much. Are you asking yourself, “what’s the difference between vegan and plant-based?” In this post, we’ll get clear on just what a plant-based diet is (and is not). At the end, you’ll have the information you need to decide if you want to try plant-based yourself. What You Need to Know About Plant-Based Diets Let’s first define a plant-based diet and distinguish it…
Best Breakfast Bowl for Special Diets
If you’ve read my original Best Breakfast post, you probably know that I love a big bowl of nutritious goodness to start my day. But what if you’re vegan, or doing the Whole30? If you’ve read some of my other content, you know I’ve practiced and respect many special diets. So,this post is meant to demystify and lay out your perfect breakfast bowl, no matter what your food preferences or restrictions. Gluten-free: You’re in luck-the original Best Breakfast Bowl is already gluten-free! 1/2 cup whole milk plain yogurt (eg, Fage Total 5% Greek) 1 banana, sliced 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk 1 tablespoon no-sugar-added peanut butter, nut butter, or chopped…
Make a Plant-Based Dinner Meat-Eaters Will Love
Are you looking to add more plant-based meals to your diet, but are not sure where to start or afraid your family won’t like it? Believe me, I’ve been there! When I was a vegan for a few years, I constantly tried different dinner recipes, hoping that they would be easy, use “normal” ingredients, and – most importantly – be edible. Not just for me, but also for my kids and husband. After many fails, complaints, and even ridicule from my meat-loving family, Fiesta Pasta is one plant-based dinner that even has the meat-eaters going back for seconds. Goal: Plant-Based Dinner That’s Easy and Delicious The goal here is to…
Make Easy, Delicious Peanut Sauce and Dressing in 5 Minutes
Do you want to be able to make restaurant-quality peanut sauce – or a nut-free version – at home, and in less time than it takes to read a take-out menu? Nothing beats a creamy, coconut peanut sauce – for Pad Thai, on salads, chicken satay, tofu – it’s delicious on almost everything. Recently, I was mixing up some peanut coconut sauce to go with Pad Thai, and had a “lightbulb” moment. What if I used the extra coconut milk from my peanut sauce to make a salad dressing?! If you have one can of coconut milk, you can make an amazing peanut coconut sauce AND peanut coconut salad dressing.…
Amazing Super Bowl Party Dips That Aren’t Guacamole
Sick of guacamole? Me either – I could eat it forever! Still, if you’re looking to change up the dips you serve this superbowl, here’s a roundup of non-guacamole options that are healthy and delicious. There are options for every dietary restriction – all are gluten-free, most are paleo, and some are vegan and dairy-free as well. I’ve included helpful labels to let you know which categories they fall into. Easiest – Homemade Ranch Dip Gluten-Free, No Sugar Added Ranch Dip – it’s a crowd-pleasing classic, not to be underestimated! Mix a cup of sour cream with 1 – 2 tablespoons of these dried herbs and spices and a few…
Ring in the New Year with Spicy Peanut Stew
Whether you believe in “good luck” foods or not, you’ll love to ring in the new year with Spicy Peanut Stew. It’s full of “lucky” legumes – black beans, garbanzo beans, and peanuts. (Feel free to throw in some black-eyed peas, if you’re a purist.) According to popular folklore in the United States and elsewhere, eating certain foods on New Year’s Day will guarantee good luck in the new year. Legumes – especially beans, black-eyed peas, and lentils – are traditionally “lucky” foods because they symbolize money or wealth. Other so-called lucky foods (and recipes) are: Pork – Juiciest Pork Chops Cabbage – Pan-Asian Chicken with Cabbage Greens – Salad…
No Beans About It – Killer Slow Cooker Chili
Warm up with a slow cooker chili that takes 20 minutes to prep, has no beans, and is super nutritious and delicious.
