Blog

Food and nutrition blog

I am passionate about nutrition and food, and I love to create easy, healthy recipes that families can enjoy together. I use this food and nutrition blog to share my creations, including new spins on beloved, old recipes, and options for people managing food allergy symptoms.

I also closely follow the latest nutrition guidelines, and I’m sometimes called on to comment at USDA and FDA meetings. So here you’ll find my perspectives on nutrition policy, too.

Easy, healthy recipes… No-nonsense tips… Dish about the latest nutrition guidelines…

That’s what this nutrition blog is all about. Let me know what grabs you!

AUGUST 2018 UPDATE: my latest blogs are on the Smart Mouth Nutrition site.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken Taco Recipe

Crockpot Salsa Chicken Taco Recipe

These Crockpot Salsa Chicken Tacos are one of my family’s favorite go-to easy weeknight recipes. This 7-ingredient recipe is so simple to make. Because this dish cooks in the slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours, you can whip it up in the morning and come home to a

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Heart Healthy Foods + WFMY “Good Morning” Show

Heart Healthy Foods + WFMY “Good Morning” Show

February is American Heart Month, and yesterday, I talked about heart healthy foods on WFMY Channel 2 “Good Morning” show. Why eat heart healthy foods? There’s good reason to devote a whole month to heart health and heart healthy foods: heart disease remains the #1 killer of all American

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2-Ingredient Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

2-Ingredient Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Whether or not you’re a fan of conversation hearts and sappy cards, Valentine’s Day is here. And I say: so should be a taste of chocolate dipped strawberries. I know Valentine’s Day is commercialism at its best. (My husband reminds me every year that it’s a Hallmark

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Slow-cooker Super Bowl Chili

Slow-cooker Super Bowl Chili

It’s Super Bowl 50! Whether you’re a Broncos fan or a Panthers fan (or neither), chances are good you’ll be camped out in front of the tube on Sunday night. Or, perhaps you’re like me and a little conflicted… Denver is my favorite [American] city. I loved living

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7 Species Salad + Tu B’Shevat

7 Species Salad + Tu B’Shevat

Today is Tu B’Shevat, a Jewish holiday celebrating the New Year for Trees. It is customary to plant a new tree, or perhaps even host a Seven Species Seder. The Seven Species include wheat, barley, grapes, pomegranates, figs, olives and dates. Or, you could just make my 7 Species

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Southern Spring Strawberry Jam Recipe

Southern Spring Strawberry Jam Recipe

It’s January. There’s a snow storm warning starting at midnight. And, spring is nowhere in sight, at least here in North Carolina. But, sometimes you just need some spring on a dreary winter day, even if it’s just a little taste of spring. So, when I saw this month’s Recipe

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Top 5 Take-Aways from 2015 Dietary Guidelines

The U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health & Human Services (HHS) issued the 2015-2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans yesterday. The Guidelines get revised every 5 years, and nutrition professionals (like me) have been eagerly awaiting the 2015 Dietary Guidelines, which inform nutrition policy in federal programs and

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Food Allergies and the Holidays + Fruit & Pepita Chocolate Squares

Food Allergies and the Holidays + Fruit & Pepita Chocolate Squares

It’s never easy or fun to manage food allergies, but it may be particularly difficult during the holidays. From Halloween through New Year’s (oh, and then there’s Valentine’s Day), social gatherings and parties focus on–yup, you guessed it–FOOD. If you’re cooking for or traveling with someone who

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Orange Cranberry Candied Ginger Quick Bread {Recipe ReDux}

Orange Cranberry Candied Ginger Quick Bread {Recipe ReDux}

Let me first say, I love bread. No, wait… I adore bread. There are few things as delicious to me as fresh-baked bread, and I like it all–from scones and muffins to challah and hearty grain bread. So as you can imagine, I was excited to see

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3 Immune-Boosting Holiday Recipes

3 Immune-Boosting Holiday Recipes

If you caught my WFMY News 2 segment last week, you know the five immune-boosting foods you need to eat more of this winter. Here’s a quick recap (spoiler alert!) of those five foods and their immune-boosting properties: Yogurt (live active cultures) Seafood (omega-3s and vitamin D) Wheat

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