Tag Archives: vegetables

Are You Getting Enough Super Vegetables?

By Janis Jibrin, M.S., R.D., lead nutritionist for TheBestLife.com

We all know that we should be trying to reach our daily vegetable goal (that’s at least three servings). But it’s not just the quantity that’s important—the types of vegetables you pile on your plate can make a big difference to your health. Your goal: Eat at least one vegetable from each of the following three groups daily. Do so and you’ll reap some serious health and nutrition benefits.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Examples: Arugula, bok choy, broccoli, broccoli sprouts, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, radishes, rutabaga, turnips, turnip greens, and watercress. (more…)

Posted on December 20, 2023 by BestLifeDiet

Banh Mi Sliders are a Hit as Holiday Party Appetizers

I spent a week in Portland, Oregon with my husband this fall. We fell in love with the city instantly and felt right at home with its laid back vibe. We hiked Mt. Hood, explored Hawthorne, did wine tastings straight from the barrel, I took a pole dancing class, and coveted the Portland Farmer’s Market.

It was just the getaway we needed – a lot of time outdoors, a lot of good wine, and a lot of even better food. The first meal we had came within an hour of stepping off the plane and it was a Banh Mi sandwich. It’s a Vietnamese sandwich that has become quite the trend recently, and I feel like we got treated to one of the best around.

The small bakery cafe served up the best French bread I have ever tasted. Stuffed inside, like any traditional Banh Mi, was pork, vegetables, and a dressing. Before I’d finished the first bite I knew I’d found something spectacular.

So good, in fact, I knew I’d have to create my own, especially after I learned that a standard Banh Mi can hit 600 calories with the pork, bread, and dressing! With simple ingredients like pork and vegetables, why couldn’t I make one that was better?


I got my chance when a holiday party needed something more substantial than cookies and champagne. Inspired by a true Banh Mi, I turned this traditional recipe into sliders and shaved off a few hundred calories in the process. Each of these sliders has only 181 calories! (more…)

Posted on December 10, 2023 by Natalie K

How to Cook with Artichokes

Artichokes: Where do I begin? As a child I was absolutely terrified by them and as an adult I’m still a little bit unsure of their distinct texture, taste and shape. When I order a salad at a restaurant and it comes with artichokes, I usually manage to eat about half before throwing in the towel. However, I think the problem here is two-fold: 1) I didn’t realize how good they were for you, and 2) I’ve never actually cooked them myself. However, all of that’s about to change. 

Health benefits:  It’s no surprise that artichokes are a staple in the Mediterranean diet as they’re loaded with vitamins C and K, folate, magnesium, potassium and manganese.

Like many other fruits and veggies, artichokes are also high in fiber – nearly 10 grams in one medium choke. Each serving also contains approximately 3-4 grams of protein and less than one gram of fat for a satisfying, healthful indulgence. One of the tricks to getting the most nutrients out of your artichoke is eating the whole vegetable. If you opt only for the hearts, you will inevitably miss out on some of the vitamins and minerals. However, with that being said, the hearts are still worth devouring as they’re no doubt a healthy, low-calorie food.

Nutritional statistics: 1 cup contains approximately 76 calories, 1 g fat, 15 g carbohydrates, 8 g of dietary fiber, 1 g sugar and 5 g protein. (more…)

Posted on November 12, 2023 by Dana

Microgreens May Provide More Nutrition Than Mature Vegetables

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and University of Maryland conducted a study to determine the level of nutrients in microgreens, specifically compared to more mature vegetables. Microgreens are tiny versions of vegetables, herbs, and other plants and are about one to two inches long with the stem and leaves still attached. The results of the study were published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

As reported by NPR, researchers looked for large doses of vitamins and other phytochemicals, such as vitamin C, E, and beta carotene. Gene Lester, a researcher with the USDA, said the findings “totally knocked me over.”

The team found that all 25 varieties of microgreens had four to 40 times more nutrients than their matured counterparts. Lester said the findings give us a new insight into plants, “because these are little tiny seeds barely exposed to much light at all. And yet those compounds [nutrients] are there ready to go.”

Diets In Review’s resident dietitian, Mary Hartley, RD, wasn’t surprised by the results of the study. “The findings make sense because the young plant is rapidly accumulating nutrients during its period of rapid growth, and it is also still releasing nutrients stored in the seed,” she said. “I’ll bet microgreens are high in protein and very digestible, too.” (more…)

Posted on September 6, 2023 by Samantha

We Love Copy-Kids Eat Fruits and Vegetables DVD

Admittedly, I was somewhat skeptical about the video Copy-Kids eat fruits and vegetables, but I was still interested in reviewing it. I was sure that it could not hurt, but I wasn’t sure if it would be as powerful as all of the testimonials I had read.

My nephew is an awesome eater who loves healthy foods. It seems that he would eat as much quinoa as we would give him. However, he is somewhat moody on whether or not he wants fresh blueberries, so I sat down with him with a small bowl and turned on the blueberries segment. At my house, he never watches television, so that might account for his quiet focus. He sat in my lap, and I held the bowl of blueberries in front of us. As he watched the first couple of children, he held a blueberry in his fingers, then he looked back and fed one to me before eating one himself. He silently, but with increasing gusto, ate all of the blueberries and immediately wanted more.

(more…)

Posted on July 16, 2023 by Brooke Randolph

Fear Of Gaining Weight After Quitting Smoking is Legit

Quitting smoking leads to more weight gain than originally thought, discovered a recent study, with an average gain of eight to eleven pounds in the first year.

Researchers analyzed data from earlier studies that were conducted between 1989 and 2024 in the United States, Europe, Australia and east Asia. They looked at weight changes of people who had successfully quit smoking.

They discovered the majority of the weight is put on during the first three months. For quitters who did not use nicotine replacement therapy they gained an average of 2 pounds the first month, 5 pounds the second month, 6 pounds during the third month, 9 pounds at six months and 10 pounds after a year.

Previous experts estimated people only gained an average of 6 pounds when quitting. This new research shows that the weight gain is more than most women are willing to tolerate when it comes to attempting to quit.

However, you shouldn’t let the fear of gaining weight discourage you from quitting. Experts continue to stress that the health benefits of quitting far outweigh the risks of weight gain. (more…)

Posted on July 11, 2023 by Kristina

Anne Hathaway’s Hummus- and Radish-Only Diet for Les Miserables Role

One Hollywood star has been looking particularly thin lately as Anne Hathaway prepares for the next installment of the Batman franchise. The actress, who will play Catwoman, spent months toning her physique to fit in the tight leather suit she was required to wear while filming. Her nutritionist, Jackie Keller, spoke to us about Anne’s nearly vegan diet, but was more dismissive of the starvation diet Anne followed for her Les Miserables role.

After the Batman film was wrapped Hathaway went straight to shooting “Les Miserable.” Before filming for that role she knew losing more weight was something the producers wanted. Anne started a strict 500 calories a day diet, which consisted of hummus and radishes. The star talks about her new diet in the latest issue of Allure. (more…)

Posted on June 20, 2023 by Samantha

Empty Calories Comic: Don’t Cry Over Grilled Veggies

See more Empty Calories right here in the blog and look for new episodes each month.

Also Read:

Pack a Healthy Father’s Day Picnic

6 Foods You Aren’t Grilling but Should

Simple Summer Burger Guide for Healthier Grilling

Posted on June 16, 2023 by Health Buzz

Leave Baby Food to the Babies – Not Your Diet

Baby food is for babies? Not exclusively. Hollywood A-listers are eating baby food now. The Baby Food Diet, made famous by Tracy Anderson, is for those who want to control their food portions and curb cravings with pureed fruits and veggies. The diet works for celebrities, but for those who would rather not revert back to their infant days it isn’t an ideal diet.

I asked our resident dietitian Mary Hartley, RD if the serving size of a baby’s jar would satisfy grown adults? She tells us, “No. A little four-ounce jar of pureed baby food ranges from 40 to 80 calories, and so an adult would need many, many little jars if the diet consisted only of baby food.”

The jars of baby food might make reasonable replacements for snacks during the day, but frankly, just eating the whole fresh fruit or vegetable is going to be far more satisfying, as many if not less calories, and none of the preservatives or other additives common to jarred baby food. (more…)

Posted on June 14, 2023 by Samantha

A Carrot Had More Nutrients 50 Years Ago Than it Does Today

It’s true, the fruits and vegetables most Americans eat today are less nutritious than the ones our grandparents ate. A landmark 2004 study at the University of Texas established that in a fifty year time span, six out of thirteen nutrients in a general selection of produce had measurable declines of important nutrients. The losses ranged from 6 to 38 percent, and included protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin B2, and vitamin C. An illustration of this loss is that for every orange a person ate fifty years ago, you need eight to get the same nutritional value.

The environmental factor responsible for this is soil depletion. When farmers began to utilize enhanced crop production techniques after World War II they got greater yields, faster growing times, and pest resistance. The tradeoff was that the soil was quickly stripped of nutrients and not allowed a rest period to regain them.

Because of this, each successive generation of fruits and vegetables has been less nutritious than the last. This should not give you an excuse not to eat your spinach, though, because today’s fruits and vegetables are still very nutritious, and much healthier than many other foods. (more…)

Posted on June 12, 2023 by SarahS

4 Foods to Spring Clean Your Health

By Rachel Berman, RD – Director of Nutrition, CalorieCount.com

Spring time is here and your spring cleaning may already be well under way. This year, in addition to tackling your closet and cleaning underneath the couch, focus on ‘detox’-ing to spring clean your health. No, I’m not talking about expensive drinks and celebrity cleanses which can be harmful to our bodies with short-lived results. These are marketing gimmicks to get you to shell out money for something you will have to do time and time again. By making changes to your diet, you can naturally ‘detox’ with healthy foods. Add these foods on a regular basis to optimize your health and feel your best inside and out.

Leafy Greens such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and kale contain cancer fighting compounds called glucosinolates. They are also a great source of calcium which is important for muscle contraction and therefore, can improve the ‘spring in your step.’ Frozen veggies can often be even more nutritious than fresh since they are frozen at the peak of ripeness. Try always keeping a bag in your freezer for quick and easy addition to meals.

Citrus Fruits are loaded with soluble fiber. This type of fiber increases the amount of healthy bacteria in your colon to help flush out toxins from your system. They are also loaded with immune boosting nutrients and antioxidants such as vitamin C, which can improve the health of your skin. Choose the whole fruits, not juices, to get the maximum fiber benefit and improve satiation. (more…)

Posted on April 9, 2024 by Calorie_Count