The Basics of Balanced Eating Fifteen years ago, everyone had the same understanding of what "balanced eating" entailed. Today, it is a much more complicated topic with many conflicting opinions and new trends. A “balanced meal plan” to one health expert is not always the same to another health expert. The textbook definition of…
Hearty Vegetarian Soups To Keep You Warm This Fall It seems as though fall was made for soup. The cooler nights make you crave something warm and savory and the flavors of the in-season vegetables shine brighter together than on their own. In fact, soups are an excellent way to sneak in nutrient…
What To Do With Bruised Tomatoes Tomato season is upon us. You may have gotten some tomatoes from the farmer’s market, your neighbor’s garden, or perhaps you grew your own. Either way, you may encounter some tomatoes that appear less-than-perfect on the exterior, especially if they are at their peak of ripeness. Keep…
Avocados are a nutrient-dense fruit belonging to the drupe family, which are one-seeded fruits with a firm exterior, often resembling berries. Avocados provide more than 20 vitamins and minerals, and are a rich source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats; so consider if it’s time for you to start getting the health benefits of avocado by regularly enjoying this delicious fruit.
When choosing an avocado, color is not an indicator of ripeness. Choose avocados that are free of bruises and heavy for their size. If the avocado is hard to the touch, it is unripe. To ripen, place them in a brown paper bag at room temperature until they are slightly soft; this usually takes from 2 to 4 days. Once the avocados are ripe, place them in the refrigerator and enjoy them within a couple of days.
Avocados can be used in a myriad of recipes ranging frombreakfast (like an avocado smoothie) to lunch recipes (such as an avocado stuffed with chicken salad). You can even enjoy sandwiches with avocado, such as the BLAT sandwich found in trendy delis. In case you didn’t know, that is a bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato sandwich. Some great avocado recipes for dinner might include an avocado dressing on your salad or a delicious avocado pasta recipe.
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Trouble-zone Toners With summer just around the corner, it’s time to shed any extra weight you put on this past winter. As we get ourselves into the exercise groove sometimes we find ourselves despairing over the trouble zone areas that seem impossible to tame. You may think to yourself, "how…