The other day, I went searching for a granola recipe with no added sugar. I found one on Pinterest labeled “sugar-free granola”, clicked through to the recipe and found honey in the ingredients. Hmm…not quite sugar-free. I started playing around with the ingredients I had on hand and came up with this mix. Oats, almonds, coconut, and seeds tossed with coconut oil and cinnamon. With no sugar, this granola doesn’t…
Bored with plain pancakes? Check out my new post on Van’s Natural Foods blog to see how we give our pancakes a little kick!
It might not feel like fall around here, but my kitchen is starting to smell like it. Fall is my favorite time of year for vegetables. I love cutting into a big fat squash and smelling the sweet orange flesh as I scoop out the seeds. Packed with antioxidants, orange vegetables help reduce your risk of cancer, improve immune function, protect your eyesight and improve heart health. And the seeds…
Last month, the California Raisin Marketing Board flew me out to Fresno to learn more about raisins. Not only did I learn about how incredible this little fruit is, but I got to meet the farmers who grow them, walk in their fields, taste test different varieties, and see how they go from dusty fruit to shiny boxed raisins. I learned that raisins are mostly grown by family farmers, and…
Before I was a dietitian, I was a waitress. Serving food is something everyone should have to do once in their life. It’s hard work, but the best money you can make as a teenager and college student. I worked at many different restaurants including Chili’s, Bison Witches, and Ruby Tuesday. Back in my Ruby Tuesday days, the only thing I knew about kale was that it lined the salad…
As I mentioned in my last post, fall sports season is here. With 5:00 games and practices, dinner becomes quite a challenge. To avoid a week filled with drive-thru dinners, I pull out my trusty slow cooker and let it do the work for me. There’s nothing better than walking in the door after a baseball game to the smell of a fully cooked healthy meal. This one is simple…
One of the questions I get from my Mamavation moms is, “Can I still eat potatoes?”. Somewhere along the way, most of you have probably been told potatoes are a “bad” food and you should stay away from them. I’m here to tell you they’re not as bad as you think. In fact, when you rescue a potato from the deep-fryer, you find one of the best food sources of…