Betsy Ramirez's healthy recipe requires just three ingredients and no baking time. Photograph by Ramirez.
In case you haven’t noticed from the hordes of tourists on the Mall, it’s definitely cherry blossom season. But while the blooms are still MIA, that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate with some homemade cherry-themed eats.
We love these snacks from dietitian Betsy Ramirez for when we need a quick pick-me-up. And they’re nearly as easy to make as they are to eat—they only require three ingredients (dried cherries, dates, and slivered almonds) and no baking time.
The cherries provide a wealth of antioxidants and pain-reducing properties, dates are full of fiber, and almonds help reduce the risk of heart disease. Happy snacking!
These Easter eggs require no baking and contain a wealth of protein and fiber, thanks to the peanut butter, chia seeds, and amaranth. Photograph by Carlene Thomas.
Regardless of whether you actually celebrate Easter, there’s one element we can all appreciate about this holiday: Easter egg candies. But while those Cadbury eggs are undeniably delicious, nutrition-wise they’re frighteningly unhealthy. One caramel Cadbury egg contains 190 calories and six grams of saturated fat. Yikes.
Enter local dietitian Carlene Thomas’s homemade Easter egg recipe to save the day. Thomas tells us she loves Reese’s Easter eggs but hates the ingredients. So she took matters into her own hands and invented this healthy chocolate chia peanut butter (a.k.a. protein-heavy) version instead. These homemade versions may contain a bit more calories than your average Cadbury egg, but they also contain a wealth of nutrients and good-for-you fats.
From applesauce porridge to tasty granola for when you’re on the run, there are plenty of creative meals to make for the most important meal of the day.
We love breakfast here at Well+Being, but we don’t always have the time to enjoy it as much as we would like. Fortunately, over the past few months we’ve accumulated a number of delicious and healthy recipes to make in the morning that are all pretty easy to whip up. Now you have no excuse for skipping the most important meal of the day.
Vanilla-Almond Porridge With Applesauce
This porridge recipe will leave you full and satisfied for hours.
Jules Shepard’s recipe uses gluten-free flour and beer to create a delicious gluten-free Irish soda bread. Photograph courtesy of Shepard.
Irish soda bread is a must-have on St. Patrick’s Day. But we can’t let gluten-free folks miss out on the dense and delicious treat. Fortunately, Jules Shepard of Jules Speaks Gluten-Free Blog has a tried-and-true recipe that uses gluten-free all-purpose flour, flaxseed meal, and other yummy ingredients.
March is National Kidney Month. A low-sodium diet, which can include this Bloody Mary recipe, keeps blood pressure low and can help prevent kidney disease.
Not only is March National Nutrition Month, but it also celebrates the health of two organs that don’t get much love: our kidneys. National Kidney Month aims to bring awareness to those two fist-size organs located on either side of your spine, just under your lower ribs. Why are they so important? Think of your kidneys as a strainer—they keep in some things that are good and get rid of things that are bad. They make urine, remove waste, and help produce red blood cells. Needless to say, if they fail, it means seriously bad news for your health.
And that’s just the start of it. Read on for more facts about your kidneys that you probably don’t know.
1. DC has a big kidney disease problem.
One in nine adult Americans has chronic kidney disease, while Washington leads the nation in the number of new cases of kidney disease each year. According to the National Kidney Foundation, kidney disease kills more people each year than breast cancer, prostate cancer, or leukemia. It’s also the ninth leading cause of death in the country.
Registered dietitian Anne Mauney's baked chicken fingers use corn flakes as breading to make this recipe gluten-free. Photograph by Melissa Romero.
Nothing brings us back to childhood more than gobbling down some crunchy chicken fingers. The problem? The average chicken fingers are usually more fried batter than chicken—not exactly the healthiest dinner. Not to mention the fact that people with gluten sensitivity can’t enjoy the meal.
Enter local registered dietitian Anne Mauney. Her recipe for baked chicken fingers uses cornflakes instead of bread crumbs—making it gluten-free—plus Dijon mustard and a mix of tasty spices including paprika, garlic powder, and chili powder.
Read on for the recipe, which makes three to four servings.
Local dietitians offer tasty recipes, including Katherine Tallmadge's tabbouleh meal, which are Mediterranean diet-friendly. Photograph by Ali Eaves.
Earlier this week a new study determined that following the Mediterranean diet can cut risk of heart disease by 30 percent. Why are we not surprised? The diet is touted for promoting heart-healthy fats, found in olive oil and nuts. Once we heard the news we started scouring local dietitians’ blogs for some tasty Mediterranean diet-friendly recipes and really liked what we found.
Greek-Style Pizza
Robyn Webb, the author of You Won’t Believe It’s Salt-Free!, has a Greek-style pizza recipe that includes feta cheese, toasted pine nuts, and black olives. Total cooking time: 19 minutes!
Five media companies and Pinterest have teamed up with first lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign to consolidate all of their MyPlate-worthy recipes into one place. Photograph courtesy of Pinterest.com/MyPlateRecipes.
We know how hard it can be to eat healthy meals every single day. In an effort to make the job easier for all of us, the White House announced the partnership of major media companies and the First Lady’s Let’s Move campaign to compile all of their nutritious recipes that meet the USDA’s MyPlate guidelines.
“As a mom, I know how challenging it can be to think of new meal ideas that your kids will like and that will be good for them,” Michelle Obama said in a statement. “This partnership takes the guesswork out of finding healthier recipes and gives parents the information and the tools they need to make healthy choices for their families every day.”
Media companies involved in the partnership include Conde Nast, Hearst Magazines, Merdith, Food Network, and Time. The recipes will be featured on the companies’ cooking websites, which include Epicurious, Real Simple, and Food Network, to name a few.
These banana peanut butter bars contain a wealth of protein, and addition of chocolate chips will satisfy anyone's sweet tooth. Photograph by Melissa Romero.
We love getting a glimpse into local health experts' and athletes’ diets with our weekly Food Diaries series. So much so that whenever we see a delicious breakfast or healthy dinner, we immediately ask for the recipe so we can try it ourselves. Case in point: Haley Coghill’s banana-peanut butter protein bars from her Food Diary.
Coghill says the recipe was adapted from one she found on FitSugar. While the bars are delicious right out of the oven, they’re also great snacks for when you’re on the run. Another plus: Even if you don’t have protein powder, the banana, peanut butter, and eggs should provide a healthy dose on their own.
This vanilla almond porridge recipe adds applesauce and flaxseed for an extra nutritional boost. Photograph by Melissa Romero.
When group exercise instructor Chase Leist shared her one-day food diary with Well+Being, you wanted one thing: the recipe to Leist’s breakfast porridge, with egg whites, almond milk, flaxseed, applesauce, and cinnamon. With the addition of a fruit of your choice, this hearty porridge is a great start to anyone’s morning.
