Enlightened Eater

  Don’t let your waist be a victim of the baker’s tax. Baker’s tax occurs when the person preparing the baked goods must sample each edible ingredient, such as chocolate chips, dried fruit and nuts, before it’s added to the bowl. Another example of this is sampling  at least one cookie as each pan is […]

Brown bagging your lunches  can offer a bonanza of  savings – both calories and potentially big bucks over time. But more importantly, think of it as an opportunity to boost your nutritional status. When you pack your own eats, you’re in the driver’s seat – nutrient-packed veggies, whole grains and lean proteins are then easier  […]

We’ve long known that eating fruits and vegetables promotes good health. Do you anyone whose mother didn’t tell them to eat their fruits and vegetables?  Over the long term, they may provide us with an arsenal of weaponry against a range of diseases.  But a new study, out of New Zealand, evaluated the effects of […]

Now that science is showing that eating pistachios is very smart indeed, there are other key decisions to make: shelled versus unshelled. When you’re deciding between shelled and unshelled, you might want to consider the advantages of going for those in the shell. And because they’re not a tough nut to crack, they’re easy to […]

Do you eat too much while watching TV or at the movies? A recent study by Dr. Brian Wansink, the mindless eating guru, looked at the issue and seemed to offer some advice. But  with all due respect to  Dr. Wansink, I have to disagree with his suggestion of using the opportunity to boost the […]

Portion distortion is definitely a major contributor to girth control issues. Even if you’re going for healthy options (other than maybe low-calorie vegetables),  large servings can make the calories and pounds add up. While everyone knows that large servings of  high calorie fare such as  cake, cookies and fried snack foods can contribute to weight […]

What’s better – fresh versus processed? l While there is truly nothing better than to pick a warm tomato off the vine, wash it and pop it into your mouth (just ask my little granddaughters as they spied ripe ones in my backyard and then squealed with delight as they picked each one),  nutritionally speaking,  […]

Here in North America, herbs have commonly been used as a way to boost the taste of dishes when cutting down on sodium. But in the Mediterranean diet, the gold standard of eating that’s linked to low rates of many chronic diseases, herbs are consumed in plentiful amounts. Take the Middle Eastern dishes such as […]