Topic: Health & Wellness
Understanding the Health Benefits of Butternut Squash
After the pumpkin, one of the most common and popular foods associated with autumn is the butternut squash. From savory favorites like butternut squash soups and stews to sweeter items like pies or muffins, the nutty flavor of this gourd is usable in ways similar to the sweet potato. But besides being a tasty addition to a fall dish, butternut squash is also loaded with nutrients that provide numerous health benefits.
What Are the Health Benefits of Pumpkin?
If you had to pick one piece of produce that perfectly symbolized the fall in both flavor and color, the pumpkin would at least have to be in the conversation. The pumpkin is surely iconic in many ways, but it is also surprisingly full of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that offer a wide variety of health benefits.
Organic vs Non-GMO? Understanding Food Labels
When consumers go to the grocery store these days, they are often confronted by a lot more information than really ever before. Some of the labels that have become more common are “organic,” “non-GMO,” “all natural,” or “clean,” but what do these terms mean? And how are they different from one another?
Dry Ingredients As Flavor Enhancers
For most foods available at stores, fresh ingredients just aren’t practical in terms of shelf life and maintaining food safety. That’s why commercial food industry producers have long relied on dried ingredients to give their end products the kinds of flavor profile that consumers demand and expect. Many people don’t realize, however, that dry ingredients are often used as flavoring agents that can impart even more flavor than their fresh counterparts.
Snacking Trends in America, 2023
Between the pandemic and the continuing influence of social media in shaping trends, people are more aware than ever before of the need for making healthy food choices. This is particularly notable with snack foods, an area that has traditionally been dominated by high-calorie, nutrient-thin processed options. As we continue here in 2023, look for snack foods to become even more health-oriented.
What Are the Health Benefits of Cucumbers?
The cucumber is an incredibly versatile vegetable that is perhaps best known for being used in the making of dill pickles, but it is also a popular ingredient in salads, salad dressings, relish, soups, stews, and ready meals. It’s even used frequently in beauty products and spa treatments. But beyond its many uses and its crisp, fresh flavor, the cucumber is also loaded with vitamins and minerals that make it a healthy addition to any diet.
The Amazing Health Benefits of Carrots
The carrot has been a part of the human diet for a long time, but archaeological evidence suggests that it may have started out in more of a medicinal role. But even as the carrot has become a well-known veggie ingredient in salads, cooked dishes, baked goods, and even as an ingredient in pet foods, it remains at its core a root vegetable that is loaded with nutrients that offer a variety of health benefits.
Cauliflower: Healthy and Delicious
From chefs to vegans to low-carb enthusiasts, cauliflower has soared in popularity in recent years. It can be prepared in countless ways, and it is also a valuable ingredient in a wide range of food production applications. Yet while it is a delicious and versatile vegetable, it also provides many nutrients that are linked to many different health benefits.
Valuable Nutrition Facts About White Potatoes
If you ask five different people whether or not potatoes are healthy, you’re likely to get five different opinions. As with many controversies, especially in the realm of nutrition and health, the answer lies somewhere in between, and it also depends in part on the type of potato being consumed. One type that is surprisingly nutrient dense but isn’t quite as popular as other varieties is the white potato.
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Shallots
Though once a rarity in the United States, the shallot has become more popular in the last few decades in both home kitchens and commercial food settings. Both fresh and dried shallots are a welcome addition to salad dressings, soups, stews, and ready meals, yet they are also surprisingly packed with nutritional value that provides many different health benefits.