Got kids? If so, did you know that kids influence up to 80 percent of family food spending? Still, as a family shopper, you control what foods go into the family kitchen. For children, you decide the three Ws: What foods to offer, When, and Where. As kids learn to be good eaters, they decide
Nearly everyone knows that calcium keeps bones healthy at every age. Today’s science is revealing more. Eating enough calcium may: Lower colon cancer risk, likely by counteracting the effects of high-fat eating. Help reduce blood pressure (along with potassium and magnesium) among sodium-sensitive people. (No test exists yet to know who’s sodium sensitive.) Early research
When did you last ride a bike? Fortunately, bike riding is one skill you probably won’t forget. So dust off your own bike or borrow one from a teen, and start pedaling! Pumping your legs pumps your heart muscle for a heart-healthy workout. Even bicycling at less than 10 miles an hour burns 220 calories
Flax: For thousands of years, this blue-lowering crop has been cultivated for food, linen cloth, and fine-quality paper. Today we’re learning why flaxseeds are good for you. Let’s start with taste: Flaxseeds add a nutty flavor to breads, muffins, cookies, cereal bars, pancakes, even smoothies! Buy flaxseeds whole, ground, or as flour. As for health:
Curry, turmeric, other spices, chutney, more! These seasonings flavor the cuisine of India, giving distinction to lentils, rice, vegetables, and other plant-based dishes. If you pick a restaurant featuring Indian cuisine, enjoy the many combinations with plant-based ingredients: baked roti, lentil dishes, vegetable dishes made with yogurt, chicken or fish dishes with vegetable sauces, or
Do spicy foods taste especially hot? Do bitter or tart flavors make you wince? If so, you may be a supertaster. With more papillae, you taste more intensely. Fact is, we do taste the same foods differently. Age and genes affect how many taste buds (found in papillae) we have on our tongue, throat, and
Got the phone, the steering wheel, or your computer mouse in one hand—and food in the other? Two-handed eating, when you’re relaxed and focused on food and your body’s fullness cues, may be healthier. By paying attention, you’re less likely to overeat. If you’re trying to eat and drive, pull over. It’s safer, less messy
Have you considered the exotic, deep-purple eggplant for your five-a-day vegetable and fruit servings? Though used in many recipes as a meat substitute, eggplant has little protein. But it’s fiber-rich (especially with its edible peel), fat- and cholesterol-free, and low in calories—a half cup of cooked eggplant has about 15 calories! Kept chilled and cooked
How cold should your refrigerator be to keep food fresh and safe? Using the dial reading inside isn’t enough to know if your fridge is cold enough. And you can’t rely on how cold food feels. Besides, food may be spoiled long before it looks, smells, or tastes bad. To avoid food-borne illness and keep
Fiber—you know you need it. In fact, health experts advise 21 to 38 fiber grams daily, depending on your age and gender. Can you give five reasons? It keeps you “regular.” High-fiber foods ill you up, so you don’t eat as much (good for weight watching). Soluble fiber helps take cholesterol away (good for heart