Photo Credit: Juan Carlo

The plant-based lifestyle is proactive environmentalism at its best, and is as good for you as it is for the planet. Legumes, which include beans, lentils, peas, soybeans and peanuts, are one of the best sources of soluble fiber and a staple food in just about every country on earth.

Legumes are also very low in fat and high in quality protein. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends 3 cups of legumes per week. That would be 6 servings, as a half cup of cooked beans, peas, lentils, or tofu is considered a serving.¹

Replacing fatty animal products with legumes is likely to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and type2 diabetes.² Legumes have a low glycemic index value (the measure of the potential for foods to raise blood glucose levels) and are a great choice for diabetic individuals.³ …read more of Plant-Based Proactive: A Healthy Recipe for People and the Planet here

Winter squash is actually grown from late summer through December and has a satisfying flavor, luscious texture and extensive shelf life. For locavores, who support sustainable agriculture by eating seasonal foods grown within a 100-mile radius, this versatile vegetable has a lot to offer.

Acorn squash is prized for its sweet golden flesh and unique ribbed shell, which makes attractive scalloped bowls when halved and a handy case for savory stuffing.

Acorn squash is a very good source of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6, as well as manganese, thiamin and potassium. One cup of cooked acorn squash has 115 calories 9 grams of fiber and 895 mg of potassium.

Potassium is an essential mineral that is integral to the functioning of all living cells. …read more of Acorn Squash: A Rock Star Among Superfoods! here

The average American diet, heavy in animal products, requires the production of an extra ton and a half of greenhouse gases compared to a plant based diet.¹ A diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruit and legumes is environmentally responsible and can help maintain a healthy weight.

In recent years, however many diet books have blamed plant foods, which are high in carbohydrates for the obesity crisis. While the theory persists, health care professionals have advised against low-carbohydrate diets for years.

A recent study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that consuming a low-carbohydrate diet (less than 47 percent of calories from carbohydrates) is associated with a greater likelihood of being overweight or obese.² The July 2009 study found that the lowest risk may be in consuming a diet with 47 to 64 percent of calories from carbohydrates. This was not the first study with these findings.

…read more of The Slimmest People on Earth Eat a Lot of This Food! here

What’s the most popular vegetable in America?  If you guessed potato, you are right!  Plant foods, the exclusive source of dietary fiber, also provide us with precious vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.  And since potatoes are grown throughout the year, they’re also a fresh, seasonal and sustainable option for your winter meals.  Unfortunately, potatoes have often been denounced as fattening and the anti-carb craze of recent years has only added to that undeserved perception.

Weight control is rapidly becoming the major health issue of the 21st Century. More than a third of adults in the US are overweight and obesity is reaching epidemic proportions.  We know that potatoes are great tasting, inexpensive and nutritious, but how does this versatile vegetable become part of the solution?

Medical and nutrition experts have long advocated the health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Potatoes are root vegetables and complex carbohydrates high in water-absorbing fiber. Therefore eating potatoes makes you feel more satisfied and less hungry and can actually help you to lose weight. …read more of Want to Lose Weight? Eat Potatoes here

Obesity is a health problem of epidemic proportions and the high fat cholesterol laden Western diet has increasingly come under fire in recent years. Home cooks are choosing vegetarian alternatives more often than ever before and the market for soymilk, burgers, breakfast sausages, snack bars and even tofu has exploded.¹

Soy protein is a complete high quality protein, comparable to meat, milk and eggs, but without the unhealthy baggage.² It is very good news that consumers have been buying vegetarian products in record numbers because of the health benefits and environmental concerns. …read more of Soy: The Complete Protein! here