Cabbage is a very underrated vegetable. It’s been ranked one of the 10 best foods you aren’t eating. It’s packed with vitamins, iron and calcium and it’s been shown to help fight cancer.

For cabbage novices, a head of this slightly bitter stuff might seem a bit overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Coleslaw is a great way to dress it up. In case you’re turned off by the idea of a salad dripping in mayonnaise, this is a relatively fat-free alternative to that picnic-time staple.

Here is a recipe for a mayonnaise-free coleslaw that takes just about 10 minutes to make. …read more of A Mayonnaise-Free Coleslaw here

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

We change our wardrobes with the seasons, we should be changing our salad ingredients as well. Eating seasonally not only tastes better, but it requires a lot less energy to create.

In wintertime, instead of basing your salad on something light like a butter lettuce, consider something that weathers the cold climate, like endive, escarole or a more common spinach.

Once you’ve chosen your base leaf, move on to the add-ons. New York City-based chef Carlin Greenstein recommends building the salad around the green and in fall and winter, she likes to add a cooked element for those cold days.

Here is her recipe for a winter spinach salad complete with seasonal fruits (pomegranate, persimmon and pear). …read more of Winter Spinach Salad 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