Reading labels now has become somewhat confusing. From the food you buy at the grocery store to the food you eat at the restaurant, trying to figure out what differences between terms like "free-range", "grass-fed", and "organic" can be a little challenging. I myself struggle with many of these terms mostly because I eat a plant-based whole food diet and don't have to deal with them on a daily basis.

Here is a list of some of the common ones you will see! If you see something new, make sure you do a little research to figure out what it's all about! I hope this helps you with your trip to the grocery store!

ANTIBIOTIC FREE

"Antibiotic-free" means an animal wasn't given antibiotics during its lifetime. Other phrases that indicate the same thing include "no antibiotics administered", and "raised without antibiotics".

CAGE FREE

"Cage-Free " means the birds were raised out of cages. What this doesn't tell you is whether the birds were raised outdoors on pasture or indoors...

I can't think of a better time to cook up some soup. February is usually one of the coldest months so why not make some delicious soups to warm you up.

This first one was inspired by one of my Mom's old cookbooks. I decided to pick some recipes from the cookbook and make them vegan and healthy!

This hearty soup is healthy, satisfying, and totally delicious comfort food!

Let's get started!

What you will need

Prep time-25 min. Cook time-15 minutes Servings-8

Vegan-Gluten Free

2 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Optional, can use water as a replacement)

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 large red onion, diced

2 celery ribs, chopped

4 Carrots, sliced

2 lbs of Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced

1 15 oz can of great northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 large head of broccoli cut into bite-size pieces.

6 cups of water or veggie broth

2 tbs or 1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 cup heaping of nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 cup of unsweetened plant-based milk. (I like cashew for its...

This is the last bowl of the series. Next week I'll be starting a new series and I'm thinking everything wraps!

This week's recipe is super easy and I think it might be my favorite. I love garlic and there is lots of it in this recipe.

Prep all of the food at the beginning of the week and enjoy the leftovers during the week. Just throw the bowl together, heat it up, and enjoy a delicious, healthy, plant-based meal in 5 minutes!

Let's get started.

What you will need

Serving Size - 3  Cook time - 30 min

For the tofu:

1 15oz block of organic tofu

1 tbs cornstarch

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

For the rice:1 cup of brown rice, cooked

For the Broccoli:

1 small head of broccoli cut into bite-size pieces, steamed

For the Sauce:

1/4 cup of coconut aminos or tamari

3 tbs extra virgin olive oil

2 tbs maple syrup

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 inch of ginger, grated or diced.

What you need to do

For the tofu:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Remove tofu from...

We are continuing this week with our bowl series. These are really delicious and pretty quick to make and once again great leftovers. Once you make the tempeh, the rest is pretty easy.

I don't suggest that you cut the cucumber and tomatoes up at the beginning of the week but rather have them on hand and cut up before serving. Cucumbers lose their nutritional content pretty quickly so cut them up before serving unless you're bringing this bowl to work.

Let's get started!

What you will need 

For one serving. just quadruple to make more bowls this week with your tempeh bacon.

7 cherry tomatoes, sliced in quarters

1  quarter of a cucumber, diced

1 handful of your favorite greens

For the Tempeh Bacon:

For 4 servings: 

1 package of tempeh

1/4 cup coconut aminos or tamari 

For the Dressing, 4 servings. 

2 avocado

2 clove of garlic

2 tbs of coconut aminos or tamari

2 lime, juiced

1 tbs, plus water

salt and pepper to taste

What we need to do

For the...

I really liked this bowl a lot, super yummy, easy to make, and great for leftovers!

This BBQ jackfruit is also great as a sandwich but the bowl is so good with the roasted sweet potatoes and the tangy slaw.

Let's get to it!

What you will need

2 - 20 oz cans of young jackfruit canned in brine ( I got mine from Trader Joes), drained and blotted dry, seeds removed and shredded.

1 18 oz jar of vegan bbq sauce

3 Sweet potatoes peeled and diced

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 12oz bag of any slaw mix or 2-3 cups of shredded cabbage

1/2 cup of tahini

2 tbs apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup of water

1 clove of garlic, diced

Sea salt and pepper to taste

What you need to do

For the sweets.

Pre heat over to 400 degrees.

Place parchment paper on the baking sheet.

Put the sweets on the baking sheet and add the sea salt, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Bake in the over for 25 mins or until lightly browned. Set aside.

For the slaw

Combine in a small mixing bowl tahini,...

For the next couple of weeks, I'll be sharing with you some of my quick, easy, and delicious bowls.

We are going to be cooking once and eating all week!

This first bowl I created for a meal plan I'm making for someone who does not have a lot of time to cook but wants something healthy, nutritious, and super yummy. This checks off all those boxes!

We are roasting up some veggies and completing the bowl with some quinoa and fresh greens of your choice. The lemon tahini dressing pulls it all together in this protein-packed nutrient-dense bowl. This one is also pretty economical too!

Let's get started.

Servings 6 - Prep time - 15 minutes Roasting time - 40 minutes

What you will need

1 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 carrots sliced thick

1 fennel bulb, stems removed cut into large pieces

1 red pepper, cut into large pieces

1 red onion, cut into large pieces

2 medium sweet potatoes, diced into 1/2 inch pieces

2 tbs Avocado oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 heaping tsp garlic...

I created this recipe last year to bring in the New Year with good luck and fortune so I decided to cook this recipe yesterday during my Meatless Monday Live on FB.

Check out the video HERE!

I changed it up a bit by adding some veggie sausage for a little more flavor and some turmeric and black pepper for their anti-inflammatory benefits. It came out very yummy! A great nutrient-dense meal to serve your body in the New Year.

Get the original recipe HERE

At the end of the year, I just finished up at the Academy of Culinary Nutrition. I am happy to announce that I am now a Certified Culinary Nutrition Expert and Instructor. I've revamped some old programs and created some new ones to serve you.

If you're looking to take care of your health this year and uplevel what you've been up to so far check out the line-up of new programs I'll be offering in the New Year.

I'll be teaching how to eat clean to help heal your body and add nutrient-dense foods to regain energy and thrive....

Inspired by a visit to my cousin's home out towards Asheville where we enjoyed some gorgeous Fall weather and did some hiking over in Flat Rock. We made a butternut squash risotto and I decided to take the recipe and make a vegan pumpkin risotto that was so delicious! You can easily use either the squash or the pumpkin. It's all about what you have in the house.

What You Will Need

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow or white onion, diced

1/4 tsp salt and pepper

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

1 1/2 cups brown rice

7 cups of veggie broth, warmed

1 tbs coconut oil

1/2 cup of nutritional yeast

1 1/2 cups of cooked pumpkin or butternut squash, warmed

3 tbs fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley

What You Need To Do

• In a medium/large saucepan on medium, heat the olive oil.
• Add the onion and cook until it starts to become translucent.
• Add the garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper and stir together.
• Add the rice and stir together completely.
• Add 1 cup of the warmed veggie...

This week's recipe goes with last week's blog post about fiber. Lentils are a great source of fiber. This is a delicious way to get them into your diet!
I've wanted to make a lentil soup for the blog for a long time but have put it off because I don't have a lot of experience cooking lentils. I was very pleased with the results of this recipe, super yummy and also freezable for batch cooking.

Keep in mind I like my soups like stew, super thick, so just add more water/veggie broth for your desired thickness.

Italian Lentil Soup - vegan/gluten-free

Servings 6-8 - Preparation and cooking time - 1 hour

What You Need

 1 onion, diced

5 cloves of garlic, minced

3 medium carrots diced

3 celery stalks diced

1 medium sweet potato, diced

1 28oz can of diced tomatoes

6-8 cups of water or veggie stock. Depending on your preference of thickness.

1 ½ cups of green lentils

1 1/2 tsp oregano

1 1/2 tsp basil

2 tbsp fresh parsley thinly chopped

½ tsp red pepper flakes

½ cup...

Why is fiber important if you're trying to lose weight?

• When fiber is in your digestive tract it actually absorbs other molecules like carbs, fats, and sugars along with all there calories stopping them from making a home on your butt!

• Fiber also adds bulk to foods helping you feel fuller without the added calories.

• Fiber-rich foods take longer to digest which helps you feel fuller longer. Helping you eat less throughout the day.

Why is fiber important to our health?

• Fiber protects against heart disease by helping lower cholesterol.

   

• Fiber decreases the risk of diabetes by helping with weight-loss/control, and by controlling blood sugars during the day.

   

• Fiber decreases the risk of breast cancer by lowering blood estrogen levels.

   

• Fiber reduces blood pressure by reducing insulin resistance and inhibiting weight gain, two hypertension risk factors.

   

• Fiber protects against colon cancer. High fiber diets...