Connect from Home: Virtual Game Night

Not being able to spend time with friends and family can be difficult. Fortunately, these days there are a number of great ways to connect virtually. One of my favorites is a virtual game night. I used to love having game nights with my friends. Now that social distancing is the new normal, we still […]

5 Tips to Avoid Giving In to Family Food Pushers

Let’s face it, the holidays often revolve around activities and gatherings that include food. It can be difficult for those of us who are trying to make smarter, healthier food choices to be in environments where unhealthy sweets and treats are everywhere, especially when people we love are the ones offering us these foods.  Family […]

Smart-size Your Portions

Both the amount and types of food we consume contribute to whether our way of eating is healthy. Check out this great handout from our colleagues at NC EFNEP with tips for how to smart-size your portions. A portion is what you serve yourself or what a restaurant gives you–you can also think of this […]

4 Healthy-ish Fair Food Alternatives

COVID-19 has caused some of our favorite events to be either placed on hold or canceled completely. The NC State Fair is a longstanding North Carolina tradition that has been canceled this year for the first time since 1945.  Some people will miss the rides and the exhibits, but many people visit the fair just […]

The Basics and How-To of Vegetarianism

What’s up with vegetarianism? This year, vegetarian awareness week will mark me being vegetarian for 6 years. There are many reasons that people decide to stop eating meat – for me it was to lower my environmental footprint. For others, it can be a religious or cultural practice, a strategy to lower their grocery budget, […]

Mindfulness Day 2020

September 12th is Mindfulness Day. Mindfulness is a key component of the Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less and Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes programs. Take a moment today or this week to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is simply defined as being present in any particular moment. To go deeper, it involves being conscious and […]

National Potato Day

August 19th is National Potato Day and I could not be more excited. I love potatoes! They come in so many different sizes, colors, and shapes. You can cook and bake them in so many ways. I taught ESL classes in Washington, DC and I found that almost every culture has some version of a […]

Shorten the Distance With a Virtual Cooking Party

Social distancing doesn’t mean you have to disconnect from your social support systems. It has, however, challenged us to become more creative in our communications with friends and loved ones. Feeling the distance can be difficult at times, but there are plenty of ways to help the distance feel shorter, and social support systems feel […]