Leftover salmon stored in glass containers

Leftover Food Safety

Whether we are cooking for a crowd, our household or ourselves this holiday season and beyond, we are bound to generate leftovers at some point. Just like washing your hands is an easy way to prevent foodborne illness while cooking, there are steps we can follow while storing leftovers to stay healthy and continue enjoying […]

Is it ok to eat a hot dog every now and then?

For most of us, we should strive to eat healthy most days of the week. However, “cheat” days are part of our lives and on some eating plans, encouraged. So what do you eat on splurge days? Pizza, pasta, hamburgers, sweets or hotdogs? Researchers from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, Department of […]

Roast chicken on a plate with a bowl of salad next to it

Getting Ahead of The Holiday Meal Cost

Everyone loves the holidays, but let’s be honest, it can get expensive, especially when you have several guests to feed. Our NC State colleagues on the More in My Basket team have created a great six-part series on how to prepare and get ahead of the holiday meal cost. They recommend planning your menu in […]

A stressed looking woman with Christmas clutter

How to Manage Holiday Stress

Stress can be a powerful and often unnoticed force in your life. It can influence weight, mental health, quality of sleep, and have effects on blood pressure, heart rate, and the immune system. When chronic stress is present, a hormone called cortisol is released which increases glucose in the bloodstream. This increase in glucose is […]

Tracking Still Works

Tracking is once again a winner when it comes to helping us achieve and maintain a healthy weight.  Tracking has long been a key strategy included in most weight management programs, including the Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less and Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes programs.  Writing down everything that we are eating and […]

US Salt Intake to Decrease with New FDA Guidelines

With almost 75% of the sodium intake of most Americans coming from processed foods, it is not the salt shaker on the table that is to blame for high salt intake. The Food and Drug Administration released new guidelines asking food service, restaurants, and food manufacturers to voluntarily reduce sodium levels in over 150 categories […]

popular diet

A Dietitian’s Guide to Popular Diets

Paleo?  Keto?  Blood type diet?   It seems like every week, a different popular diet trend emerges.  As a dietitian, I receive many questions from program participants, family, and friends about how I feel about the newest diet fad.  Luckily, there are two questions that many dietitians and I ask to determine if a diet is […]

A screenshot from the Banana Nut Med Muffin recipe showing the finished muffins in the tin.

Banana Nut Med Muffins

Next time you have overripe bananas lying around, don’t throw them out – make these delicious and healthy muffins instead!  Most muffins are just a step away from cake with lots of added sugar and unhealthy fat. Not these med muffins! These muffins utilize ripe bananas for natural sweetness and nuts for heart-healthy fats. Great […]

A spoonful of Sucralose

Is sucralose making you eat more?

The non-nutritive sweetener sucralose is found in literally thousands of foods, most diet soft drinks are sweetened this way. The zero calories on the label signals that this food would help with weight loss, especially if it is being swapped for its full calorie version. A recent study published in the Journal of the American […]