Quinoa is a very intriguing ingredient. It’s classified with the rest of the grains but it’s not even a grain, it’s a seed. Pronounced “keen-wah,” this grain-like crop has been around for over 6,000 years, originating in the Andean region of South America. The Incas held the crop to be sacred and referred to it as chisaya mama, meaning mother of all grains.

Nutritionally speaking, this “grain” is the mother of all grains, in protein. It’s the highest grain-like crop in protein, ranging from 12% to 18%. Unlike wheat or rice, quinoa is a complete protein.

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Recently, I made watermelon coolers. They were exactly what I was looking for–a tasty and refreshing summer drink. The problem with watermelon is I had so much remaining. I had to get creative. This is how I came up with watermelon salsa and here, sweet watermelon pops.

These ice-pops are a great low-cal snack for everyone but kids will especially love them. You don’t have to add sugar if your watermelon is nice and ripe. You also don’t need ice-pop molds or ice cube trays because these guys are simply blocks of watermelon sprinkled with lemon zest, frozen, and handled using chopsticks. Simple, yet so delicious. Read more →

For my sixth birthday, my mom threw me a pink and green-themed birthday party, my two favorite colors at the time. Watermelon fit in nicely with this theme. My mother gathered napkins, plates, cups and goody bags featuring watermelons. I got my first big-girl bike that year, a big sea-foam green bike with light pink streamers. Watermelon will forever bring me back to my youth. Read more →

As part of National Men’s Health Week, the California Department of Public Health has highlighted the top health tips to keep men healthy. “Men have an average life expectancy of almost six years less than women,” said CDPH Director Dr. Mark Horton. “By emphasizing the importance of education, physical fitness and disease prevention, we can help men live longer, healthier lives.” Read more →

We already know that fruits and veggies are associated with good health and reduced disease risk. Unfortunately, very few of us are meeting recommendations for these foods, particularly the little ones. Less than 10% of kids are eating the recommended amount of fruits and veggies.

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Everyone loves a good barbeque, especially this time of year. I know I am ready to fire up the barbe, that is if the weather clears up. Here in Northern California we’ve had an unseasonably (so I’m told) wet and cool spring. This weekend, I’ll be grilling frutas, rain or shine. Throw a little butter and cinnamon on some bananas, peaches and strawberries and grill it for 5-10 minutes. So delicious. Read more →

To piggy-back off my last post, I found some fun ways to involve the little ones more with food shopping, prepping, and cooking. Thanks to Fruits & Veggies More Matters, here are the top 10 fun ways:

10. Mean Green Cleaning Machine. Let them wash fruits and veggies when preparing foods for cooking or eating.

9. Pick A Peck! When shopping, let them select a new fruit or vegetable to try … or several!

8. Make It Snappy! Let them snap the green beans, snap peas or break the flowerets from the broccoli or cauliflower.

7. I Spy! Play “I Spy” in the produce section when grocery shopping.

6. Tear It Up! Let them tear the lettuce for salads and sandwiches.

5. Measure Up! Let them measure the frozen vegetables before cooking them.

4. Peel & Slice. Older children can peel and slice carrots, cucumbers, potatoes and others. They now sell colorful, kid-friendly peelers.

3. Stir & Spice. Make applesauce from fresh apples. Let them help stir and add the cinnamon.

2. A Sprinkle A Day… Let them smell and then sprinkle herbs and spices onto vegetables.

1. Monster Mash! Pull out the potato masher and let the kids mash away.

When I started cooking more plant-based dishes I got really interested in Indian cooking. Indian cooking uses a lot of veggies and dresses them up nicely using fragrant spices, herbs and oils. Many dishes in Indian cuisine are naturally healthy, delicious and many of them are not that costly.

My ultimate favorite spice is coriander. Coriander is often used in Indian cooking. Derived from the leaves and shoots of fresh cilantro, coriander is available in whole seeds and powder form. Read more →