Food & Diet

Our favourite healthy eating plans and recipes to make you feel great from the inside out

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Sautéed Fruits

Heat boosts the sweetness of fruits. Berries, which are in season now and get their rich color from disease-fighting anthocyanins, are great candidates for a quick sauté.

Good for

A syrup stand-in on French toast; a mixer for oatmeal or Greek yogurt

Caramelized Onions

Veggies have natural sugars, too. When onions are cooked over low, slow heat, their complex sugars break down into simpler ones, yielding a slightly sweet flavor. Onions also contain the antioxidant quercetin, which may help lower your risk for certain cancers.

Good for

Topping for a sandwich, baked potato, or pizza; an omelet filling

Dried Dates

Because fruit is comprised largely of water and sugar, drying concentrates its sugar content, amping up sweetness. Dried dates in particular add a high sweet factor, plus nutrition in the form of fiber—just one Medjool date delivers up to 6 percent of your recommended daily fiber intake.

Good for

A honey substitute in smoothies; blended with almond milk and ice for a healthy shake; a binder in fruit-and-nut bar recipes

Arroz Con Pollo

About

Arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) is a staple dish in every Latin-American household. Unfortunately, it’s now commonly made with spice packets filled with MSG. Instead, Ramirez opts for fresh oregano, turmeric, and saffron to achieve the same authentic flavor. Research suggests that oregano and turmeric have powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, while saffron may help prevent post-exercise muscle pain or weakness.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion
  • 3/4 red bell pepper
  • 1/4 bunch cilantro, plus extra for garnish
  • 1 1/2 cloves garlic
  • 4 cups organic, low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 cups brown basmati rice
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp minced fresh turmeric (or 1/4 tsp dried turmeric)
  • 3/4 red bell pepper
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 3 saffron threads, crushed
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1/2 cup jarred pimiento peppers
  • 6 Manzanilla olives
  • 2 limes cut into wedges, for garnish

Preparation

  • Unwrap chicken breasts, pat dry with paper towel, and season with salt and black pepper. In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil; cook chicken in batches, flipping once, until browned and almost cooked through, 5–10 minutes. Remove chicken from pot.
  • In food processor, pulse onion, bell pepper, cilantro, and garlic until finely chopped and evenly combined. Add mixture to pot you used for chicken and cook over medium heat until onions are fragrant and translucent, 10 minutes.
  • Add broth, rice, lime juice, bay leaf, oregano, garlic powder, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, and saffron to pot; bring mixture to a boil. Add chicken; cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 1 hour.
  • Add frozen peas, pimientos, and olives, stirring until warm. Fluff rice with fork and divide among six plates. Garnish each plate with a lime wedge.

Nutrition Information

  • Serving Size: Serves 6
  • Calories: 457
  • Carbohydrate Content: 45 g
  • Fat Content: 13 g
  • Fiber Content: 5 g
  • Protein Content: 42 g
  • Saturated Fat Content: 2 g

Watermelon mojito smoothie

About

Instead of using rum and simple syrup, Ramirez opts for summer fruits and chia seeds for a fiber boost.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups watermelon chunks
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries
  • 1/4 cup frozen banana chunks
  • 15 fresh mint leaves
  • Juice of 1½ limes
  • 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
  • 3/4 tbsp chia seeds
  • 4 lime wedges, for garnish

Preparation

  • In a blender, combine watermelon, strawberries, bananas, ¾ cup water, 6 ice cubes (optional), mint leaves, lime juice, and lemon zest until smooth.
  • Particularly juicy watermelon can add a lot of water, so if the smoothie seems too thin, add more ice cubes until you get a thick texture.
  • Divide among four glasses; top each with chia seeds and a lime wedge.

Nutrition Information

  • Serving Size: Serves 4
  • Calories: 86
  • Carbohydrate Content: 23 g
  • Fat Content: 1 g
  • Protein Content: 1 g

Pico de gallo crostini

About

Pico de gallo is a traditional Mexican salsa. Serve it on a whole-wheat baguette instead of fried tortilla chips, and give it a Cuban twist by replacing tomato with sweet mango. The salsa with creamy avocado infuses healthy fats.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole-grain baguette, cut into
  • 20 1/2-inch-thick slices
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 cup diced mango
  • 3/4 cup diced avocado
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 jalapeño, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp kosher salt

Preparation

  • Heat oven to 425°. Brush baguette slices on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper; bake on a baking sheet until light brown, about 7–9 minutes.
  • In a bowl, combine mango, avocado, onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeño, garlic, cumin.
  • coriander, and salt. Spoon mixture onto bread slices and serve immediately.

Nutrition Information

  • Serving Size: Makes 20 crostinis
  • Calories: 128
  • Carbohydrate Content: 14 g
  • Fat Content: 8 g
  • Protein Content: 3 g
  • Saturated Fat Content: 1 g

Vegan flan

About

Flan is typically made with eggs, condensed milk, and whole milk. In this vegan version, Ramirez swaps the dairy for light coconut milk, tofu, and agar (a sea vegetable that adds a gelatinous texture). And instead of heavily processed sugars, she uses maple syrup and Sucanat sugar, an unrefined cane sugar that retains its molasses content, preserving trace amounts of iron and calcium. This vegan flan is still a sweet splurge, but the swaps nix some sugar.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Sucanat sugar
  • 2 cups light coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp agar
  • 1/2 cup extra-firm tofu
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1/4 tbsp cinnamon, plus extra for garnish
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Coconut slices, for garnish

Preparation

  • In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the sugar and ¼ cup water, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves into a golden simple syrup, 2–5 minutes.
  • Fill the bottom of each cup of a 9-by-13-inch muffin pan with 1 tbsp simple syrup.
  • In a medium saucepan, bring coconut milk and agar to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer, stirring constantly, until agar fully dissolves, 10–15 minutes.
  • In a high-speed blender, blend coconut milk–agar mixture, tofu, maple syrup, coconut flakes, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt until mixture is smooth.
  • Pour coconut-milk mixture into muffin-pan cups and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
  • Place muffin pan in a shallow hot-water bath to loosen flan from bottom of pan.
  • 15 seconds, then flip pan onto a flat surface, such as a cutting board or large tray, to pop out the flan. Garnish with cinnamon and coconut slices, and serve.

Nutrition Information

  • Serving Size: Serves 6
  • Calories: 220
  • Carbohydrate Content: 37 g
  • Fat Content: 7 g
  • Fiber Content: 1 g
  • Protein Content: 4 g
  • Saturated Fat Content: 6 g

Mindful Eating Meditation

This meditation by Jamie Zimmerman, M.D., will help you learn to handle food cravings with awareness and intention. You’ll use the acronym STOP to help you through moments of fear and weakness. “S” stands for simply that: stop. “T” stands for "take three deep breaths." “O” stands for “observe." “P” stands for “proceed," in a way that supports you and those around you. You’ll use this acronym to understand where the craving is coming from and what it means. What thoughts are going through your head right now? What is your craving telling you? What do you imagine will happen if you act on the craving? Breathe deeply and allow yourself to discover what you truly need.

Eating Meditation Video

This meditation will guide you to a greater appreciation of and for the foods you eat. Useful for anyone who would like to become more conscious of their relationship with food.

Quiet the mind, and the soul will speak.!

Jane Doe
- Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati
a spiritual teacher

Awake Silence!

Jane Doe

All that is necessary to awaken to yourself as the radiant emptiness of spirit is to stop seeking something more or better or different, and to turn your attention inward to the awake silence that you are.

- Adyashanti
an American spiritual teacher and author

Clarity!

Jane Doe

Clarity is part of the mind from the beginning, a natural awareness. Just acknowledge it, simply notice that you’re aware. At any given moment, you can choose to follow the chain of thoughts, emotions, and sensations that reinforce a perception of yourself as vulnerable and limited or to remember that your true nature is pure, unconditioned, and incapable of being harmed.

- Mingyur Rinpoche
a Nepalese teacher and master of the Karma Kagyu and Nyingma lineages of Tibetan Buddhism