April 19, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC If you’re Paleo, gluten-free, or have spent any time at all scrolling Pinterest for healthier versions of your fave baked goods, chances are you’ve been confronted with arrowroot powder. Wondering what the heck it is, what it tastes like, and if it’s even healthy? Look no further—all your questions are about to be answered. Arrowroot is a family of starchy, edible tubers native to the Caribbean. Arrowroot powder is made from the dried root of these plants and while it has no taste, is used as a thickening agent in foods. It’s an especially common ingredient in healthy recipes because it’s vegan, Paleo, and gluten-free. But before you stock your pantry with arrowroot powder, there are some things to know about it first. Keep reading to see how to use it and find out if it’s healthy or not. How to cook and bake with arrowroot powder 1. It’s a good swap for cornstarch. “Arrowroot is a great substitute for cornstarch for people who want to bake but are dealing with a corn allergy,” says registered dietitian Maggie Michalczyk, RDN. (Or if you’re Paleo or otherwise not eating corn.) Cornstarch is generally used to thicken sauces and soften the texture of baked goods; any recipe that calls for cornstarch can usually use arrowroot powder instead, as long as you follow a conversion chart for proper measurements. 2. Use it to enhance baked goods, without adding flavor. Michalczyk says arrowroot powder can be beneficial
Category: Vegetarians
Pass the delicious grain-free double chocolate chip cookies, please!
April 19, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC You know that dessert someone brings to a family gathering that looks like it got devoured by a pack of hungry wolves while everything else sits there untouched? With the countdown to Passover festivities on, coming up with the best healthy treat to tempt everyone in your life with is a must. And if you want to make something people are practically begging you to bring to all future events, this is the one. Debra Klein, a holistic health coach, shared a Passover dessert worthy of your attention. It has all the best qualities of a baked good in that it’s extra soft and perfectly chewy. And it’s as chocolatey as cookies can get with the help of both cacao powder and chocolate chips—something that turns it into more of a cookie-brownie hybrid. The recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free—at once healthy, sweet, satisfying, and kosher. View this post on Instagram Soft. Chewy. Chocolate-y. Healthy. Grain-free. 7 ingredients. 15 minutes start to finish. Which one of those descriptions caught your eye first? Link in bio for the recipe. #refinedsugarfree #kosherforpassover #healthycookies #deliciousdesserts #passover #glutenfreerecipes #debraklein A post shared by Debra Klein (@dkhealthcoach) on Apr 17, 2019 at 8:33am PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js Similar to kosher law in general, many people who observe Passover range in how they practice their observance when it comes to meal time. Some avoid using any processed foods not specifically marked “kosher for passover,” and others simply avoid hametz, which
7 high-fiber foods you should add to your shopping list, stat
April 18, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC If you had to give an award to “World’s Sexiest Nutrient,” I’m not sure what would win, but it probably wouldn’t be fiber. Especially soluble fiber. But TBH that’s pretty unfair of us. Fiber offers your body a ton of health benefits (reduced risk of chronic disease, boosted metabolism, reduced inflammation, and better heart and gut health), and unlike protein, you’re probably not eating enough of it. There are two types of fiber: insoluble and soluble. Insoluble is pretty much the roughage from fruits and veggies that sweeps out your insides and bulks up your stools for regular BMs. On the other hand, “soluble fiber gets its name because it is soluble in water,” says Marjorie Nolan Cohn, RDN, founder and owner of MNC Nutrition, LLC in Philadelphia and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Basically, soluble fiber absorbs water, swells, and creates a gel-like substance during digestion, Nolan Cohn says. That keeps BMs moving, but it also has another power: to keep your heart healthy. “Along with water, the gel-like structure can also absorb fatty acids, so it has an added benefit of reducing cholesterol,” she says. Soluble fiber is also useful in slowing digestion, something that helps regulate blood sugar levels, says Nolan Cohn. A stable release of glucose into your blood helps prevent blood sugar dips and spikes that trigger hunger and mess with the hormones that play a role in appetite control. Finally, like all fiber, soluble
This 10-in-1 kitchen gadget is all you need to cut and peel every fruit under the sun
April 18, 2019 at 07:36AM by CWC A unique kitchen gadget is my weakness. It doesn’t take much to convince myself that I need yet another newfangled tool. Clip-on strainers, lemon zesters, veggie keepers—you name it, it’s in my cart. Admittedly, some of these gadgets do little more than collect dust after purchase, since old-fashioned way of doing something is sometimes the best way. But there’s one impulse buy that I’ve actually been putting to good use every day. At a glance, my new Fruit Slicer Set ($15) looks like a puzzle. With all the different parts and bold colors, there’s a lot going on. But it solves more problems than it creates—promise! Once you actually break it down, it becomes clear that the 10-in-1 gadget is just as utilitarian as it is pretty. Each tool is designed specifically to helps you cut, peel, and slice any type of fruit like a professional chef. Photo: Amazon Here’s what you get with our new favorite kitchen gadget, the Fruit Slicer Set: avocado scoop fruit masher apple cutter citrus cutter fruit mesh cuter lemon squeezer a fruit bowl fruit grater orange squeezer little fruit forks Phew! My favorite is the mesh cutter for soft fruits like kiwi, which are notoriously annoying to peel! Sure, it might seem a little excessive, but considering this kitchen gadget keeps everything neatly stacked, it might just be the best purchase you’ll ever make. If you’re also a fan of gadgets of all kinds, check out these
Everlane is finally (finally!) getting into the sneaker game
April 18, 2019 at 04:10AM by CWC To know me is to know that I have strong opinions about footwear. (I do not care if you live by the beach, flip flops are still terrible and I stand by my thoughts.) But in a show of my ability to be flexible and open to new ideas, I have done a 180 on my feelings about sneakers. I am a recent inductee into the sneakers club. A few years ago, I was convinced that sneakers only belonged in the gym. Now I am obsessed and will attempt to make sneakers work for pretty much any occasion. However, and it pains me to say this, sneakers are not the most sustainable fashion items, often using lots of virgin plastic and generating something like 30 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. (Insert John Oliver’s sarcastic “cool”.) We really (really, really!) don’t need to be putting that into the environment. But thankfully, we’re moving into an era where brands are increasingly conscious about their environmental impact. One such brand is Everlane, which is launching the sustainable sneaker line Tread by Everlane on April 25. Everlane was founded in 2011, but it took the brand eight years to launch a sneaker because they wanted to do it sans the negative environmental impact. The line will launch with the Trainer, which retails for $98. This unisex trainer that has—drumroll please—zero carbon impact. Snaps for Everlane. “In a world where we are becoming more conscious of our plastic
5 extraordinary egg salad recipes that don’t use an entire jar of mayonnaise
April 17, 2019 at 09:54AM by CWC You might not know what you’re having for dinner tonight, but I can tell you what you’re having next week. Egg salad. If dying eggs—which you can do easily with turmeric and matcha—is a yearly tradition at your house, chances are having egg salad has become somewhat of a tradition, too. Hey, even though your sandwich may be tinted green, you don’t want all that perfectly good protein to go to waste, right? But here’s the thing: Sometimes egg salad recipes are downright dull. And it often isn’t very healthy either. (It requires how much mayo?) This year, try switching things up with a healthy, upgraded egg salad recipes. These are so delicious that eating your leftovers will be—dare I say—a religious experience. 5 healthy egg salad recipes without all the mayo Photo: Nutrition Stripped 1. Savory and spicy egg salad If you want your egg salad with a little kick to it, Well+Good Wellness Council member McKel Hill, RDN‘s recipe will hit just the spot. Made with horseradish, dijon mustard, fresh dill, and fresh chives it has a robust flavor profile. Oh, and there’s only two tablespoons of mayonnaise in the whole recipe. Photo: hummusapien 2. Avocado chickpea egg salad Leftovers + avocado = a creamy, healthy fat bomb for your toast. Besides the eggs, chickpeas also serve as a good protein source in this bite, ensuring you won’t be reaching in your Easter basket for candy an hour later. It’s also
Everything you actually need to know about vegan beauty
April 17, 2019 at 09:32AM by CWC Whenever I hear the word “vegan,” my mind immediately goes to food. I picture fields of vegetables, fridges full of alt-milk, and almond butter galore (excuse me as I start drooling). But veganism applies to what we use on our skin as well—there’s a huge slice of skin-care and makeup products that apply the same animal-friendly principles to beauty, and it’s important to know about this arm of the industry. More so than in the food world, vegan beauty is often misinterpreted—particularly when compared to “clean” beauty, which is a totally different thing altogether. In part, this is because there are tons of different beauty distinctions out there from EcoCert to cruelty-free to vegan itself. So to clear up the confusion, here’s what the pros want you to know about it. The 411: What *is* vegan beauty? Kinda like with food, vegan beauty means that the product has zero animal-based ingredients inside it. “Vegan means that a product does not use animal-derived ingredients, and it should mean that the product has not been tested on animals,” says Sarah Villafranco, MD, doctor and founder of Osmia Organics. Examples of these kinds of ingredients (that are not vegan) include beeswax, honey, lanolin, and different types of milk. “Vegan claims should also include the processing of ingredients, which should not involve animal-derived elements,” she explains. “Sugar, for example, is sometimes processed using charred bone, which would render the ingredient non-vegan.” Michelle Connolly, director of merchandising and planning
This homemade cinnamon roll is the real breakfast of champions
April 17, 2019 at 07:24AM by CWC Cinnamon rolls are everything a sweet treat should be. The only problem is that the warm and cozy baked good isn’t exactly the most nutritious way to start the day. With a few adjustments, it’s completely possible to create a healthy cinnamon roll that contributes to the most important meal of the day. Typically made with white flour, loads of sugar, multiple sticks of butter, heavy cream, and cream cheese, traditional cinnamon rolls are a far cry from a hearty bowl of oatmeal. After sifting through all the so-called healthy recipes on the internet, I found one that takes the cake. Natalie Thomas, the recipe developer behind Feasting on Fruit, is a pro at creating healthier versions of desserts. And no, not just by swapping the type of flour. Thomas totally reimagines sweet treats. She was baffled by the fact that cinnamon rolls still get away with masquerading as “breakfast” after all these years. But Thomas’ cinnamon roll is oil-free, gluten-free, and vegan, without sacrificing flavor. “They have filling and frosting—two creamy, sweet, normally sugar-laden components, yet it’s still allowed before 10 am? It’s a double standard, I tell you,” she writes. “Now these cinnamon rolls can reasonably be classified as breakfast. It’s a much healthier morning meal than anything that pops out of a cardboard tube.” It might be hard to believe cinnamon rolls can still be as tasty without all the sugar, but this recipe is proof. Using vitamin-loaded sweet potatoes
Put off laundry one more week with this $7 “dry shampoo” for clothes
April 17, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC Confession time: The only thing I hate more than washing my hair is washing my clothes. I mean, wearing them once doesn’t warrant a full spin cycle, right? And don’t even get me started on dry cleaning, because that stuff is e-x-p-e-n-s-i-v-e. Because of this, at any given moment, approximately 50 percent of my already-worn wardrobe lives in what I like to call the “in-between pile” on a chair in the corner of my bedroom. Said pile exists because I can’t bring myself to actually suds up my clothes after a single use, but I also can’t totally justify putting them back into my closet after they’ve already been worn. Super gross? Yes, 100 percent. I might be a complete troll about this type of thing, but in fairness, you would be too if you didn’t have a washing machine and had to schlep your laundry six blocks any time you wanted clean clothes (anyone? anyone?). Luckily for me and anyone else out there who has this type of complicated relationship with their laundry (please, for the love of the Internet, I hope I’m not the only one), Love Home and Planet recently released a new Dry Wash Spray ($7) that will help you get at least one extra wear out of your favorite going-out top without feeling (or smelling) disgusting. Touted as “dry shampoo for your clothes,” the spray helps you delay washing by spritzing your clothes with something sweet. While it’s undoubtedly
Make room for 18 healthy foods you should always buy at Costco
April 16, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC Costco is an amusement park for adults. Sky-high shelves stacked with anything and everything you could ever want in life—to call it magical would be an understatement. The food section in particular is where I like to spend my time pushing around that oversized shopping cart, but you can shop online for plenty of healthy foods at Cosco. Unlike a typical grocery store, Costco allows you to get everything in bulk. Many of the products are organic and non-GMO and countless options focus on specific dietary needs, with products catered to those who are gluten-free, vegan, and low-carb and keto. This includes huge cases of spaghetti squash, bags of cauliflower rice almost too heavy to carry, and avocados that last twice as long. Costco also has essentials on hand for a fraction of the cost. Instead of spending $40 on a tiny container of high-quality Japanese matcha for your lattes, you can get a bag quadruple the size. Make room in the pantry for huge containers of kosher ground turmeric or organic plant-based protein powders loaded. If you want to go on a shopping spree without even having to leave your home, you’re in luck. These are some of the best food deals you can score right this second. Healthy food finds to shop at Costco Buy Now Kirkland Signature Organic Almond Beverage, 6-count $8.99 Buy Now Quaker Oats Old Fashioned Oatmeal, 2-count $9.49 Buy Now Kirkland Signature Organic Quinoa, 4.5 lbs $9.99