April 16, 2019 at 10:35AM by CWC Your friends may have opposing views on yoga versus HIIT or beach versus mountains. But everyone agrees that Chipotle is delicious. It’s also a blessedly safe haven for all types of eaters, from Paleo and keto to vegan and vegetarian. Even nutritionists and dietitians love Chipotle. But what’s the best Chipotle order when you want to make your meal as healthy as possible? Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD, gives the fast food chain her seal of approval in the latest episode of You Versus Food, while also breaking down what makes a healthy order and what doesn’t. She has a simple formula to keep in mind when crafting your meal. “Your starting point should be either a bowl or salad,” Beckerman says, saying that tortilla chips and taco shells are loaded with sodium and devoid of nutrients. After you figure out your base, choose a protein. Beans and chicken are the best choices, according to the registered dietician, but she recommends halving the portion as to not get too much protein. As for rice? As long as you aren’t keto, go for it. “[Brown rice] has less sodium than white rice,” notes Beckerman. The best Chipotle order, according to a registered dietician. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAZGWNZ5G2A] Last, top off your meal with lots of vegetables to make it both more nutrient dense and filling. Oh, and as for the battle between salsa versus guac? Beckerman says guacamole is a better choice since the healthy fats aid
Category: Vegetarians
The plant-*forward* approach is here to help you eat more veggies—here’s how to do it
April 15, 2019 at 10:17AM by CWC Meet Wellness Collective, our new, immersive curriculum with Athleta that hooks you up with actionable advice from the smartest experts and brand founders in wellness right now. Get the goods at our monthly event series in New York City plus our online one-month wellness plans. Here, Mia Rigden, RD, founder of RASA, shares her four-week guide to a plant-forward diet. If all the noise around keto versus paleo versus Mediterranean has made you totally tune out, we have good news: In 2019, Mia Rigden, RD, just wants you to eat more vegetables. “I’m not dogmatic when it comes to food,” she says. “I prefer to stay away from prescriptive diets and restrictive eating patterns, but I do think we could all benefit from eating more plants.” That mission has helped her land on a specific turn of phrase: plant-forward, rather than plant-based. The difference is subtle, but in the holistic chef’s experience it’s a distinction that makes it easier to follow. “Plant-forward doesn’t mean being vegetarian or vegan, it just means eating an abundance and diversity of fruits and vegetables,” she explains. So simple it’s genius, right? We thought so too, so we asked Rigden to share her four-week plan for putting you on the plant-forward track for good. Keep reading for 4 weeks of plant-forward tips to help you up your veggie intake, straight from a nutritionist. Build momentum for the rest of the month (the remaining weeks will feel easy if you
People are cooking less than ever before—here’s why we’re determined to change that
April 15, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC Judging by all the art-directed overnight oats and Buddha bowls on Instagram, you’d think that we’re in the midst of a healthy home cooking renaissance. But the data tells a different story—one littered with Postmates delivery fees and take-out containers. Well, at least that’s the case for those under 40. A recent report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) revealed that “millennials consume food in a restaurant or bar around 30 percent more often than any other generation.” The 23-to-38-year-old set also allocates less time to meal prep than their older counterparts—around just 13 minutes per day, which adds up to nearly an hour less per week than Gen X—and when they do head to the grocery store, they spend more on prepared foods, pasta, and sweets than other age groups. Millennials also aren’t particularly confident in their kitchen abilities when compared to other generations, which could be leading to a reliance on prepackaged or frozen food. Home improvement site Porch surveyed 750 people and found that while 76 percent of Baby Boomers and 72 percent of Gen X consider themselves to be good cooks, only 64 percent of millennials said the same. They were also found to be less able to perform basic cooking tasks—like making a salad or preparing salmon—and less able to identify kitchen tools like a butter knife or garlic press. Perhaps this is because they’re the generation least likely to have grown up with parents who
6 healthy grilled cheese sandwiches for grown-ups
April 12, 2019 at 10:11AM by CWC Sometimes there’s just no way to stop a craving for classic comfort foods. Maybe it’s on rainy days. Or a couple cocktails. But when the craving strikes for something warm, gooey, and dense, only a healthy grilled cheese sandwich satisfies every time. (A bowl of tomato soup for dipping is totally optional.) But the gluten! The dairy! Your body feels best when you fill it with nutrient-dense foods and not just processed ingredients. You’re an adult now. Wonder Bread and Kraft Singles, while delicious, aren’t the only the ingredients required to make your favorite childhood sandwich. 6 healthy grilled cheese sandwich recipes that satisfy the craving for comfort food. Photo: Well+Good Creative 1. Cauliflower crust grilled cheese You know how cauliflower crust is everywhere, taking over the frozen food section at every grocery store? I’ll let you in on a little secret: you can use it for more than just pizza. At Well+Good, we pack cauliflower crust with white cheddar cheese, avocado, and mustard for a next-level healthy grilled cheese. Photo: Love and Lemons 2. Tart cherry grilled cheese with sage Love and Lemons creator Jeanine Donofrio has perfected the formula for making a grilled cheese that hits all the right sensory notes—thick grainy bread, sharp cheese, fresh herbs, and fruit. That last one is a bit of a wild card, right? Her go-to is tart cherry, with a flavor strong enough to hold its own against the cheese. Photo: The Foodie Dietitian
Finding healthy food at Disney World is easier than wishing on a star with this handy guide
April 12, 2019 at 06:00AM by CWC There are few places people are more passionate about than Disney World. Dubbed “the happiest place on Earth,” the resort has upbeat music playing everywhere, is void of sarcasm and negativity, and there are fairytale characters walking around like it’s NBD. Every year, over 40 million people flock there for family vacays, weddings, and honeymoons. People who love Disney World really love Disney World. But between racing around trying to get a selfie with Mickey, waiting in line for Space Mountain, and completely losing it at the Haunted Mansion, a girl’s gotta eat. “Disney World is very good at making the whole experience magical and happy, including the eating,” says registered dietitian Lindsey Joe, RD. “They’ve done a wonderful job over these last several years in terms of accommodating more and more food allergies and food preferences, so there are plenty of options for people.” While you won’t find this online, Joe says that every restaurant at Disney World—including fast casual restaurants, not just sit-down places—have pamphlets with a grid of the most common food allergens—including gluten, eggs, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, seafood, and soy—while highlighting options eaters with these restrictions *can* order. “If you tell the waiter about your dietary needs, they will really work with you,” she says. Of course it helps to be prepared, too—which is where this handy guide comes in. Joe helped us compile a list of healthy meal options at Disney World for people who are vegan,
7 reasons for adding grapefruit to your morning meal
April 12, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC I used to have a boss who would walk around the office and hand out oranges to everyone as he walked to his desk. On the surface, it seems like a nice gesture, but I always had the sneaking suspicion he only did it so no one had an excuse to use a sick day. After all, oranges are packed with vitamin C. But you know what would have worked even better to keep us all healthy? Grapefruit. It turns out they’re more nutrient-dense than their smaller, orange cousin. Right now we’re still in grapefruit season (which lasts until May or June) making it the perfect time to stock up. And if you’re looking for a reason to do so, how about seven? Keep reading for the nutritional low-down on why having grapefruit at breakfast is so beneficial, plus some ideas on how to enjoy it. What are the health benefits of grapefruit? 1. It’s great for your immune system. Exhibit A of all that glorious nutrient density: grapefruits are a good source of vitamins A, C, and E—a trifecta that works together to keep the immune system up. (Specifically, one whole grapefruit has 77 mg of vitamin C—more than what you’d get in a large orange.) So you know those times of the year when everyone in your office seems to be sick? (Um, like right now?) It’s the perfect time for some grapefruit. 2. Eating grapefruit regularly is linked to higher
Dear air fryer, I love you to the moon and back—and so do dietitians
April 11, 2019 at 05:00PM by CWC If my air fryer and I take the plunge and get engaged, I hope my oven will be gracious enough to offer a champagne toast at our wedding. After all, we had many long years of half-baked happiness together before my AF and I met on Costco.com, and fell into a whirlwind romance that could only be described as golden (fried). The few short months we’ve spent as an item have been an endless parade of flavorful infatuation, and now I’m ready to divulge our love story; the tale of our mutual adoration told in sweet potato tater tots, crispy cauliflower gnocchi, and never-soggy Brussels sprouts. Before I move forward with itemizing the qualities that make the air fryer the very best partner a cuisine-enthusiast could ever wish for, I’d like everyone to know that a dietitian totally ships us. “Air fryers are a healthy alternate to frying and function as mini-ovens,” explains Brittany Michels, RD, a dietitian for The Vitamin Shoppe. “Generally, they use less oil, lower temperatures, and take less time to achieve a similar texture and taste.” (*Ahem*, did you hear that? She just straight up called our coupling, “healthy.”) Because such pure affairs of passion exist on the same plane as Noah and Allie of The Notebook, I will now invoke bestselling author Nicholas Sparks and declare, “You are every reason, every hope and every dream I’ve ever had,” dear mini-oven. I adore you, heart, soul, and fryer basket. Below,
These are the best natural leave-in conditioners you can buy (and DIY)
April 11, 2019 at 10:48AM by CWC When I was younger, I remember my mom giving me a kid-friendly leave-in conditioner that smelled like watermelon. It always left my strands feeling silky smooth and helped her work out all the tangles from long days at the pool. As an adult, I don’t give my hair as much love as it deserves. But with so many kinds of natural leave-in conditioner, that’s about to change. You can find natural products for your hair in stores, but making your own is easy. With the help of two hairstylists and a doctor who specializes in hair rejuvenation, we found several options for a natural leave-in conditioner that you can make right at home no matter your skills and preferred level of investment. The best DIY hairs masks, according to experts Each of the following mixes is made with ingredients that do everything from combat frizz and split ends to up the shine and strength. Essential oils and adaptogens even make an appearance with their numerous benefits. And if you’d rather skip the DIY, that’s fine. We’ve got you covered with the best products you can buy for healthier, silkier hair. 3-ingredient natural leave-in conditioner Expert: Marina Perkovic, stylist at Eliut Salon Ingredients 2 oz pure coconut water 2 oz distilled water 1/2 tsp vitamin E (D-alpha-tocopherol) Directions Mix together your ingredients and pour everything into a glass spray bottle, then use it as needed. This mix also works great in reshaping and refreshing
Your TL;DR guide to the buzziest healthy eating plans out there
April 11, 2019 at 08:33AM by CWC It seems like every day there’s a new diet popping up in the wellness scene (Pegan? Okinawa diet? Ketotarian?) that’s supposed to be the end-all, be-all of healthy eating—making easy to get confused and downright frustrated when you just can’t figure out what you’re “supposed” to be eating. Here’s the thing: There’s no one “right” way to eat well (despite what Instagram influencers might have you believe). “With every diet, there’s no one size fits all—everything is individual,” says Brigitte Zeitlin, MPH, RD, CDN, an NYC-based registered dietitian. “If you’re doing something that works for you and it feels long-term, that’s what matters.” So whether you’re a Keto enthusiast or a Med diet lover, as long as your health is in check, you’re good to go. Of course, that makes sifting through all of the many (many) eating plans out there a bit more complicated. We spoke with Zeitlin to give you an at-a-glance version of some of the best healthy diets out there (only the legit ones, none of this “military diet” nonsense), including insight as to which health needs they’re best suited for. Snack on this for future reference. 1. Mediterranean Diet [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGnyqti9wsw] Best for: People who want something easy to follow Overview: The Mediterranean diet is a mostly non-restrictive eating plan primarily focused on plant-based foods, says Zeitlin. (And it was rated the healthiest diet of 2019 by U.S. News and World Report.) The protein typically comes from fish,
Wawa proves it’s possible to eat healthy at a gas station
April 11, 2019 at 08:29AM by CWC Happy National Wawa Day! What, you mean it wasn’t marked in your Google calendar and no one sent you a card for this special occasion? Well, no worries. This is in fact a real holiday and you can celebrate by raiding the convenience store of their best healthy foods. It’s true, Wawa isn’t just a place for delicious hoagies. As far as quick stop-and-shop places go, it has a pretty decent option of fresh foods for cheap. If you’re on a road trip and happen to find yourself at a gas station with a Wawa convenience store attached, you’re in luck! Peel your eyes away from the cookie dough parfait and let us introduce you to five Wawa staples that are both satisfying and healthy. 1. Kale and quinoa salad: Not only does Wawa have a whole salad menu (something most convenience stores definitely lack), there’s actually more to them than just some iceberg lettuce and a plastic container of creamy Caesar dressing. Wawa actually has kale. Kale! Besides being loaded with greens and quinoa (protein!), it also has apples, goat cheese, and dried cranberries. 2. Burrito bowl: Those little turkey pinwheels aren’t your only protein option. The burrito bowl has a whole layer of black beans, and you can add chicken or beef if you want even more protein. Or, keep it vegan. Either way, it’s one of the healthiest meals to choose from. 3. Grapes, cheese, and crackers: Perhaps the most, er, sophisticated