⊗ Close
Search

Enter the words or phrases you want to find

Blog

What Kitchen Equipment Do I Really Need?

by Carolyn Dunn, PhD, RD, LDN

Everyone needs the basics to make a meal – knives, cutting board, pots and pans, spatulas, spoons, mixing bowls, measuring cups, you get the idea. Beyond that, what gadgets or pieces of equipment do you REALLY need? A good knife and some practice can take the place of many gadgets sold today. Here is what I think are the most important pieces of equipment.

Citrus Squeezer – a lemon squeezer can double as a lime squeezer. Sure you can do without this squeezer and juice by hand but you will not get all the juice you paid for. Citrus juice has so many uses as a condiment, ingredient in salad dressing, or to deglaze a pan. Cost: $1.25-$15.00

Microplane – even a well-trained cook cannot get garlic or ginger as fine as a microplane. You can also use for chocolate and hard cheese. Cost: $10-$15

Salad Spinner – yes, you could use paper towels or kitchen towels. However, you will never get lettuce as dry as you will with a salad spinner. Since dressing slides off of wet lettuce, the salad spinner will take your salads to the next level. Cost: $15-$30

Blender – the gold standard is the Vitamix. However, even if you only spring for a budget blender, get one. Smoothies, soups, dressings, and dips all are possible thanks to this kitchen staple. Cost: $30 to $400 and up.

Rice Cooker – I was a rice cooker hold out for far too many years. Now I am not sure how I lived without it. You can get a really expensive one or an inexpensive one, just get one. Your brown rice and other whole grains will never be the same. See my blog about when I got my first rice cooker. Cost: $20-$400 and up.

Honorable mention:

Food Processor – Since I worked for Cuisinart doing demonstrations during college, thought I should mention how useful a food processor is. If you are not really into cooking, this is not essential. However, if you make things such as hummus, pesto, recipes that call for large quantities of chopped nuts, chopped herbs, or shredded cheese, and you have the cabinet space, a food processor may be a good purchase. Food processors can also uniformly slice fruits and vegetables. Cost: $40-$200 and up.

Don’t miss another great blog: Subscribe Now

Heat Wave! How to Stay Cool and Comfortable

by Erin McCallum

In most parts of the U.S. right now, temps are HOT! If you’re anything like me, you love summer weather, but it doesn’t quite love you back. Though I am going on my fifth North Carolina summer after moving from Michigan, I’m still sometimes shocked by the wall of heat and humidity that hits me when I step outside from June- August. We often say, “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity that gets ya”…. but truth be told, the heat alone can be as brutal as thick humidity.

Heat can often make us feel exhausted, sluggish, and agitated. While we may feel bad about not having as much energy as usual, or about not “making the most of summer” by enjoying the weather, it is extremely important to use discretion and practice “heat self care” when temps are really hot. It is crucial to do so when your area is under a heat advisory. You can’t fight mother nature, but you can adapt your routines and habits to make sure she doesn’t get the best of you, both mentally and physically. The tips below have helped me immensely in the North Carolina summer heat.

1. Hydrate!!

Drink lots of water. If you eat a generally low-sodium diet, you may want to consider adding electrolytes to your water to increase hydration, often found in the form of dissolvable powders. You can also consider incorporating foods with more water into your diet, such as watermelon, celery, cucumber, pickles, peaches, and tomatoes.

Additionally, it is wise to avoid or limit alcohol in extreme heat. Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it increases urine production, leading to fluid loss and dehydration. Alcohol also causes vasodilation (the widening of blood vessels), which the body naturally does in hot temperatures to help cool the body down. However, too much vasodilation can cause blood pressure to drop, resulting in dizziness. Alcohol can also impair the body’s ability to regulate temperature. If you are going to drink, be sure to do so in moderation and in a cool setting, while also drinking water.

2. Stay Indoors

It seems like common sense, but sometimes we need a reminder. When temps are raging, it is not the time to push yourself with an outdoor workout. The risk of heat exhaustion, or worse, is not worth the reward. If you need to work out outside, do it in the early morning or late evening. Otherwise, adapt your workout to be indoors or even in a pool. It may be a good opportunity to switch up your routine and try something new.

3. Utilize Ice & Cold Water

If you end up getting too hot, hold ice cubes or a bag of frozen veggies or fruit on the back of your neck or forehead. Facial ice rollers, while often used for beauty purposes, are also a great tool to help cool the body down. Taking a cold shower, even if just for 30 seconds or one minute, can also be a quick way to cool down. If you don’t have these available, say if you’re out in public, splash cold water on your face and on the back of your neck in a public restroom or find a cold bottle of water to hold to the back of your neck.

4. Adjust Your Sleep Routine

While nights are cooler than the daytime, they can still be too hot to sleep comfortably. Before you go to bed, lower the AC a couple degrees. Consider turning on the ceiling fan or a floor fan facing your bed, ideally oscillating to keep cold air flowing throughout the whole room. Sleep in lightweight, cotton clothing. Ditch the big comforter for a lightweight cotton quilt or throw blanket.

5. Find the Shade

If you have to be outside, find a shady spot BEFORE you feel you need it. Plan ahead so that you are in spots that have guaranteed shady spots accessible. You may consider wearing a wide-brimmed hat, or carrying an umbrella outside to shade yourself. You may also want to carry a handheld fan for when there is no breeze. Of course, wear sunscreen whenever going outside, and don’t forget spots like the back of the neck, tips of the ears, scalp, and even your feet!

You don’t have to suffer in the summer heat. Plan, adapt, and use discretion to stay safe and cool. Check on the people (and pets) around you to make sure everyone has what they need to keep their environment cool and comfortable. Together, we’ll beat the heat!

Don’t miss another great blog: Subscribe Now

What a Fantastic Experience

by Erin McCallum

“What a fantastic experience this has been for me over the past year. Kelly was an absolutely amazing teacher, listener, counselor, and friend to all of us at Carolina Preserve, and she is the reason I achieved my goal and will continue to do so going forward.

 I am eighty-one years old and have tried losing weight for most of my married life but never was able to “get it”.  She taught “mindful eating” lessons as long-term goals over and over again each class.  She made us realize that simple strategies we change each day can make a permanent difference in our lives for the future.  I can have unhealthy or not-so nutritious foods and still maintain my weight, but I have finally learned how to do that in moderation and infrequently instead of daily.

Kelly has been such an inspiration to me, and she will always be in my thoughts reminding me that “I” can control food rather than” food” controlling me.”

–Sue, an Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes Participant

Are My Coffee Habits Healthy?

by Erin McCallum

Coffee, in many places, is more than just a beverage- it can often symbolize connection, culture, history, productivity, and daily routine. Worldwide, approximately 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed each day, and in the U.S., nearly 3 in 4 Americans consume coffee each day. But should our consumption be this high? Coffee is ambiguous in that way- most of us aren’t sure if its healthy, unhealthy, both, or neither. As a daily coffee drinker myself, I, coffee in hand, set out to explore some coffee and health FAQs.

Q: Can I drink coffee on an empty stomach?

A: For some, drinking coffee on an empty stomach can cause heartburn, upset stomach, or loose stools, as it is an acidic beverage and creates more acid in the stomach. If consumed with or after food, the increased stomach acid has food to break down in the stomach, easing its negative effects.

However, some people may not experience gastrointestinal upset, but may experience adverse hormonal response from the caffeine in coffee. Caffeine stimulates the release of cortisol, a stress hormone that serves many purposes: helping to control metabolism, aiding in regulating the sleep cycle, reducing inflammation, and regulating blood pressure and blood sugar. For most people, cortisol levels are naturally at their highest in the hour after waking up in the morning. Without food in the stomach, caffeine is absorbed more quickly, raising cortisol even higher during this time frame and potentially causing jitters, anxiety, headache, and racing heart.

Everyone’s sensitivity to acidic foods and caffeine is different and some may feel fine drinking coffee on an empty stomach, but in general, its recommended to consume coffee with or after food in order to avoid gastrointestinal issues and a cortisol spike and subsequent crash.

Q: Does time of day matter?

A: It’s recommended to drink coffee in the morning as opposed to afternoon, evening, or all day, so that sleep is not disrupted by caffeine late in the day. Studies have also shown that morning coffee drinkers, as opposed to those who drink coffee all day, have lower all-cause mortality rates and lower rates of cardiovascular disease.

Q: How much is too much?

A: It’s recommended to keep caffeine consumption under 400mg a day, which is about the equivalent of 4 cups of coffee.

Q: What about all the fun coffee drinks?

A: There are new flavored lattes and other coffee drinks every season at both chain and local coffee shops. The options can be overwhelming. Most of these ultra-flavored coffee drinks have a shocking amount of sugar and calories. Drinking coffee black is clearly the “healthiest” option, as it it has nearly 0 calories and no added sugar. But for people who don’t like black coffee, there are still healthy options, such as adding a little dairy or non-dairy milk, or a teaspoon of a coffee creamer with minimal ingredients. They key is to moderate and reduce the added sugar.

Q: Does drinking coffee dehydrate me?

A: Contrary to popular belief, research shows that coffee, while a mild diuretic, does not dehydrate you unless consumed in excessive amounts.

To summarize, to make your coffee habits work for, not against, your health, drink under 400mg of coffee before noon after eating food, and limit added sugars.

Don’t miss another great blog: Subscribe Now

What I Learned at Cooking School- Part 4

by Carolyn Dunn, PhD, RD, LDN

Cooking is my passion. I am fortunate that this passion often overlaps my career in nutrition as we work to build healthy recipes, test cooking techniques, and write curricula that helps everyday cooks make healthy food for their family. As with any passion, you should sharpen your knives from time to time.

The way I do this is to attend cooking classes. I have had the opportunity to train at Le Cordon Bleu, Culinary Institute of America, and most recently, at the Institute for Culinary Education. My latest class was four days of intensive training in cooking skills. The class included traditional French techniques that are centuries old and are still used as building blocks for many cuisines of the world. This four-blog series will include one technique from each day that I believe may help you as a home cook. Cook along with me as we explore fine cooking techniques.

Day 4

The fourth class in this four-class series included handling shellfish, fish stocks, shucking oysters, fish food safety, sauces for seafood, and making fruit sauces. The technique I would like to share is actually one that was taught and demonstrated throughout the four days at the Institute of Culinary Education, and that is using a board scraper.

This simple, inexpensive tool will serve you well as you prep vegetables for recipes, make salad, and a hundred other kitchen tasks. Every class, a board scraper was part of our station so I used it frequently. This is something I had not used as part of my usual cooking routine. I found it very helpful in moving cut product from my cutting board to my bowl or into a pot or pan. You can move so much more vegetable or fruit at one time than you can with your knife. It helps you keep your cutting board uncluttered so you can work more efficiently. You can find a board scraper at any department store or kitchen store. You can even get a really inexpensive plastic one that works great too.  

Don’t miss another great blog: Subscribe Now

What I Learned at Cooking School- Part 3

by Carolyn Dunn, PhD, RD, LDN

Cooking is my passion. I am fortunate that this passion often overlaps my career in nutrition as we work to build healthy recipes, test cooking techniques, and write curricula that helps everyday cooks make healthy food for their family. As with any passion, you should sharpen your knives from time to time. The way I do this is to attend cooking classes.

I have had the opportunity to train at Le Cordon Bleu, Culinary Institute of America, and most recently, at the Institute for Culinary Education. My latest class was four days of intensive training in cooking skills. The class included traditional French techniques that are centuries old and are still used as building blocks for many cuisines of the world. This four-blog series will include one technique from each day that I believe may help you as a home cook. Cook along with me as we explore fine cooking techniques.

Day 3

The third class in this four-class series included poaching fish, poaching fruit, making handmade pasta, pasta sauce, and vinaigrettes. The skill that you, I, and anyone who cooks even a little will use over and over is a good vinaigrette. I have blogged several times about how easy it is to make your own salad dressing. It is cheaper, better tasting, and you know what ingredients are going into your dressing. To make a French vinaigrette takes practice and a lot of skill. Getting the emulsion just right so the sauce is perfectly blended is difficult. Don’t worry, you don’t have to do it that way; there is an easier technique that works like a charm.

You need a jar with a leak-proof lid.  Place all the ingredients into the jar and shake very well to combine all of the ingredients. Use what you need and store the rest in the refrigerator. The oil will harden slightly so pull it out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you need it again and shake well.

Simple Vinaigrette

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 Tablespoon sherry vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 4 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoon minced fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, tarragon, rosemary)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Place all ingredients in a jar with a leak-proof lid.
  2. Shake vigorously to combine all ingredients. Make sure the mustard is completely combined with the other ingredients.
  3. Serve on mixed greens or any salad.
  4. Store the remainder in the refrigerator for another meal.

Don’t miss another great blog: Subscribe Now

What I Learned at Cooking School- Part 2

by Carolyn Dunn, PhD, RD, LDN

Cooking is my passion. I am fortunate that this passion often overlaps my career in nutrition as we work to build healthy recipes, test cooking techniques, and write curricula that helps everyday cooks make healthy food for their family. As with any passion, you should sharpen your knives from time to time.

The way I do this is to attend cooking classes. I have had the opportunity to train at Le Cordon Bleu, Culinary Institute of America, and most recently, at the Institute for Culinary Education. My latest class was four days of intensive training in cooking skills. The class included traditional French techniques that are centuries old and are still used as building blocks for many cuisines of the world. This four-blog series will include one technique from each day that I believe may help you as a home cook. Cook along with me as we explore fine cooking techniques.

Day 2

The second class in this four-class series included chicken butchery, stuffing and breading of poultry, pastry, and basic soup. The French know a lot about cooking but one of the things they do best, in my opinion, is soup. While traditional French soups usually have cream and butter, we can learn from how they combine flavors to make a very healthy and easy soup.  Here is an adapted recipe that you will make again and again. It can be served hot or room temperature.

Simple Potato, Leek, and Carrot Soup

Note: Only ½ of the soup gets pureed so make sure you dice the vegetables in small pieces that are of similar size.

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large leek ,well cleaned and diced (white part only)
  • ½ pound potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 large or 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth (or another cup of water or milk)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Minced parsley or green onions for garnish
  • Plain Greek yogurt for garnish

Directions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a medium soup pot.
  2. Add the leeks and cook on medium heat until soft, about 10 minutes. Do not allow to brown.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients except for the garnish.
  4. Cook until the vegetables are very soft, 30-45 minutes. Stir frequently.
  5. Remove ½ of the soup and puree using a blender or emersion blender.
  6. Return the puree to the pot and heat through. Adjust seasoning if needed. There is a good chance it will need additional salt depending on the type of broth you use.
  7. Serve in flat bowls and garnish with parsley or chopped green onion and a teaspoon of plain Greek yogurt.

Don’t miss another great blog: Subscribe Now

What I Learned at Cooking School- Part 1

by Carolyn Dunn, PhD, RD, LDN

Cooking is my passion. I am fortunate that this passion often overlaps my career in nutrition as we work to build healthy recipes, test cooking techniques, and write curricula that helps everyday cooks make healthy food for their family. As with any passion, you should sharpen your knives from time to time. The way I do this is to attend cooking classes.

I have had the opportunity to train at Le Cordon Bleu, Culinary Institute of America, and most recently, at the Institute for Culinary Education. My latest class was four days of intensive training in cooking skills. The class included traditional French techniques that are centuries old and are still used as building blocks for many cuisines of the world. This four part blog series will include one technique from each day that I believe may help you as a home cook. Cook along with me as we explore fine cooking techniques.

Day 1

The first class in this four-class series included fish butchery, searing fish filets, making the sauces Béchamel and Volute, fish stock, and cooking and seasoning couscous. The one technique I think I will use again and that you also can use is how to easily cook couscous. Couscous is a pasta; it is made by steaming semolina and passing it through a fine mesh strainer. Not to worry, you don’t have to actually make the couscous. It is easily found in almost all grocery stores. Sometimes you can even find whole-wheat couscous which is even better.


Couscous cooks quickly, making it a great work-night side dish. You can season it with many different combinations of flavors – saffron OR herbs from the garden OR cumin and cinnamon. Here is a recipe to get you started. This recipe uses instant couscous, as there is also Israeli or pearl couscous that requires a different cooking technique. Couscous is great with chicken or fish as a side dish. You can also use it as a base for a bowl meal. It is also good mixed in a green salad to add an interesting texture.

Couscous with Fresh Herbs

Ingredients

  • 1 cup instant couscous
  • 1 ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Fresh black pepper (about 6 grinds from a pepper mill) OR a generous pinch of ground pepper
  • 2-4 Tablespoons finely chopped herbs (thyme, parsley, dill, tarragon, cilantro, chives, oregano – any combination or even a single herb)
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • Lemon zest from 1 lemon (optional)

Directions

  1. Place couscous in a medium glass, ceramic, or metal bowl.
  2. Add the herbs to the bowl.
  3. In a small pot, heat the broth with the salt and pepper until boiling.
  4. Add the hot broth mixture to the couscous and herbs.
  5. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let steam for 10 minutes.
  6. Uncover and add the lemon juice and zest if using.
  7. Fluff with a fork and adjust the seasoning.

Don’t miss another great blog: Subscribe Now

What I’ve Learned from (Finally) Committing to my Yoga Practice

by Erin McCallum

Yoga is for every BODY.

I’ve been doing yoga sporadically for about 12 years. While occasional drop-in classes and Yoga with Adriene YouTube videos provided momentary benefits, it wasn’t until I committed to the practice that I started reaping longer-term benefits. 

While I was in middle and high school, my mom was a registered yoga teacher and taught “yochilates” classes, which were a combination of yoga, Tai Chi, and Pilates. If I was in my off-season from volleyball, cross country, track and field, or dance, I would occasionally attend her class. Truth be told, I hated it. My mom was a great instructor, but I was used to fast, competitive movement, not movement that was slow and intentional. It felt boring to me. My mom would joke, “Just wait until you’re an adult and have more stress in your life, you’ll appreciate classes like this.”

It was little surprise to her when she would call me during my freshman year of college and I’d answer with, “I’m in my dorm basement doing a yoga video, call you later after my exam!” She had been right- I found yoga to be an effective way to relieve stress, even if I was just following along with a YouTube video. For the next many years, my yoga practice was random and mostly at home. There were times I would do yoga 2x a week and times I wouldn’t practice for 6 months or more.

It wasn’t until recently that I committed to the practice. After being diagnosed with a chronic illness and no longer being able to run at the capacity I used to, I wanted to find an exercise routine that challenged me and built strength without causing a major flare-up.  After doing a free trial month of Class Pass, which allows you to try out local fitness studios in your area, I found myself coming back to yoga as movement that felt good for me both physically and mentally.

I was ready to commit to improving my health and bought a membership at a local yoga studio. Paying for the membership monthly incentivizes the experience and gives me more motivation to go to classes. I’ve been going to 2-3 classes a week for about 5 months now, and here’s what I’ve learned:

Yoga is for every BODY-

My classes are filled with people of all ages, shapes, and sizes. Anyone- and yes, I really mean anyone- can do yoga. My instructors often remind us at the beginning of class that if all you can do that day is savasana (laying flat on back) that is still yoga- and you are allowed to do that! While some classes are more beginner-friendly than others, most yoga poses are modifiable, meaning you can adapt them to your body’s needs. I find it to be one of the more inclusive kinds of fitness classes.

Disconnect to connect–

Yoga is about the mind-body connection. Many sequences are designed to help you disconnect from your thoughts to connect to your body. This means becoming aware of what’s going on in your body and how you are feeling and moving. I always leave class with a greater awareness of my body and in turn, what I need to do to take care of it. This awareness often lends to me making better food choices for my body as well. Many people, including myself, also find a spiritual connection through yoga. Overall, it helps ground and connect me to myself and the world I exist in.

Move to the music-

These days, most yoga classes don’t contain just instrumental “zen” music. I’ve taken a Taylor Swift, a White Lotus, and a throwbacks themed class. Classes consist of all kinds of music, often upbeat, inspiring, and fun to move to. It always motivates me and helps me focus if class gets challenging, and I love hearing new songs to add to my playlists.

Seek progress, not perfection-

There are no benchmarks in yoga to reach to prove that you’ve “got it.” However, when you practice consistently, you can see the progress you make; whether it’s finding more flexibility, trying a new pose for the first time, or holding a balancing pose for longer than before. As time goes on, I feel myself becoming stronger and am proud of the progress I’ve made.

Committing to my yoga practice and making it a part of my weekly routine has taught me a lot about my body and mind and given me a renewed sense of confidence in both. If there’s something you enjoy doing that you’ve always said you should do “more” of… see what you can do to actually make it a part of your routine. You may be surprised by the difference commitment and consistency can make!

If you’re looking to get into yoga, Yoga with Adriene on YouTube is a great place to start!

Don’t miss another great blog: Subscribe Now

Easy Egg Bites

by Carolyn Dunn, PhD, RD, LDN

You may be familiar with egg bites that are offered at Starbucks or in the freezer section. They are super convenient and offer a grab and go high-protein option for breakfast or lunch. They can be, however, loaded with too much cheese and have a steep price tag. Even with escalating egg cost, you can make these at home for a fraction of the cost of buying them out and can control the ingredients to make them a lot healthier.

The addition of cottage cheese makes the egg bites fluffy and adds protein. Adding vegetables is a great way to get vegetables in your morning meal, something that is not always easy. One key to successful egg bites is the right recipe (see below) and the right pan. I have found that a silicone pan lightly sprayed with olive oil is the ticket. You can find a silicone pan for under $10 at most stores that have a kitchen equipment section or online. Make sure you don’t get the mini muffin size or the large muffin size. You want a pan that makes 12 regular size egg bites and is 2.75 inches in diameter. You can, of course, also use a regular muffin pan, just spray well with olive oil spray and be ready for the possibility of the egg bites sticking.

Egg Bites Recipe

Makes 12 2.75inch egg bites

Ingredients & Directions:

  • 7 eggs
  • 1 cup cottage cheese
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • Olive oil spray
  • Toppings/filling as you desire*

*You can use any fillings that you like. Make sure fillings are precooked as they will not cook very much in the oven. Chopped mushrooms, chopped onions, spinach, jalapeno peppers, all make great additions. Cook and drain them well so you don’t add too much liquid to the egg bites. Note: if you use fresh spinach, cook it well and squeeze out the liquid using a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. You can also top the egg bites with a bit of shredded cheese.

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Place the eggs, cottage cheese, and black pepper in a blender.
  3. Blend until smooth.
  4. Place silicone muffin pan on a cookie sheet or baking tray.
  5. Pour egg mixture evenly into a 12-muffin pan.
  6. Top with desired fillings.
  7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the egg bites comes out clean.
  8. Cool for 5-10 minutes and remove from the pan.
  9. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  10. Reheat in the microwave for 45 seconds prior to serving.

Nutrient analysis is for egg bites made with 2 t each of cheddar cheese and cooked spinach.

Don’t miss another great blog: Subscribe Now