The Fresh Blog
Lifestyle, Health, Nutrition & Inspiration from Luvo
Miso 101
If you’ve had Japanese food, you’ve had miso. It is a paste made from soybeans that are steamed and fermented with salt, with other ingredients that may include barley, rice, hemp seed, wheat, and more. It has a long history in Japan, and is known for its mysterious essence of umami, one of the five basic tastes. You can buy it in most supermarkets and Asian grocers, and it’s a great addition to many dishes, so give it a try.… Read more »
Endive 101
In season in the fall, endive is a nutritious leafy vegetable that kind of looks like a miniature hybrid of lettuce and cabbage. The leaves have a tender crunchiness and their flavor is a little on the bitter side. Alongside its cousins radicchio, escarole and frisee, you sometimes see endive coming into play in fancy salads. In addition, the leaves of the endive are shaped like little boats, so they’re perfect for appetizers where dips are involved. If you’re looking for a healthier alternative than deep fried chips or crackers, endive will certainly step up to the plate. Endive can be enjoyed equally in hot or cold dishes, eaten raw, braised or roasted.
A Guide to Veggie Noodles
When it starts to get a little colder outside, who doesn’t love cuddling up inside to a big bowl of warm pasta? Well, if you’re trying to watch what you eat or just incorporate a few more healthy meals into your life, then you might not be so crazy about this carb-heavy cuddle. Luckily, there are veggie noodles to the rescue!
Sweet Sweet Potato Recipes
It was a big deal when I discovered sweet potatoes. I don’t remember eating them growing up, so it when I found out about them I feel like I became an adult. I mean, here was a totally new type of potato with tons of flavor and a whole lot of nutritional value (including off the charts vitamin A). In a head-to-head showdown, sweet potatoes outperform white potatoes (though they both have their good points). It made me want to find new ways to eat them, whether for healthy dinners, savory sides, delicious breakfasts or anything in between. Here are a few great options.… Read more »
How to Eat Healthy While You Travel
We’ve all been there. You’re in a foreign city, sleep-deprived and trying to find your bearings, but your phone’s map doesn’t work because you don’t want to rack up roaming charges. It’s the absolute worst time to be low on energy because you haven’t eaten well, or haven’t eaten anything at all. The good news? With a little foresight and a few common sense moves, you can be fully charged, alert and well on your way to wherever you need to go. In honor of National Healthy Eating Day, here are a few top tips on how to stay healthy while you travel.… Read more »
Overcoming the Winter Workout Slump
with Dai Manuel
If you’ve found yourself in an exercise slump, don’t worry you aren’t alone. We all have busy lives, vacations, injuries and a pile of other reasons that put our regular workout routines on the backburner. In fact, this happened to me a few weeks ago. I had finally run the half marathon I’d been training for all summer and woke up the next morning feeling almost every muscle, bone and ligament in my body while dousing myself in a lavender-scented Epsom salt bath. My inner voice said “I’ll just skip my workouts this week and get back to it next week”. I didn’t think it was a big deal.