I've been reporting on food and affordability for NPR for our new series What's Eating America. And in talking to people, business owners and experts, I've picked up some strategies to help keep my family's food costs in check without sucking all the fun out of eating. Keep an eye out for those stories.
Fill about half your plate with combinations of bananas, strawberries, blueberries, sweet potatoes, peas, carrots and more of your favorites. To boost variety with each meal, look for fruit and veggie blends or step out of your usual routine and try something new.
Digital wall calendars take your online calendar-think your Google Calendar, the Calendar app on your iPhone, or your corporate Microsoft calendar account-and put it on a digital screen that you can mount on the wall or prop up on a stand on a countertop or table.
To prepare, I spent a lot of time meal planning, before combing through Aldi's website to compile my shopping list and get a price ballpark for everything. I made swaps to keep costs down - IE buying uncooked beans, or white bread instead of whole wheat - and was able to stay under budget. Still, these meals are pretty limited when based purely on the serving size on the nutrition label.
Entrepreneurs often live life at full speed. Between meetings, emails, client calls, and deadlines, it can be difficult to maintain regular eating habits or manage stress. Skipping meals, relying on caffeine, or snacking on whatever is convenient can become the norm, but these patterns can take a toll on health over time. Learning how to balance nutrition, stress, and appetite is crucial for maintaining energy, focus, and overall well‑being.
Selecting your favorites and getting to go back for seconds and thirds allows you to sample a little bit of everything and even discover new-to-you dishes. There are a number of tips you need to navigate any buffet so you don't waste time and money, the most important of which is the order in which you eat. Leave starches for last to keep from filling up so you can have more room to enjoy more big-ticket items.
Rachel Swanson, a registered dietitian at LifeSpan Medicine and author of "Trying!: A Science-Backed Plan to Optimize Your Fertility," splits her time between New York City and Miami, spending about half the year in each. She also takes small-group workout classes three times a week, focusing on strength training. She says eating enough nutrients, especially protein for muscle-building, is crucial for her. She generally aims for around 0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight, the protein intake usually recommended for physically active people.
UPFs don't have a set definition, but they generally undergo industrial processing and contain ingredients that you wouldn't find in a home kitchen. They are highly-marketed, shelf-stable, and designed to contain an irresistible combination of sugar, salt, and fat. As well as obvious foods like frozen pizza, items such as packaged bread can fall into this category.
To use the interface, ChatGPT users need to make an Instacart account and then surface Instacart within their chat thread using a prompt like, "Instacart, help me shop for apple pie ingredients." From there, they can discuss recipes, ingredient swaps, and their preferred store with ChatGPT, which will help them order all of the items they need from Instacart without ever changing tabs or leaving the chat.
Your dinner meal should contain three major elements: starch, protein, and vegetables. This formula covers the essential macronutrients of protein, carbohydrates, and fat, while also bringing vitamins, minerals, and freshness with the vegetables. Starches include carb-heavy staples like pasta, bread, corn, rice, potatoes, and whole ancient grains like farro, quinoa, and barley. Proteins run the gamut from red meat, poultry, and fish to tofu, beans, and lentils.
It's the focal point of any festive gathering - but the responsibility of providing Christmas dinner can trigger monumental stress. From securing the Brussels sprouts, crafting a timeplan and basting the turkey, it takes military-level planning. Even working out when to buy all of the ingredients can cause a headache - as you don't want any of the essentials to spoil before the 25th.
Protein is a hot topic in the food world as of late, and not just for those who like to hit the gym. Swapping out carb-heavy dishes for meals high in protein is a great way to provide your body with healthy, sustained energy - coffee and energy drinks be damned. But as grocery prices skyrocket, it sometimes feels like the only way to hit protein goals is to choose between draining your bank account or settling for chalky shakes
James Beard had answers for that all the way back in 1949, when he published The Fireside Cook Book, which reads like a modern manual. It teaches two habits that still work now: buy well, use it all, and plan ahead. Beard framed thrift as quality, and his line advising to use "the best ingredients available and waste nothing" is a timeless system for great flavor and few scraps.
every Thursday for the past few years we've been taking pottery classes at college. From 10 in the morning until five in the evening we are covered in clay; our muddy fingers cannot check the phone every five minutes, and everyone at work knows not to contact us unless it's an emergency and even then, only if there's something we can actually do about it.
Sheet-pan meals are a perfect solution for busy families, allowing for one dish to accommodate various dietary preferences while keeping preparation and cleanup simple.
