More than 30,000 hectares of land are covered in plastic, a geometric labyrinth five times the size of Manhattan, where 3.5m tons of vegetables are produced every year from tomatoes to cucumbers, peppers to courgettes, aubergines to melons, enough to feed half a billion people and generate a turnover of more than 3bn euros.
These tiny packages pack a nutritional punch-so much so that the advisory committee for the 2025 U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommended upping the daily serving size of legumes and promoting them as a protein source over meat and seafood. Navy beans, for example, are especially fiber-dense, and lentils are protein powerhouses.
Food safety isn't just about how you cook your food; it's about how you cool and store it. You don't need a degree in microbiology to meal prep safely. Wash your hands (for a full 20 seconds), refrigerate food within two hours, cool fast and in shallow containers, and stop trusting your nose.
Moisture is your best bet for keeping green garlic fresh and crisp long enough to elevate your dishes throughout the week. Just wrap it in a damp paper towel before placing it in a plastic bag for fridge storage (the crisper drawer should work). These steps should last it for about five to seven days.
Great job choosing to eat healthier in 2026! To help you get started, shop our top picks of essentials that make healthy eating easy and fun. Here's to your healthiest year yet! Escali Primo Digital Scale A kitchen scale can really help you eat healthier. This Escali digital scale is great for weighing ingredients, portioning meals, or even measuring coffee beans.
Lentils are an inexpensive source of protein, and they can take on many flavor profiles easily and without much effort. The tiny legumes are great in salads, but they really come alive when simmered with alliums, vegetables, spices, and a flavorful broth. Lentil soups and stews can be simple or extravagant, depending on how you garnish the soup, but they always make for a hearty, satisfying meal.
Now, on their own, right after you peel them off the cloves, garlic skins don't make a great snack. Technically you can eat them, but the tough, fibrous texture isn't exactly something that you'll look forward to either chewing on or choking down. If you do sample a bit, however, you will notice that despite seeming like a useless bit of waste all this time, these peels actually do contain a lot of flavor.
This crucial one-two step not only alters kale's texture but also causes the assertively bitter compounds to release, so when you eat it, the bitterness is milder and you get more of an earthy flavor. "The second rinse and massaging make a huge difference," says nutrition-based private holistic chef Jane Olivia. "Massaging kale breaks down the tough cellulose fibers, which softens the leaves and reduces bitterness," she explains. "It transforms kale from something chewy and aggressive into something tender and slightly sweet."
Inspired by Auguste Escoffier's exceptionally simple tartare, I've given his recipe a zero-waste twist by using whole boiled eggs and swapping in pickle brine from a jar of gherkins or capers to replace the vinegar. Everything else is optional: tarragon, mustard, cayenne add what you like or have in store. Traditionally, tartare sauce is delicious with fish and chips, calamari or in a chicken sandwich, but I also like it tossed through potato salad with tinned sardines and radicchio.
Dynamic duo beans and greens come together again in this pantry-friendly soup. Toasted garlic, tomato paste, and smoked paprika boost store-bought vegetable stock (use a base like Better Than Bouillon for superior potency) into a rich broth. Chickpeas and Swiss chard hang on to their texture in the brew, but use whichever white beans and hearty greens speak to you.
I'm not much of a cook. I can throw together a few things for breakfast, sure. I can make a sandwich. Beyond that, I stick with what I know. And that means mostly easy Mexican dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner for a guy on the go. One thing I do know really well is how to trim, chop and combine greens and fruit to make a banging Mexican-style green juice.
Need an easy lunch or dinner idea? Try brown lentils! Alex and I love eating lentils for lunches or dinners, since they're full of plant-based protein and keep us full for hours afterwards. This brown lentils recipe results in perfectly seasoned, tender lentils. You can eat them as-is, or add them as a component to tacos, salads, and more. They're a simple protein that makes an easy vegan recipe or healthy dinner!
Looking for an easy healthy dinner recipe? About once a week, Alex and I spring for some seafood: and this salmon with capers is where it's at. The baked salmon is infused with lemon and herbs and cooked until it's perfectly moist. Then drizzle over a silky lemon caper sauce. Just a small drizzle packs a huge punch, and the modest quantity keeps it healthy. Here's how to make my of my favorite tasty salmon recipes that comes together in 30 minutes!