Healthy Support

12 Best Vegetables To Eat For Healthy Weight Loss, Per Dietitians

Veggies may not be as traditionally yummy as pasta or a good steak, but if you know how to prepare them the right way, you might realize your childhood aversion to certain plant matter was misplaced. (Justice for Brussels sprouts!)

What’s more, a plant-based diet can be helpful for weight loss: “Vegetables are typically very low-calorie—especially non-starchy ones like spinach, broccoli, and tomatoes,” says Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, owner of Plant Based with Amy and Master the Media in Stamford, Connecticut.

Meet the experts:

Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, is the owner of Plant Based with Amy and Master the Media in Stamford, Connecticut.

Melissa Darlow, RDN, CPT, is a New York City-based registered dietitian and certified trainer.

Jocelyn Rodriguez, RDN, is a registered dietitian in Laredo, Texas.

Vandana Sheth, CDCES, is a registered dietitian nutritionist and author of My Indian Table: Quick & Tasty Vegetarian Recipes.

Dani Lebovitz, RDN,

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Healthy Support

Listing Calorie Counts on Restaurant Menus Might Not Help Us Eat Healthier, According to New Research

Here’s why skimming past that calorie count can be a good decision.

Getty Images

Getty Images

Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

There’s something satisfying about whipping up a meal in your kitchen. Whether you enjoy choosing a recipe or getting experimental, cooking your own food is healthier for you, and it can support your overall well-being. But let’s be honest—it’s probably not realistic to cook every meal at home.

In fact, most Americans get more than a third of their caloric intake from foods and beverages that they enjoy outside of the home, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). (That makes sense—after all, sometimes you just need to swing by Starbucks for a Pedro Pascal-inspired six shots of espresso.) If you’re a regular restaurant-goer, you may have noticed that many coffee shops and eateries post calorie counts on their menus, usually right next

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Healthy Support

A Kitchen Challenge: Nudging College Students Toward Healthy Eating

Structured program, along with enhanced nutrition education and social support may be key drivers, Rutgers researchers find

Is there a way to encourage college students to make healthier food choices in their daily diets? Yanhong Jin, a professor with the Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS), and Mary Wagner, an associate professor at Rutgers Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy (EMOP), wanted to find out.

Jin and Wagner, along with their research students, presented their findings at the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists annual meeting in Atlanta. They also made presentations at Rutgers, including at the 2023 Rutgers Active Learning Symposium and the 2023 Pharmacy Research Day.

Q. Why did you choose to study the eating habits of college students? And why do you hope to change them?

Jin: Nearly one quarter of Americans skip breakfast daily. Among college students

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Healthy Support

15 Healthy Snacks to Support Gut Health

<p>Aniko Hobel / Getty Images</p>

Aniko Hobel / Getty Images

Medically reviewed by Barbie Cervoni, MS, RD, CDCES, CDN

The foods that fuel your body have a profound impact on your overall health, including the health of your gut.

While an eating pattern high in ultra-processed foods and added sugar can lead to negative changes in gut bacteria and increase your risk for developing digestive conditions, such as constipation and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a diet rich in health-promoting foods can protect and support the gut.

Though a number of foods, including fruits, vegetables, and legumes, can help promote optimal digestive health, certain foods—and drinks—are especially rich in gut-supportive nutrients and can be easily consumed as quick and nutritious snacks.

Here are 15 snacks for a healthy gut.

1. Pistachios

Nuts, like pistachios, make an excellent snack choice because they’re shelf-stable, portable, and can be paired with sweet and savory ingredients. Pistachios are

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Healthy Support

3 snacks that could help lower your cholesterol

Delicious snacks and treats hold a special place in our hearts. They have an undeniable allure, captivating our taste buds and bringing us moments of pure bliss. But what if I told you that you could savor delectable munchies while also promoting a heart-healthy lifestyle? You can!

Prepare to be delighted with these three mouthwatering, simple recipes that not only taste incredible but also possess cholesterol-lowering capabilities that take them to the next level. With a keen focus on wholesome ingredients, clever substitutions and innovative flavor combinations, these snacks and treats embody the perfect marriage of nourishment and indulgence. They offer up a symphony of flavors and textures that will leave you craving more.

It’s a way to embrace the joy of snacking while nurturing your well-being. Go ahead — eat your heart out!

Oatmeal cookie (Joy Bauer)

Oatmeal cookie (Joy Bauer)

You’re one smart cookie with this easy DIY recipe. Indeed, it

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Healthy Support

PURE Healthy Diet Sees Advantage by Promoting Whole-Fat Dairy for Heart Health

By counting whole-fat dairy as a protective food, the new PURE Healthy Diet score strengthened the relationship between healthy eating and heart disease in a large study.

For individuals with and without cardiovascular disease (CVD), higher intake of protective foods (i.e., PURE diet score ≥5 points out of 6) compared with lower intake (diet score ≤1 point) was associated with lower risks in the PURE cohort spanning five continents with a median follow-up of 9.3 years, reported Andrew Mente, PhD, of the Population Health Research Institute at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and colleagues:

  • All-cause mortality: HR 0.70 (95% CI 0.63-0.77)
  • CVD: HR 0.82 (95% CI 0.75-0.91)
  • Myocardial infarction: HR 0.86 (95% CI 0.75-0.99)
  • Stroke: HR 0.81 (95% CI 0.71-0.93)

Unlike previous diet scores, the PURE Healthy Diet score does not penalize eating red meat. With a maximum score of 6, the PURE score simply awards one point each for

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Healthy Support

Lemon tarragon chicken, easy egg bite muffins and more

Welcome to Start TODAY. Sign up for our Start TODAY newsletter to join the 30-day challenge and receive daily inspiration sent to your inbox.

You asked, we answered! Hundreds of Start TODAY members told us they wanted more healthy, balanced meal ideas to help them reach their health goals. This dietitian-designed meal plan gives you the flexibility to ease into healthy eating.

Here’s a blueprint for easy meal prep this week. You’ll see that breakfasts are a mix of some make-ahead meals and some morning-of options. Lunches also utilize the mix-and-match strategy using store bought items like rotisserie chicken or simple roasted chickpeas and vegetables. While we’ve offered five different dinner options, you can streamline the menu by making enough for leftovers. From easy sheet-pan dinners to a better-for-you version of a Chinese takeout favorite, we’ve got you covered this week.

What to Eat This Week, July 10, 2023

Start TODAY Meal Plan July 10, 2023

Start

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Healthy Support

To Lower Your Heart Disease Risk, Try Eating These 6 Foods

A person prepares a dish with salmon and vegetables.Share on Pinterest
Eating fish and whole fat dairy may help you stay heart healthy. Olga Peshkova/Getty Images
  • Eating more whole fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, fish, and whole-fat dairy products may help lower your heart disease risk.
  • Experts found that a healthy diet can be achieved in various ways, such as including moderate amounts of whole grains or unprocessed meats.
  • Focusing on starting small when making diet changes can help you stick with new eating habits.

A new report finds that if you don’t eating enough of six key foods you may be at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. That’s according to a study led by McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences researchers at the Population Research Health Institute (PHRI).

The study was published July 6 in the European Heart Journal.

The researchers derived a diet score from the PHRI’s large-scale global Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiological (PURE) study.

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Healthy Support

10 Healthy Foods We Should All Be Eating More Of

Variety is key to any healthy, balanced diet, nutritionists agree. Consuming a wide range of foods is essential in order to provide our body with all the nutrients it needs to function properly. Of course, this is often easier said than done. Most humans are creatures of habit, and it’s all too easy to fall into a routine of repeating the same easy and familiar dishes over and over again.

Is your recipe repertoire in need of a shake-up? Below, discover 10 under-the-radar ingredients we could all benefit from eating more of, and use the list as inspiration to try something new.

Lupin beans

Frequently eaten as an appetizer in southern Europe, this legume is not high on people’s radar in the U.S. But it can help to reduce blood sugar spikes, keep bad cholesterol at bay, regulate blood pressure, and strengthen bones thanks to the fiber, omega-3 and -6

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Healthy Support

The 5 Best Supplements To Take To Help Prevent Dementia, According to Brain Health Experts

As a multitude of scientific studies have shown, what we eat and drink has a direct impact on our brains. (Soda, alcohol and sugary treats? Not great for it. Fish, olive oil and veggies? Gold star.) Brain health experts have even pinpointed specific nutrients that are especially important for brain health, including helping to lower the risk of dementia.

Ideally, everyone would get all these nutrients through food. “Experts agree that the best source of vitamins and other nutrients is from whole foods as part of a balanced diet,” says Dr. Heather M. Snyder, Ph.D., the Vice President of Medical and Scientific Relations at Alzheimer’s Association. However, she adds that experts also recognize that this isn’t always possible. That’s where supplements can come in handy—to fill in the gaps.

While it’s important to know that no single food, beverage, ingredient, vitamin or supplement has

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