Recipes

The first indicator of Fall has crept up on us here in Toronto; chillier weather. To satisfy those chills, one of my main go-to’s is a pot of steaming hot soup! It’s an added bonus that it is also easy to work into a busy weekday schedule. Soups can be as simple as just a few key ingredients, or as complex as the Davinci Code. It’s about what you’re in the mood for!

Breakfast can be full of flavour and beneficial calories, instead of the fast toast and smear of butter, or bagel and peanut butter you might otherwise reach for. Fast, simple and yummy breakfasts can keep you going until lunch time with the right fibre, protein and fat combinations. Here are a few suggestions for a powerful way to start your day. These breakfasts can be prepped in advance, made in bulk or whipped up that morning.

Warm weather + outdoor eats = picnic

It’s as easy as that.

Well, after you’ve planned the picnic fare that is. Don’t stress out here, it’s all in the planning. You might think that picking up some grab and go options is good enough, but you can easily whip up some incredible, crowd-pleasing offerings that won’t break the bank or your brain. 

Allergies to nuts, more than just peanuts, is more and more common. The list of most common allergic foods continues to expand from peanuts, tree nuts, fish, eggs, and milk to include sesame seeds, seafood (crustaceans and shellfish), soy, wheat and sulphites (a food additive). It’s getting harder to know what’s safe to send with your kids to school, dance or hockey practice.

Snacks can be incredibly important for kids after their day at school. Whether they are heading to an activity, have homework to focus on or are headed out on the circuit of sports and games, they need to be fueled in a super healthy way. Check out the clip from BT Toronto, the radio segment from NewsTalk1010, and read on for my suggestions and recipes.

With a summer full of outings, road trips and cottage visits, smart snacking is a part of everyone’s to-do this summer. I’ve got some great suggestions of what to include in your snack bag for wherever you go.

Key criteria for smart snacks include:

• High in fibre and low in sugar.
• Colourful fruits and veggies are a must.
• Choose wisely with packaged foods and read your labels.

Just like at kids birthday parties that serve pizzas, everyone thinks that throwing some burgers and dogs on the BBQ is the way to go. Well, not this summer. I spoke about a few of my favourites to barbecue in this video, and also wanted to follow up with some recipes that you can try out on your crowd this summer.

Kefir (proununced ke-fear) is a new-ish product found in the supermarket chiller cabinet near yogurt and other dairy products. It has been tucked in with butter and yogurt at most health food stores for years and actually dates to 1885 in Russia, way before refrigeration. Adding kefir grains to milk is what produces kefir. The grains are composed of lactic acid bacteria, yeast and polysaccharides. The grains culture the milk, infusing it with healthy organisms or probiotics. The result is a tangy, slightly effervescent drink similar to yogurt.

Can you guess what the most-consumed fermented food is? Yogurt. Fermented from milk and live bacterial culture (like the probiotic acidophilus), yogurt is well tolerated by those sensitive to most dairy products, especially lactose. Lactose is used or eaten up by the bacteria as it proliferates and turns to yogurt. Some yogurts tout their health benefits better than others. When I read the ingredients of some brands, the list seems way too long for a product that is made from milk and bacteria.