Fresh fruit and vegetables are healthy, but take precautions to avoid foodborne illness.

Staying safe with food

Food safety scares underline 
the need for proper food 
handling for fresh produce

A recent scare around romaine lettuce here in the U.S. (Canadian readers can rest assured they were unaffected, though the CFIA says it’s monitoring the situation) has many wondering just how safe those leafy greens really are. “Can I eat the romaine lettuce in my refrigerator?” one recent caller asked me. “No, we need to

The only limit to what you can put in these salads is your imagination.

Lunch in a jar

Make a nutritious and well-balanced salad ahead of time and enjoy it with just a few quick shakes to mix it

Every now and then I get a little envious of the creativity of my co-workers’ lunches. I have noted a couple of people making “salads in a jar” on occasion. All they need to do is gently shake the glass quart jar to mix the ingredients, grab a fork and enjoy their healthful creation. Maybe


A well-maintained barbecue looks — and works — a whole lot better.

Get grilling!

It’s time to dust off the barbecue and start enjoying delicious summer treats

At long last, it’s time to fire up the grill and enjoy delicious barbecued food. Whether you used your barbecue throughout the winter or are just bringing it out of hibernation, now’s the time to show it a little TLC and prepare it for grilling season. A clean grill not only looks great, it also

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in North America, with the 
majority of the population consuming it daily.

Coffee time

If you are a coffee drinker, 
you are not alone; nearly two out 
of three people have coffee daily

Do you start your day with a cup of coffee or two? Many people do. I remember the “egg coffee” that accompanied the traditional Scandinavian church dinners in my hometown. A raw egg was added to the coffee grounds before the coffee was cooked in a big pot on the stove. As a kid, I


A homemade chlorine-based sanitizer can effectively and economically sanitize surfaces in your kitchen.

Cleaning up

It’s spring cleaning time for your 
kitchen too, and studies show there’s
 plenty of lurking bacteria

The calendar insists it’s spring, despite the snow and ice that continue to keep the daffodils and tulips hidden below ground. The birds probably are wondering if they missed summer. Spring puts me in a cleaning mood, even when snow still is blanketing the ground. In the kitchen, spring cleaning usually means scrubbing surfaces and

Eggs got a bad rap a few years ago, but are very healthy in moderation.

Are eggs healthful?

They’re a good source of protein and a chemical that helps with brain, 
nerve and, potentially, memory health

I remember going to my daughter’s preschool for “green eggs and ham” day. Yes, the food was dyed green in honour of the Dr. Seuss book that inspired the menu, and the kids were quite excited. Unfortunately, I associate green ham with mouldy ham, but I ate the emerald-coloured ham and eggs, and forced a


Tabbouleh is a classic, tasty and healthful Middle Eastern dish.

Put wheat and barley and other grains in your diet

The crops produced on Prairie farms don’t need processing to be eaten

Isn’t it ironic that we live in the Grain Belt of Canada and produce some of the world’s finest grains, but we rarely eat those grains until they’re processed? For the longest time, I didn’t even know you could cook raw wheat kernels just as they are. The only thing I ever ate out of

Think of a healthy diet as part of your body’s preventive maintenance program.

Keep your motor running

Prairie Fare: Men care about health and wellness issues, they just 
need better information — and a new website can help

“Gentlemen, start your engines!” I wonder how many times I have overheard that sentence in my house. Yes, I am married to an automobile racing fan. Because the race-car drivers usually drink milk at the end, I guess racing has a nutrition connection. This long, cold winter has been a challenge for vehicles and our


Tea and coffee both contain caffeine but tea has some other health benefits.

Which is better for you, coffee or tea?

Both are fine beverage choices but tea contains numerous compounds with potential health benefits and even may help with weight management

I think I started drinking coffee at about age 11, about the same time I learned how to drive a stick-shift pickup truck. I wasn’t a particularly good driver, but I could drive around a farmyard without hitting any sheds or the barn. I could make a mean cup of coffee in our percolator from

Canned foods can be better than fresh at times, depending on what’s 
happened to the fresh product between field and fork.

Canned, fresh, frozen and dried are all good options

All have similar nutritional values and none are a poor choice

What’s for dinner, Mom?” one of my daughters asked on a weekend evening. I was in the middle of a house project and I hadn’t even thought about dinner. Then I heard the click of our dogs’ nails on our wood floor as they trotted around nervously. I glanced at the clock and saw it