Herbs add flavour and few, if any, calories to a meal.

Add some new flavours to your menu

More herbs can help keep recipes flavourful while reducing fat and salt

Do you know what’s in the sauce?” I asked the server. “Do you not like it?” he asked. I need to adjust my facial expression, I thought to myself. “Oh, I like it a lot. I’m just wondering what the ingredients are,” I responded with a smile. “I am not sure, but I will check

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


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

An American chef is trying to bring local food to one of the most remote northern settlements on the planet.

Grow your own in 30 below

A transplanted chef is on an Arctic self-sufficiency mission

In one of the planet’s most northerly settlements, in a tiny Arctic town of about 2,000 people, Benjamin Vidmar’s domed greenhouse stands out like an alien structure in the snow-cloaked landscape. This is where in summer the American chef grows tomatoes, onions, chilies and other vegetables, taking advantage of the season’s 24 hours of daily


Some say the rise of specialty diets is due to consumers associating vegetarianism and veganism with healthier and cleaner products.

Opinion: A meatless Canada? Not just yet

Dalhousie University’s recent poll shows vegetarian and vegan numbers are steady, not rising

Canadians love meat. Many of us have been dedicated to our favourite protein source for years. But other sources of protein are emerging as potent alternatives to animal protein. Demand is up for vegetable proteins like pulses, as well as for fish and seafood, Loblaw has even started selling cricket flour and is trying to

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