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Do you have a resolution to eat healthier this new year? Cooking more meals at home is a great way to start, but it can be challenging to plan, shop, and prepare meals every week. To help, we’ve come up with a clean and simple meal plan of recipes featuring natural, healthy, whole foods. This meal plan is low in sodium, has no added sugar, and provides balanced meals loaded with vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains.

The winter squash. Is there a vegetable that is more representative of cool weather comfort food? There are dozens upon dozens of richly colored, oddly shaped varieties to choose from, depending on where you live and where you shop. And, speaking of shopping, one of the benefits of buying winter squash is how hearty they are. You can enjoy them the day you bring them home or they can hang around for weeks, protected by their skin from going bad.

Every fall when the weather cools, pumpkins rise in popularity. Used both for decorative and culinary purposes, pumpkins are not only pretty, they’re also delicious and healthy!

A trip to your local farmers market can give you a chance to enjoy the outdoors, get some walking in, meet other locals, try new foods, and just have fun exploring!

‘Tis the season to be surrounded by holiday indulgences. Luckily, you can make your own wise upgrades to festive favorites right from your kitchen, creating better-for-you bites with no excess saturated fat or added sugars in sight. Try one, two, or all these simple culinary tips this holiday season that still offer the memorable aromas, tastes, and traditions at the table for all.

How to Make Healthy Crunchy Snacks Do you like to eat crunchy foods but can’t find healthy choices? Seeking healthier food options in your eating plan doesn’t have to lead to a crunch-less snack time. Here are some suggestions for great substitutions: Popcorn: Who doesn’t love popcorn? Surprise, it’s healthy for you (whole grain and all) and it’s a good source of fiber. Compared to the volume, it’s also low in carbs. Just 15 grams in three cups. Choose air-popped popcorn to avoid the fat and limit fatty, salty toppings. Enjoy, but avoid excessive portion sizes. You can flavor your popcorn with

Want a kitchen hack that will boost the flavor of dozens of recipes and help keep things healthy and diabetes-friendly? Use homemade stock or broth wherever you can. You may be wondering what the difference is between stock and broth. Stock is made from simmering bones in water and broth is made from simmering meat (and sometimes bones). They both create a flavor-boosted liquid, but stock is thicker than broth because of the collagen and gelatin that is released from the bones. You can also make vegetable stock (usually unseasoned and made from whole vegetables) and broth (usually seasoned and

Putting together a salad is a great way to add more veggies to your meals. Salads can be a side dish or starter for a meal—or with proteins and quality carbohydrates (carbs)—they can be a diabetes-friendly meal on their own. Here’s some ideas on how to build the perfect salad to use with your eating plan! Building Blocks of Perfect Salads Greens: Many salads start with a base of leafy greens and there are lots of options to choose from! Light green lettuces like romaine or iceberg have a mild flavor. Darker greens like spinach and kale are more nutrient dense and have a stronger flavor.

The Diabetes Plate is the easiest way to create healthy low-carb meals that can help you manage your blood glucose (blood sugar). Using the Diabetes Plate, you can create a meal with a healthy balance of vegetables, protein, and carbs—without any counting, calculating, weighing, or measuring. All you need is a plate! To start out, you need a plate that is nine inches across. The size of our plate is what controls the size of our portions. If your dinner plates are larger than nine inches, try using a smaller salad or dessert plate for your meals. Or, if your dinner plates have a lip or artwork