Getting through the holiday season while staying on track with your health goals takes a little bit of advanced planning. We’re usually the first to support indulging in a celebratory meal when the occasion is appropriate, but the back-to-back events and sugary gifts during the Holiday season make it difficult for even the most well intentioned eaters to stick to a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

The organic vs. conventional debate can be confusing to navigate. Ultimately, eating fruits and vegetables is always a good choice, whether they are organically grown or not. However, the environmental and ethical consequences of conventional farming practices as well as the unknown risks of long-term pesticide exposure are certainly good reasons to consider buying organic.

Spices are virtually effortless to have on hand and easy to use. They take up very little room in the kitchen and don’t require any additional chopping or preparing; just a simple shake or spoonful will do. If you find yourself reaching for more salt, cheese, or butter to add flavor to your dish – it may be time to consider using more spice!

This month: the best seat to avoid getting sick on a plane, the value of two-minute walks, we’re still talking about millennials and their snacks, it might be time to toss the fish oil, how obesity dulls the sense of taste, and is easier always better?

While it’s a great practice to have a plan when you go to the grocery store, sometimes you wind up at the market without having had a chance to do any meal planning or make a list. Don’t let this stop you! An unprepared stop at the store on your way home from work can be just as productive if you know what to buy to get you through the week. Assuming you have a well-stocked pantry and freezer at home, picking up these fresh items at the start of the week should provide you with a variety of simple meals. 

If you’re planning to stop at Trader Joe’s on the way home from work – this one’s for you! Trader Joe’s has a lot of superfans, and rightly so. They’re known for their budget-friendly prices and fun snacks, but they have some great options for health-minded individuals as well. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite, nutrient-dense items for quick dinners and office snacks.

This month: New supplements are all the rage, researchers try to end the low-fat vs. low-carb debate, how to finally kick that cold, and how millennials are changing our food system for the better.

Your goals for a post-workout meal or snack should be to recover, rehydrate, refuel, build muscle, and improve future performance. Some people feel like they should eat something immediately after a workout, but it’s really only necessary to eat something within 2 hours. This, of course, will depend on what you ate prior to your workout (and it’s intensity). 

This month: 2018 promises new health trends, but some old health habits still ring true: get more sleep, eat whole foods, and…try insects???

Vitamin C (also known as L-ascorbic acid) is a water-soluble antioxidant. It’s considered an essential nutrient because unlike other mammals, humans are unable to make vitamin C out of other materials so it’s important that we get it in our diet.