Ideas & Tips — Eating Healthy

Summer is the perfect season for low-fuss, no-cook food preparation. We love to assemble an elegant cheese plate, which is the perfect party hors d'oeuvres or even simple supper. (We also offer a scaled-down version for your smaller cheese assortments.) Here are our top tips for putting together the perfect arrangement of fromage:  Choose a flavorful cheese: Food Network recommends choosing at least one cheese that packs a big punch in terms of flavor. If you're wary of very strong cheeses, try Manchego, a tasty yet relatively mild option. Spread it with a little honey or served with dried figs...

Salt is almost literally the spice of life. It makes any dish more flavorful and is therefore one of the most popular table condiments in the world. There are many types of salt on the market that serve different purposes, from cooking to pickling to seasoning at the table. Here is our short guide to types of salt and how to use them: Kosher salt. This is a common table salt and is used in kosher cooking to draw out the blood of the animal. It has a milder flavor than iodized table salt, and dissolves quickly, making it a good...

Fall is the perfect time to experiment with making different homemade soups. Soups are an especially good food to make at home because you can easily double the recipe and store leftovers in your freezer. Just make sure to cool your soup in the fridge before freezing it. Kristen Eppich of Chatelaine offers some other helpful tips for making this classic (and good for you!) comfort food: Sweat your vegetables: An integral element of any good recipe is accentuating the flavors. "Vegetables like onion, garlic, celery and carrots–referred to as 'aromatics'–are part of most soup recipes for this very reason, sautéed...

Many of us have gone to restaurants and thought — "I could make a meal out of the appetizers!" Doing just that can make for a fun and unique dinner party or family supper. To make sure everyone gets plenty to eat and is fully satisfied, include a wide variety of options:  Fresh: Serving hors d'oeuvres for dinner doesn't mean you should forget about eating plenty of vegetables! Chop up some fresh bell peppers and celery sticks to serve with hummus. We also love a nice, summery Caprese salad, made from fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. Just drizzle with olive oil...

Sushi exists as one of those foods that straddles a fence, capable of being the nutrient-packed healthy dining experiencing you may need, or the decadent dining event that you crave. Here are a few facts about sushi to remember when trying to decide what kind of culinary experience you're looking to have:  Remember the calories: Many traditional sushi rolls come with a lower calorie account, including those that are made with raw fish, vegetables, rice and nori, which is a kind of seaweed. Some common examples are the salmon cucumber roll with a full serving averaging about 231 calories with...