A new era in alimentaicon healthy. Organic foods, ecological or organic, mark the new trends in health care and the environment.

Organic food is for more people, a solution to the advancement of food productosde “artificial” and saturated with chemicals and additives that do not necessarily go hand in hand with health care. Organic food is an option for consumers concerned with their health while caring for the environment.

The concept of organic food comes in response to new needs and requirements of the modern consumer, who look for products obtained from the application of non-polluting methods of production, without chemical additives or synthetic substances but also a production line with the care of the environment and sustainable development. Organic foods are the ideal complement to a healthy lifestyle and health care.

Advantages of organic food. Organic foods help eliminate toxic substances in the diet, hormone supplements and elimination of antibiotics in animals, higher levels of antioxidants, environmental care. 

Spring is just around the corner, which means warmer temperatures, daffodils, and ditching the heavy, winter comfort food in favor of lighter springtime fare.

Bonus salad idea: Salad is all about the presentation. It doesn’t have to be a bunch of veggies tossed into a bowl! Next time you prep a salad, try arranging the ingredients or artfully layering them, rather than tossing everything together. You can also invest in special tools, like miniature cookie cutters to slice your veggies into fun shapes!

6. Add a little sweetness. Fresh or dried fruit makes for a lovely salad topping. Some of my faves: dried cranberries, sliced sections of orange or tangerine, or sliced strawberries.

7. Don’t forget the protein. Adding some beans or tofu can turn a salad into a full on, rib-sticking meal.

8. Add something tangy. A squeeze of lemon juice or some chopped green onion adds a dimension of flavor that really rounds out a salad.

9. Don’t fear the fat. You don’t have to douse those greens in oil, but adding a little bit of healthy fat, like nuts or avocado, to your salad makes it more filling and more delicious.

10. Try fresh herbs. A little bit of minced basil, sage, thyme, or your favorite fresh herb is a burst of flavor in your mouth. You can add it straight to your salad or whisk it into the dressing.

Lunch can get pretty boring unless you go out of your way to change it up. And it doesn’t take much. Make your turkey sandwich on a different kind of bread or toast it and you’ll feel like you’re eating something entirely new.

The same can go for office parties. Those potlucks have the same fruit and veggie tray, chips and dip, and casserole every single time. But a simple change can make an event people remember and enjoy!

Enter the salad potluck. This is something we do in our own office almost weekly. It’s called Salad Wednesday, and it’s a good excuse for us all to get together, share a healthy meal, and catch up without the usual office pressure. Not to mention, no little smokies in BBQ sauce.

It works like this: the office management provides the greens. All of the attendees bring their favorite salad toppers. The sky really is the limit, and some weeks it looks like the best salad bar you’ve ever visited. Red bell peppers, tomatoes, homemade guacamole, hard boiled eggs, grilled chicken, black beans, various cheeses, hummus, nuts, and the like fill a table for everyone to fill their plates.

This idea certainly isn’t exclusive to the office and can be used anywhere you’re hosting a group meal. You can add soups to go alongside the salads and add a little more bulk to the meal.

It’s pretty low effort and low cost for everyone involved, and everyone walks away full, satisfied, and feeling a little better than a bucket of fried chicken would make them feel.

As the host of the salad potluck, make sure you’ve got plenty of the following:

Greens – We like a 50/50 of spring greens and spinach
Dressings – Homemade is best, otherwise look for low-fat, low-sodium options
Plates and Silverware – This is one potluck food you cannot eat with your hands

At our Salad Wednesday we’ve seen people show up with homemade chocolate chip ginger cookies, freshly baked breads, pasta salad, fruit salad, and just about anything else that would round out this healthy, simple meal.

Looking for a way to squeeze some extra raw vegetables into your diet? Green smoothies are the perfect solution!

If you’ve never had one before, it can take a little while to get acclimated to the green smoothie. Here are some tips to get you going.

The Basics

To get started, you’ll need something for the base of your smoothie. Bananas or avocados work really well for this. On top of that, you’ll toss your choice of fresh or frozen fruit, a few ice cubes, and your greens. Fill out the smoothie with your favorite milk (dairy or non-dairy), and you’re ready to whirl! Blend everything up really well, and enjoy!

When you’re just getting started, don’t push it with the greens. I’ll explain why in the next section.

Green Content

The key is to increase the amount of greens over time. If you try to make your very first smoothie half greens and half fruit, you’re probably not going to enjoy it. Take things slowly, and you’re more likely to stick with it!

To start, you’ll probably just want to use one leaf of kale or Swiss chard with the rib removed or a small handful of baby spinach. As your palette gets used to the greens, though, you’ll be able to reduce the fruit and up the amount of healthy greens in each serving. Before you know it, you’ll be grabbing handfuls of greens and using only a few small pieces of fruit to flesh things out.

Variations

Part of the fun of a green smoothie is experimenting. Try adding different types of fruit or different leafy greens. Here are some smoothie combinations I’ve really dug:

• banana + kale + frozen mango + almond milk
• banana + spinach + pineapple + coconut milk
• avocado + romaine lettuce + frozen blackberries + almond milk
• banana + Swiss chard + frozen strawberries + coconut milk
• banana + parsley + pineapple + almond milk

I don’t know about you, but a smoothie on its own leaves me hungry way before lunch time. For a heartier beverage, try adding a tablespoon or two of flax meal. Nut butters like peanut, almond, or cashew also help add some calories and fat to keep you full longer.