Summer is cooking demo season! That's why I want to offer 15 key questions I ask myself before every cooking demonstration in order to ensure a successful session...

5 easy ways to whole grains is a new article and handout that helps people use common whole grain ingredients to prepare easy meals and try more whole grains.

Here is an easy shopping list that features the essential healthy items in most stores. It is a great jumping-off point so folks can base more of their meals on real ingredients.

You don't have to give pizza up - you just have to make it smarter. Watch our high definition video in 1.5 minutes and start making your own pizza at home - this can save you 42,000 mg of sodium and $130 per year over the delivery or restaurant version. Enjoy!

Ever wondered exactly what you get when you replace a fast-food meal with a MyPlate meal? Not just the calorie savings and nutrient boosts, but an actual comprehensive breakdown of the vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc in each meal? Well, today's your lucky day!It's time for a serious look at the meal makeover. Let's walk through each substitution and added nutrient, step by step. We'll leave no stone unturned, no switch unexplored. Are you ready?

People appear to be drawn to cleanses, no matter how bad the health consequences of cleansing are. If that's what they want, there's a way to give it to them without endangering their health. Offer a balanced alternative to the cleansing crowd with this free handout, The Dietitian's Cleanse. Developed by Lenore Shamah, MS, RD, this "cleanse" is healthful, balanced, and won't endanger people's hearts.

The exploration of MyPlate vegetable subgroups continues with beans and peas! Get all the details about their nutrient profiles and impact n health, along with great free recipes that feature beans and peas...

The following activity ideas are excerpted from the new book, MyPlate for Everyone, which is coming soon from Food and Health Communications!

Did you know that clementines are a variety of mandarin orange? They're rather tiny, quite easy to peel, and even the segments come apart smoothly. When these tasty winter fruits are in season, they are a great deal when purchased by the box. You can usually get around 25-30 of these little fruits for anywhere between $3.99 to $7.99 per box. That's about .25 cents each, which is less than the price of a candy bar! One clementine has just 35 calories and it contains 60% of your daily supply of vitamin C. It is every bit as filling as a handful of chips, which ring in at 140 calories, or candy bars, which generally have 200-300 calories!

Summer is here, which means that many kinds of produce are at the very peak of their season. So how can you best celebrate the joys of summer fruit? Check out these 7 remarkable and healthy fruit desserts. They're cold, refreshing, and totally delicious.

Here is our latest creation with fresh fruit ready to share!

It's that special time again! What time? Why time for the next installment of the MyPlate Exploration Series! Today we're going to take a closer look at the starchy vegetable subgroup of MyPlate.

Have you ever wondered if you're cooking vegetables well? I've devised a simple approach that makes determining cooking time and methods a snap! Check out this post for the secret, and don't miss the free infographic!

Here's the next installment of the questions and answers series. What do you know about fat?

My son loves breadsticks, especially the ones from Domino's pizza. I am not so keen on the pizza place's variety because they are higher in fat, sodium and cost compared to ones I can make at home and they are not whole grain. Here is a recipe that is very easy to make and yields great results that are kid tested! These were the hit of a spring break pool party the other night here with teenage boys.

To make the new Nutrition Facts label more approachable to your clients, I've created a brand-new Nutrition Facts Math handout!

It’s time for another edition of the Dietary Guidelines Nutrients of Concern Series! Last week, we talked about calcium: what it is, where to find it, how it affects your health, and what happens when you don’t get enough of it. Today we want to do the same thing with dietary fiber...

I've put together 3 simple and healthful meals that only require 3 steps each, from start to finish. No extra fuss, just delicious food. It's as easy as 1-2-3!

Help your clients reduce the sodium in a bowl of soup by making soup at home. Here are my top 5 favorite soup recipes, which are perfect for cooking demonstrations or speedy handouts. You can also prepare samples at home and then bring them to your next session. The samples make equally-good health fair booth lures. Which will you try first?

You didn't think we'd leave you without another flavor post, did you? This week is all about lemon -- how to use it, when to use it, and why to use it.