When it comes to nutritious legumes, Great Northern beans deserve a top spot on your list. These small, white beans are not only delicious but are also packed with health benefits, making them an excellent addition to any meal. In today’s post, I’ll share the many health benefits of Great Northern beans, along with my favorite ways to cook and enjoy them!

Black beans are an easy and affordable way to include more protein and fiber in your diet. Though canned varieties are convenient, cooking dry beans is also pretty easy. In today’s post, I’ll share the health benefits of black beans, reasons for soaking or not soaking dry black beans, my recipe for cooking them in an Instant Pot, and how I like to eat black beans.

You may have heard the term “SMASH” recently and wonder what it means. SMASH is an acronym listing the healthiest and safest varieties of fish to include in your diet. Today I’ll share what these fish are, why they are a heart-healthy and safe food to include in your diet, how much to eat, and some tasty SMASH fish recipes.

February is American Heart Month. One heart-healthy food that is often overlooked is pinto beans. Pinto beans are a nutrition powerhouse and an easy addition to any diet. In today’s post, I’ll discuss the health benefits of pinto beans, the pros and cons of canned vs dried pinto beans, and share an easy Instant Pot recipe for cooking dry beans.

I love tacos and would probably eat them every day if I could. Tacos are quick and easy to throw together and they are so delicious. Similar to my sweet potato nacho recipe, today’s recipe is a healthy version of tacos. Tacos can be packed with lots of salt and fat, but did you know that you can use winter squash, such as delicata squash, as a taco filling instead of meat? Keep reading for my delicata squash taco recipe!

February is American Heart Month so I thought I’d start off the month with a heart-healthy version of one of my favorite foods; nachos! Check out some of my past blog posts for more information on heart health. Read on for my sweet potato nacho recipe and to learn why it’s a healthier alternative to traditional nachos!

Sodium is something you’ve likely heard about, especially if you have high blood pressure. Sodium naturally occurs in some foods but is also added to many foods in the form of salt. I briefly mentioned sodium in last week’s post about healthy restaurant eating, so today I’ll talk more about the function of sodium in the diet (yes, we do need some!), recommendations for intake, main food sources, and how to make your food taste great without adding a bunch of salt.

Last but not least in this month’s posts on heart health, this week’s post is all about heart-healthy unsaturated fats! If you haven’t already read my previous posts about trans fats and saturated fats, check them out first. Fats are filling and delicious, so they shouldn’t be avoided! Today, I’ll share common food sources of unsaturated fats and the latest recommendations for how much and what types you should eat for heart health.

Last week I talked about trans fat and its effect on heart health; this week I’ll share what I know about saturated fat! The research around saturated fat and heart health has been a long-debated topic. Today I’ll discuss the most up-to-date research about saturated fat and whether or not it’s something you need to be careful of to keep your heart healthy. Plus I’ll tell you in which foods you can find it!

Welcome back for week two of my heart-healthy eating tips! February is American Heart Month so we’re talking all about the best and worst foods for your heart. This week I’ll tell you what trans fats are, list common food sources of them, and help you navigate confusing nutrition labels. Read on to learn more!