I definitely want to talk about getting rid of black plastic utensils, plastic cutting boards and take-out containers, but this blog post is about some food information I’ve gathered in the last few weeks. If I don’t talk about it now, it may be obsolete shortly, like yesterday’s news.

I have a wedding to go to in seven months, so I’m trying to eat healthier and move more. I’ve gotten into a bad habit of eating dessert every night and I would like to break my sugar craving, because once I start, it seems to get worse and worse. So here are some:

Foods to fight sugar cravings

1. Fruit (especially berries)
2. Dark Chocolate
3. Chia Seeds (can be delicious when made into a pudding)
4. Lentils
5. Yogurt (Obviously low-sugar ones. Chobani makes a no-sugar yogurt)
6. Dates or Prunes (yummy stuffed with a toasted almond)
7. Sweet Potatoes
8. Whole grains
9. Fermented foods
10. Avocados

I’ve really been enjoying Oui yogurt by Yoplait lately, but it has 19 grams of sugar so I have to say Au Revoir to Oui!

It’s blueberry season! A very versatile fruit, they can be used in pancakes, muffins, pies, yogurt or just on their own. These tasty blue treats (eat the rainbow!) are also good for you. They also seem to last longer than raspberries, which I love, but they seem to spoil immediately upon purchase.

It’s also asparagus season. A tip from a chef when shopping for asparagus is to notice the way they are stored for purchase. The freshest asparagus is stored like flowers, with their stems in water. This is also the way you should store them when you bring them home. After cutting off the bottom stem, set them upright in a container of water and put them in the fridge.

Eggs! So expensive now at Publix now. The last three times I’ve gone to Trader Joe’s they were out of them. According to the news, egg prices continued to rise in March due to bird flu outbreaks. Trader Joe’s is a place to get eggs for a good price, when they have them.

According to Food and Wine magazine, the healthiest vegetable is (drum roll please) Watercress. I didn’t see that one coming! Watercress is an aquatic herb- slightly bitter and it belongs to the mustard family. It’s good used in salads, soups, sandwiches and can also be sautéed, used in stir fries and added to pesto. Thanks AI!

A recent supplement to help ward off Alzheimers uses Sage and Rosemary, two herbs you probably have in your pantry. Sage, a strong herb, is mostly used in stuffings and with pork and sausage. Rosemary is more versatile and can be used with Roast Chicken, Beef, Potatoes and in Vinegars and Oils. Also, novel ideas for rosemary is flavored salt, honey, lemonade, butter and chimichurri. Last, but not least, the leaves can be removed and the stems used as skewers. I’m not how much you ingest this way, but it does lend a lovely perfume to Beef, Chicken or Shrimp Kabobs.

And, according to Lance (who I work out with once a week) here are some other getting healthy tips:

1. Drink more water. (Easy!)
2. Eat more dark leafy greens.
3. Eat more protein- like lean meats.
4. Eat healthy fats like nuts and avocado.
5. No carbs after 5 p.m.
6. Cut out wine.

That last one hurts. I may try the other five before resorting to that one.

And, last but not least, the Dirty Dozen. These are the twelve fruits and vegetables that have the highest level of pesticides. For these on the list, you should try to buy organic. My daughter A.J. washes her fruits and vegetables in a mixture of water, vinegar and a drop of dishwashing liquid (Dawn) to remove wax from Apples and dirt and debris from her produce. Not a bad idea!

The Dirty Dozen as listed by Environmental Working Group (EWG)

1. Strawberries
2. Spinach
3. Kale
4. Grapes
5. Peaches
6. Pears
7. Nectarines
8. Apples
9. Bell and hot peppers
10. Cherries
11. Blueberries
12. Green Beans

“There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance; pray you, love remember.” William Shakespeare Hamlet

Up Next: Bye bye black plastic!