You may be thinking, what is tryptophan?  Or, you’ve heard about foods high in tryptophan such as turkey which is often blamed for the “I need a nap” feeling after a big Thanksgiving feast. Stay tuned for an explanation – after a brief 411 answering the question I asked, and a chart of tryptophan food sources. Tryptophan is one of...

by Annie Siegfried, MS, RDN Is type 2 diabetes preventable? Lifestyle and diet changes can help prevent type 2 diabetes. Prevention is key: If you have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes—high blood glucose levels that don’t get to the threshold of a diabetes diagnosis If you’re currently at a higher risk of type 2 diabetes because of excess weight or obesity,...

by Annie Siegfried, RDN What do you know about dried fig iron content? Read on to learn more about dried figs iron content and then head to the bottom of the article for my brownie peanut butter fudge cups recipe. If you’ve been feeling weak and tired way too often, it could be due to iron deficiency. It’s the most...

by Sharon Palmer, The Plant-Powered Dietitian Trimming added sugars is on everyone’s mind these days. In fact, a recent survey found that 67% of Americans are limiting sugar in their diets. That’s a good thing, because Americans are eating way too much of the sweet stuff, which can contribute to health problems, like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease....

by Lorelle Del Matto, MS, RDN, CD What do you know about fig nutrients? By eating just 4 figs a day, you benefit from dried fig nutrition. Learn more and get ideas for using Orchard Choice and Sun-Maid California Dried Figs. Your healthy eating goal for 2022 just got a whole lot easier. Fig Nutrients: Adding #4FigsADay to your daily...

by Carolyn Williams, PhD, RD The idea of brain healthy foods and how the foods we eat influence our brain health is a newer area of nutrition research. However, there’s growing evidence to suggest that not only do foods and nutrients play in the health of brain cells and their communication but potentially play a much bigger role than we...

“Calcium builds strong bones…” a phrase we have all grown up hearing but why is calcium important and what foods contain calcium? Are there fruits high in calcium and when thinking where we can get it in our diet, how can we start including those foods today? What is Calcium and Why is It Important? Calcium is a mineral found...

by Melanie Flinn, RD Carbohydrates have a bad reputation and many people are confused on how much to consume, but it is more important to focus on the type of carbohydrates rather than the exact amount. The carbs in dried figs are a great choice—let’s find out why and how many carbs in figs are present. What are Carbohydrates? Carbohydrates...