vegetables Archives - The Health Sessions

The Best of Beans: 14 Health-Boosting Recipes with Legumes

Beans are the perfect pantry food: they’re affordable, long-lasting and packed with plant-based protein. Legumes like black beans, chickpeas and lentils also make healthy sources of fiber, iron and antioxidants.

What’s more, research indicates that people who consume beans regularly have a lower risk of getting cardiovascular disease. Legumes also help stabilize blood sugar levels and may even help prevent diabetes type 2 due to the high fibre content. Dan Buettner’s study into the longest-living people even in the world even suggests that eating one cup of beans a day adds four years to your life expectancy.

To get the most value out of those tiny pods and make them more digestible, you could soak or spout dried beans beforehand. But if that’s too much hassle, a quick rinse will do.

So now that you know the benefits of beans, how can you add more of them to your meals?

Beans are very versatile, and you can make so much more with legumes than just chili and enchiladas. Try these 14 health-boosting recipes to get the best of beans!

10 Warm Winter Salads to Nourish You on Cold Days | The Health Sessions

10 Warm Winter Salads to Nourish You All Season

Is it just me, or do you also struggle to eat fresh salads when it’s dark and cold outside?

We all know that greens are good for us. Especially dark leafy greens are packed with vitamin C, minerals and health-boosting antioxidants. And even though springtime is mostly known for its abundance of lettuce and chards, you can find plenty of nutritious greens in winter that’ll make perfect base for your salad.

Just toss some kale, collard greens or cabbages together with a (warm) salad dressing and seasonal favorites like roasted Brussels sprouts, pumpkin and cranberries. Next, add grains or (plant-based) protein of your choosing. Turkey, warm lentils or goat’s cheese all add some winter flavor to your salad. Finally, top your bowl with a crunchy element like honeyed walnuts or toasted chickpeas.

Whether you’re looking for a healthy side dish of a meal-worthy salad, these 10 warm winter salads will keep you nourished throughout the season.

15 Tasty Ways to Eat More Leafy Greens (That Aren’t Salads)

There’s no denying it: eating leafy greens is vital to your health. Leafy greens are packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber, while being low in calories. Watercress, chard, beet greens and Romaine lettuce even top the list of ‘most nutrient-dense fruit and vegetables‘. Thanks to all these nutrients, leafy greens boost your immunity, support your bone health and digestion, and improve your inflammatory response. What’s more, chlorophyll, the green pigment that gives leafy greens their color, is also known to support your body natural detoxification process.

Salads and smoothies are the obvious – and popular- choice to get your greens in. But when it’s cold and dark outside, you might crave more warming foods. How can you still eat more leafy greens without resorting to a side salad and green smoothie?

Try these 15 tasty recipes to get your daily dose of leafy greens.

10 Surprising Ways to Eat Sea Vegetables | The Health Sessions

10 Surprising Ways to Eat Sea Vegetables (Besides Sushi)

Your momma probably told you to eat your greens, but did you know that sea vegetables are surprisingly good for you too?

Seaweeds grow along rocky shorelines and these algae pack pretty much all the minerals found in the ocean. Sea vegetables are especially known for their high iodine content, a nutrient necessary for thyroid functioning. They’re also rich in vitamin C, manganese, vitamin B2 and chlorophyll. The high level of antioxidants found in certain algae helps to reduce inflammation – an important cause of illness – in your body.

That sounds great, but how exactly do you add seaweeds like nori, dulse and kelp to your diet? Take a look at these 10 surprising ways to eat sea vegetables (that aren’t sushi).

Salads To-Go: 10 Portable Salads for a Healthy Work Lunch

It’s one of the first foods that comes to mind when you think of healthy eating: salads.

And for good reason. Leafy greens – the base of most salads – are low in calories but abundant in vitamins, minerals, fibers and disease-fighting antioxidants. Watercress, chard, spinach and Romaine lettuce all rank in the top 10 of the most nutrient-dense foods. What’s more, dark leafy greens like kale and collards contain chlorophyll, the green pigment found in plants that’s responsible for absorbing energy from sunlight. Chlorophyll is known for its blood-building properties, helps you liver detoxify and speeds up wound healing. Not bad for a humble plant, right?

But thankfully, the era of salads consisting mostly of iceberg lettuce with cucumber and tomato is long gone. Nowadays, we love power salads packed with (plant-based) protein, whole grains, a healthy dressing and crunchy toppings.

With the weather warming up, there’s no better time to swap your good old sandwich for a vibrantly fresh salad for lunch. Take a look at these 10 lunch salads to-go that will keep you full until dinner time. Which one will you bring to work – or the park!- with you?