Which milk or non dairy alternative should you drink? Well, whether you drink dairy or plant based milk or put it in your coffee, cereal or drink by the glass, I'm going to breakdown the fats. Dairy Milk has a solid 8 grams of high quality protein and it's one of the best diet sources of calcium and vitamin D. If you don't tolerate dairy, I suggest choosing a plant based alternative with at least 5 grams of protein per cup, no sugar added and fortified with calcium and vitamin D Fortified soy and pea milk are your most nutritionally. Equivalent with acronyms of protein and around 80 to 120 calories per cup. Fortified, unsweetened, almond, cashew and coconut milks are typically your lowest in calories, around 30 to 45 calories per cup, but they generally only offer about a gram or less of protein. OHH is another popular choice, but like nut based milks, it is very low in protein and in this case it's higher in calories and sugars, so it's not the best choice for blood sugar control. Finally. Hemp can be kind of all over the board nutrition wise depending on the brand. From three grams of protein to 9 and usually between 60 and 150 calories per cup. There are so many options in that milk aisle these days so compare and labels and finding option that best complements your goals. What foods are high in fiber? Fiber is one of the most underrated and under consumed nutrients in the North American diet. It's important for satiety, regularity, heart health, blood sugar management, the gut microbiome and so much more. The recommendation for fiber is a minimum of 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. And our best sources are a wide range of plant based foods. Veggies like broccoli, carrots and leafy greens, fruits like pears, raspberries and avocado, beans and lagoons. Nuts, seeds, and whole grains are some of the easiest ways to meet your needs. For example, a couple of lentils has an impressive 15 grams, a cup of raspberries has 8, and chia seeds have 10 grams per oz. So mix it up and focus on a variety of colorful plant foods to get your fix. Which are the best and worst foods to eat after their expiration date? Expiration dates tell consumers the last day of product is safe to consume, whereas best before dates tell the consumer that they can't guarantee its freshness, taste, nutritional value or other relevant qualities. And while an expiration date should always be followed, a best before date generally has a little wiggle room. The most likely foods to spoil post best before are fresh foods like pre chopped produce, fish and meat. Other fresh foods like eggs, milk and yogurt can often be safely consumed shortly after a best before date has passed, but of course, you'll want to give them a whiff and a quick look over to catch any signs of spoilage. Ultra processed packaged or canned foods like crackers, cookies, canned soup, and tinned tuna can often be safely consumed well after their best before date, assuming there's no damage to the packaging. But just because they're safe doesn't mean they taste their best. Or contain all the nutrients that they once did. So to reduce wasting nutritious food and money, take an inventory of what you have and use your older stuff first because food these days is way too expensive to toss anything out. What do probiotics do to the body? Well, probiotics are the live bacteria in the gut that offer a myriad of unique benefits in the body. We know that probiotics play a really important role in gut health, and a healthy gut microbiome is of course imperative for optimal digestion and regularity. But they also play a significant role in immunity since 70% of our immune system lives in our gut. And that's really just the tip of the iceberg. Research is quickly mounting on the role of probiotics in mental health. Weight management, heart health, blood sugar control, allergies and zema, and so much more. Our best dietary sources of probiotics are fermented foods like sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, pickled foods, etcetera. But a supplement is an easy way to get a clinically significant dose and a variety of beneficial strains. And like us, our gut bacteria need food to thrive, namely dietary fibers, otherwise known as prebiotics. So loading up on plant. These foods like beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruits, veggies and whole grains is a great way to keep our microbiome strong. A healthy gut is a healthy body and mind. We have to fuel it well in order to thrive. Which fish are the most sustainable and best for your health? I love fish and seafood. They're great sources of protein and heart healthy omega-3 fats. But not all fish are created equal. When choosing fish and seafood, you want to seek out varieties that are sustainable for the environment, low end mercury and rich in those Omega threes. Here are some of my favorites that take all three boxes. Farmed American Atlantic salmon, farmed oysters, Pacific herring, farmed American rainbow trout and canned light tuna. Not like yellow. In or skipjack, light tuna is actually three times lower in mercury than albacore, so if you love your tuna salad, you'll want to choose the light variety. Choosing sustainable seafood can be super complicated, so when in doubt, check out a sustainable seafood authority like the Monterey Bay Aquarium at seafoodwatch.org to learn more.
