Grace O blog Archives - Page 23 of 37

May 1, 2018

Published by Grace O

Almond Milk Is Perfect for Parfaits

While I was growing up, my father made sure that I didn’t eat too many dairy products. He was a doctor and he felt that the saturated fats in animal products were best enjoyed in moderation. To this day, I don’t really drink milk. Lately, I’m not alone. Many people have come to question the wisdom of drinking cow’s milk every day because of its saturated fat content and possible hormone content. Also, vegans and those who are lactose-intolerant need a dairy-free substitute for milk. Luckily, there are a lot of milk alternatives out there for drinking, pouring over breakfast […]

April 24, 2018

Published by Grace O

Cherimoya’s Health Benefits Are a Beauty to Behold

If you’ve never tried cherimoya, you are in for a real treat. Also known as a “custard apple,” one juicy bite and you’ll know why. The taste is the best qualities of mango, banana, papaya, and vanilla flavors and the flesh itself is creamy smooth. Cherimoyas are native to South America, but I have several of the small, bushy trees growing on my ranch near San Diego where they produce fruit from March through May. You can smash cherimoyas and use the pulp in smoothies or as a sauce for ice cream, but I love to cut them in half […]

April 23, 2018

Published by Grace O

Antioxidants Kick Butt When It Comes To Aging

Antioxidants are one of the 8 age-defying benefits we look for in the foods we highlight in my cookbooks and on FoodTrients. My goal is to create delicious dishes packed with the nutrients that help us look and feel younger, and antioxidants are an important part of many of my recipes. So what exactly are antioxidants? Virtually every fruit and vegetable contains antioxidants, and antioxidants are powerful phytonutrients that help our bodies fight free radicals. Free radicals damage the body’s cells and are a major contributor to loss of cognitive function and the diseases of aging. When we eat antioxidant-rich […]

April 16, 2018

Published by Grace O

What’s New, Delicious, and Coming To a Store Near You?

March marks the last gasp of winter months and the long-awaited annual Natural Products Expo West, the “coming out” party for new products. So once again, the tireless FoodTrients team made its way up and down the miles of aisles at California’s Anaheim Convention Center. The Expo was held from March 8-11 and we were there to discover (and taste) new natural products and uncover the latest food trends. This event showcases over 3,500 exhibitors, of which 600 were there for the first time, hoping to sell their products into stores across the country. These consist of manufacturers, marketers, and […]

March 13, 2018

Published by Grace O

It Was a Special Brunch for President and Mrs. Carter

Rosalynn Carter is a truly unforgettable American hero who inspires everyone she meets. Recently, she arrived in Los Angeles to be honored as one of the most accomplished and important First Ladies in United States history. She is a woman I greatly admire, and whom I met for the first time last August when I traveled from Los Angeles to Plains, Georgia with a delegation from St. Genevieve School in Panorama City, CA. The school’s president and principal, Dan Horn, traveled to Plains with the St. Genevieve Jazz Band and conductor Carlos Dominguez, where they celebrated Mrs. Carter’s 90th birthday […]

February 27, 2018

Published by Grace O

Anti-Inflammatories Are the Secret Ingredients To Longevity

We hear about inflammation a lot, but what does it really mean? Put very simply, inflammation is our body’s immune system response when something is wrong, whether it’s infection, stress, or injury. Unfortunately, more studies are showing that inflammation plays a significant role in most of the diseases plaguing our society, including arthritis, heart disease, irritable bowel disorders, Alzheimer’s, Type 2 diabetes and even cancer. So what can we do to fight it? The good news is that there are many foods that calm inflammation in a variety of ways. They’re anti-inflammatories and they keep our arteries young and less […]

February 12, 2018

Published by Grace O

Tofu Dishes Are Perfect for Meatless Monday Menus

Tofu is an excellent meat substitute. Like miso and tempeh, tofu contains phytoestrogens, or weak plant-like estrogens. These phytochemicals are known as isoflavones; and eating soy foods, especially starting in adolescence, can reduce a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer, as one study of Canadian women suggested. If you’re trying to have meatless Mondays or just reduce your meat consumption whenever possible, these tofu recipes offer healthy, satisfying and delicious options. Sweet and Savory Maple Herb Roasted Tofu Serves 2-3 If you think tofu lacks flavor, you have to give this sweet, savory, and herbaceous soy-based holiday entree a […]

January 8, 2018

Published by Grace O

One Peking Duck: Three Ways To Eat It

In May of this year, the FoodTrients team travelled to Yantai, China for the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards to receive the ‘Best in the World’ award for Innovation for my most recent cookbook, The Age Beautifully Cookbook: Easy and Exotic Longevity Secrets from around the World. As you can imagine, we sampled extraordinary food during the many days of this event as we traveled to Shanghai and Beijing. One of the highlights was a meal we had at the Fairmont Hotel’s Dragon Phoenix restaurant in Shanghai where we ordered their Peking Duck Three Ways. The beautifully cooked duck was brought to […]

January 2, 2018

Published by Grace O

On the Wave of the Next Food Trend: 10 African Superfoods

Foodies are always looking for the Next Big Thing. At one time that was Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. Mideastern specialties such as hummus and falafel have now found their way to American menus. Here’s my prediction: in the near future we will all be enjoying foods from various countries on the African continent. A number of years ago, I discovered baobab, the fruit from an odd-looking tree native to Africa and Madagascar that contains high levels of fiber, antioxidants, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium and iron. The tree itself is called ‘The Tree of Life ’because, besides providing nutritious fruit, it […]