We accidentally stumbled upon it last year as we drove through the rolling Sandhills of Nebraska. Read more

I’m seeing more reports about how nutrition may help us fight against COVID-19. No one is saying we can totally avoid the disease or cure it if we eat right. But the case for improving our diets to get through this pandemic is certainly strong. Read more

Reader RS sends this: "We read your column in our local paper and are wondering if you could give us suggestions for the best breakfast that has protein, fiber, tastes good(!), and is fairly quick/easy to prepare. Kashi isn't doing it for us! Any ideas are most appreciated!” Read more

GW from Carmel, California, writes: “You have been very helpful in the past, so I thought I would pose another question to you. From my research online and talking with various people, I have identified several non-prescription blood pressure reducers and I wanted to get your input. They are… Read more

Reader B.D. posed this challenge to me this week: “I would appreciate your opinion as a dietitian on this article on dietary fiber.” Read more

Summer may be coming to an end but our risk for heat related illness is still very real. I learned that first hand a few weeks ago. Read more

Frittatas make a quick supper, perfect for a busy weekday meal. All you need are a few vegetables, some sausage or leftover meat and eggs and you can have dinner ready in 15 to 20 minutes. A frittata is a thick Italian omelet. The secret is to cook it slowly for 10 minutes so that it becomes thick. Read more

I’m writing this from our hotel room in Missouri. We are halfway through a road trip through several states with main stops in Nashville, Tennessee, and Branson. To say the least, it’s been an adventure of landscapes, people and food. Read more

Snow cones and cotton candy. Nachos with cheese and jalapeños. And let’s not forget corn dogs (my personal downfall). Yep, it’s fair time. Just this weekend, I counted four county fairs in our area. Read more

Letters from readers help me back up to check my facts. Here are a couple that came in recently: Read more

My daughter — who loves doughnuts — forwarded an article to me titled “12 Reasons Doughnuts are Good for You” (www.thrivegloable.com). I chuckled and promised her I’d do some “research” on it. Read more

“Fructose is a simple sugar with a bad reputation,” says registered dietitian Carrie Dennett, MPH, in a recent review of this sometimes confusing topic. Here are some fructose facts. Read more

I keep coming upon this statistic that states livestock are responsible for 14.5% of global gas emissions. Read more

Food fads come on and go. Remember the cabbage soup diet? The macrobiotic diet? Or my favorite: drinking man’s diet? Read more

Ann K., who reads this column in the Monterey Herald, writes: Read more

Chicken with chunky mango salsa makes a sweet and spicy dinner. Read more

Ron from Corvallis, Oregon, writes this in response to a recent column on lectins: “I am a biochemist, used to work with immunologists at Sloan Kettering. The main reason I'm writing is to ask you to explore the toxicity of nuts' lectins and the best way to prepare nuts without getting sick.… Read more

Deborah T. writes: Read more

Hot Pepper Succotash is a spicy, quick version of an American staple that is simple to make and fun to eat. A dry rub gives a sweet, spicy crust to the pork. The heat is up to you. The recipe calls for 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Add more if you like it hot. Read more

What is sustainability? It has become a huge buzzword but I like this definition: supplying a growing world with food, fuel, feed and fiber — while safeguarding its resources for future generations. Read more

Reader Kari B from Lincoln, Nebraska writes: Read more

This is a fun meal that’s cooked at the table. Use an electric frying pan or wok at the table. You can also cook the entire meal in the kitchen and bring it to the table. Read more

In my eyes, he’s the perfect man. A rancher who takes exquisite care of the Angus cattle in the pastures surrounding our home. He relishes every meal I prepare and tells me he loves my cooking. And he probably eats more vegetables than I do … even at restaurants when he orders a salad and I … Read more

Reader Susan S. writes, in part: “Gut health is finally being brought up in mainstream more often. But almost never this: there are grains, nuts, fruits, and vegetables that have LECTINS that poke tiny holes in our intestines. I thought you might want to check this out so that you can inform… Read more

Fish fillet sauteed in a savory orange sauce is an unusual, tangy Mexican dish. Add fried corn tossed with green peppers to complete the meal. More people are beginning to savor the subtle flavor distinctions of Mexican food that extend beyond ever-popular tacos, tamales and tongue-scorching… Read more

In response to a recent column about the food games we play, I got these delightful letters: Read more

I’ve been reading the back of cereal boxes since I was a kid. They entertained me with games or puzzles while I munched on breakfast. Last week, my cereal box got me thinking about whole grains. Read more

For this quick meal, I used curry powder from the supermarket spice section. Strictly speaking, prepared curry powder doesn't really exist in India. Good cooks prefer to make their own blend of spices using the freshest ingredients. The curry powder found in the markets should be used within… Read more

When my oldest daughter was a baby, I noticed that each time I’d eat spicy food, she would cry and refuse to nurse. That’s when I learned that some foods mom eats elicit tastes in their milk that baby may not particularly like. Read more

Gotta love the great state of Nebraska. On a recent visit to the historic Haymarket district in Lincoln, we stopped for lunch at an upscale Japanese restaurant. I casually gazed out the window at a giant screen across the street. Up flashed advice on how to social distance. I laughed when I … Read more

Picadillo is a popular Latin dish using ground meat, onions, green bell pepper, tomato sauce, capers and raisins. The success of this dish is the blending of sweet and savory flavors. I have captured the essence of the taste and the texture in this 10-minute no-fuss dinner. It takes a few mi… Read more

I’m thinking about my mom, whose birthday is this week. She had a delightfully low-key sense of humor, especially about food. Read more

Pesto sauce, made with basil and parsley lends a fresh, herbal flavor to scallops. I keep a bag of frozen sea scallops on hand for quick dinners. They take only a few minutes to defrost in a bowl of cold water. This dish takes only 5 minutes to make using prepared pesto sauce. Read more

Easter and eggs … I get it. Easter is the Christian celebration of Jesus’ coming back to life after his death on a cross. Easter eggs represent new life. Very fitting. Read more

It had been festering for a long time … an infection that didn’t show up on routine tests. But we knew sometime was not right. Cal was not eating as enthusiastically as he usually does. And he was steadily losing weight. Read more

Hello Barbara; I've been trying to loose weight. I do good during the day but in the evening and into the night I feel like I have to eat, and sometimes I do not make good choices. I'm diabetic. I would like to know if there is a way to curb these late-night eatings. — Carolyn Read more

I’ve been called a lot of names in my day. “Nutri-bird” “The Diet lady” “Dr. Quinn, Nutrition woman” (I’m not a doctor but that didn’t matter to one of my clients.) Read more

For many reasons, I’m always glad when I can bid February goodbye and welcome the march toward spring. March is also National Nutrition Month️ when the experts at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics walk us toward a diet that can help put spring in our steps. Read more

I just love the science of nutrition. It constantly changes as we learn more about how food and nutrients work in the body. And as we gather more information, experts tweak the recommendations for how we should eat. Read more

It’s only about the size of your fist. Yet every day your heart pumps the amount of blood that could fill a 2,000 gallon tank. Its job? To keep a constant supply of oxygen and nutrient-rich blood flowing through 60,000 miles of blood vessels to feed every cell and tissue in your body. Read more

Reader Pat L. From Mt. Vernon, Washington, writes: “In today's paper there were two nutrition columns, yours included, that both said babies should receive nothing but breast milk for their first 6 months. But yours went on to say, ‘Studies show that gradually introducing (potentially allerg… Read more