Food and Beverage
Balance Your Plate with Produce, Protein and Whole Grains
Making health-conscious decisions with your at-home menu doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does require commitment and a little more foresight at the grocery store. Simple adjustments to overall eating patterns, like building your plate around produce, powerful proteins and whole grains, can encourage better health.
Last Updated on June 29, 2026 by Daily News Staff
(Feature Impact) Making health-conscious decisions with your at-home menu doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does require commitment and a little more foresight at the grocery store. Simple adjustments to overall eating patterns, like building your plate around produce, powerful proteins and whole grains, can encourage better health.
Nutritious meal-planning can be easy, affordable and delicious – and it all starts with a little balance. Consider this advice from the American Heart Association’s Healthy for Good initiative, nationally sponsored by the Egg Nutrition Center, to adequately round out a healthy plate.
Fill Half Your Plate with Fruits and Veggies
Loaded with nutrients, fresh produce is a perfect place to start each plate. Fill about half your plate with combinations of bananas, strawberries, blueberries, sweet potatoes, peas, carrots and more of your favorites. To boost variety with each meal, look for fruit and veggie blends or step out of your usual routine and try something new.
Grocery tip: Frozen fruits and veggies are often cheaper and just as delicious as their fresh counterparts. It’s frozen right after it’s picked, locking in freshness for a longer shelf life. Just be sure to avoid products with added salt or sugar.
Carve Out a Quarter of the Plate for Powerful Proteins
Healthy food isn’t just fuel. It should be easy and nourish you, too. Look for versatile solutions that provide a protein power-up like skinless chicken breast, no-salt-added beans, low-sodium tuna, tofu or eggs.
High-quality protein from foods, along with a balanced diet and regular exercise, can help support the muscles in your body. Eggs are an example, along with lean animal protein and some plant-based proteins. According to the American Heart Association’s guidelines, healthy people can include up to one whole egg daily, and up to seven per week, as part of a heart-healthy diet. For older adults with normal cholesterol, two eggs per day is acceptable.
Eggs deliver both protein and choline, nutrients that help support growing brains and bodies, especially early in life. In fact, many Americans don’t get enough choline, a critical nutrient for supporting brain development, memory and mood.
Grocery tip: Stock up on proteins that offer both versatility and affordability, helping you cook multiple meals per week without putting a dent in your wallet. Eggs are a perfect example as they can be used at any meal, not just breakfast – try them in wraps or omelets in the morning, hard-boil them to go with a lunchtime salad or add to a frittata at dinner.
Save a Corner for Whole Grains
Finally, fill that last quarter of the plate with ready-to-go whole grains, many of which provide dietary fiber that can support a healthy heart and healthy digestion. Conversely, most refined grains contain little or no fiber.
Examples of whole grains include barley, brown rice, corn, oatmeal, rolled or steel-cut oats, popcorn, quinoa, sorghum and wild rice, along with products labeled “whole grain” or “whole wheat” like bread or pasta.
Grocery tip: Look for whole grains that can make mealtime a cinch. Corn tortillas, instant oats and even popcorn can help you create nutritious plates and better-for-you snacks with the snap of your fingers. Try keeping packets of pre-cooked brown rice on hand to bulk up favorite dishes or toss with leftovers to round out a healthy plate.
Visit Heart.org to discover more nutrition guidance for heart-healthy meals.
3 Tips to Complement a Healthy, Balanced Plate
Nutrition isn’t just about what’s on your plate – it’s also about what’s next to it and how much is on it. Pair a balanced meal with this advice to help take healthy eating to the next level.
Stay Hydrated
If it’s not already a habit, add a glass of water to each meal. Staying hydrated helps your heart pump blood throughout the body, get rid of waste and regulate body temperature. While water is the best source of hydration, water-rich foods like fruits and vegetables can also play a role.
Watch Portion Sizes
Pay attention to suggested servings from your favorite food groups. For example, one slice of whole-grain bread, 1/2 cup of cooked pasta and two ounces of cheese (about the size of a domino) are the suggested serving sizes for these popular foods.
You can serve and eat smaller portions by:
- When cooking at home, offer the proper serving size to each family member then put extra food away for leftovers.
- When dining out, skip appetizers and split your meal with a friend or partner.
- Avoid eating while watching TV or at your computer. It may be harder to control how much you’re eating if you’re not paying full attention.
- Mindfully measure out your snacks – even fruits and veggies – into appropriate portions before serving instead of helping yourself directly from the bag or box.
Limit Salt
While sodium supports vital functions like controlling your body’s fluid balance, excess sodium in your bloodstream pulls water into the blood vessels, increasing the amount of blood inside them and thus increasing blood pressure. More than 70% of the sodium people eat comes from packaged, prepared and restaurant foods due to salt added for flavoring, stabilizing, preserving and reducing bacterial risk, according to the American Heart Association.
Cutting back on sodium can help reduce the rise in blood pressure that occurs as you age, even if you don’t have high blood pressure now. It may also help reduce the risk of heart attack, heart failure, kidney disease and more.
Try cooking more meals at home where you can control sodium intake, flavoring foods with herbs and spices instead of table salt and rinsing canned beans and vegetables to wash away excess sodium.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock (family preparing meal)
SOURCE:
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recipes
Celebrate the Return of Fall with One-Pot Ratatouille Spaghetti
As the seasons change, you don’t have to overhaul all your meal plans immediately. Usher in the arrival of autumn with recipes like Ratatouille Spaghetti that blend fresh, summery produce with warm fall flavors.
Last Updated on November 13, 2026 by Daily News Staff
Celebrate the Return of Fall with One-Pot Ratatouille Spaghetti
(Feature Impact) As the seasons change, you don’t have to overhaul all your meal plans immediately. Usher in the arrival of autumn with recipes that blend fresh, summery produce with warm fall flavors.
This Ratatouille Spaghetti recipe is a perfect way to make the most of those last few harvests from the garden or trips to the farmer’s market. Create layers of rich flavor by taking your time with each vegetable – first browning the eggplant then softening the zucchini and tomatoes before adding flavorful aromatics like garlic and thyme to make the whole house smell delicious. The addition of chickpeas or cannellini beans boosts the protein and fiber in the meal, and you can use a high-protein or whole-grain pasta for even more nutrition.
The best part is, while this meal might taste gourmet, you can have it ready in less than an hour – and leave yourself with only one pot to wash afterwards. Even if it’s a school night, it only takes a few extra steps to make a spaghetti dinner feel a little fancier.
Discover more seasonal recipes at Culinary.net.
Ratatouille Spaghetti
Recipe adapted from Serious Eats
Total time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 pound unpeeled eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 2 large zucchini, divided
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 can (12 ounces) chickpeas or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup jarred tomato puree
- 12 ounces dried spaghetti
- 1 orange, yellow or red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
- lemon juice, to taste
- In large Dutch oven or stovetop pot, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add eggplant and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; cook 8-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned and softened. Transfer to medium bowl and set aside. Wipe pot clean if remaining browned bits are starting to burn.
- Cut one zucchini into 1-inch pieces. In now-empty pot, heat remaining oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add zucchini pieces, onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is browned and softened. Stir in garlic, thyme and red pepper; cook about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Stir in reserved eggplant and chickpeas or cannellini beans.
- Add water, tomato puree and remaining salt to pot then bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Add spaghetti, reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot and cook about 8 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking, until spaghetti is almost al dente.
- Cut remaining zucchini into 1/2-inch pieces. Add zucchini pieces and bell pepper to spaghetti and cook 6-8 minutes, covered, over medium-low heat, stirring often, until pasta is al dente and vegetables are tender. Stir in fresh tomatoes and basil; remove from heat.
- Divide evenly among six bowls. Finish with squeeze of lemon juice for extra brightness, to taste, and garnish with extra olive oil, basil and crushed red pepper, if desired.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
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recipes
Talking Texture: Identifying a Key Snacking Trend
Identifying a Key Snacking Trend: From the first crunch or snap to a soft, chewy finish, snacking goes beyond flavor. It’s a full-body sensory experience, and texture can play an important role in turning an everyday bite into something worth slowing down to enjoy like Buffalo Spiced Snack Mix or Butterscotch Pretzel Cookies.
Talking Texture: Identifying a Key Snacking Trend
(Feature Impact) From the first crunch or snap to a soft, chewy finish, snacking goes beyond flavor. It’s a full-body sensory experience, and texture can play an important role in turning an everyday bite into something worth slowing down to enjoy.
According to the 2026 State of Snacking Report – a collaboration between Mondelēz International, Mintel and Black Swan Data – snacks are evolving beyond simply filling the space between meals. People are increasingly interested in truly indulging in the moment, no matter the occasion, and the survey revealed texture is of growing importance in that experience, quickly becoming one of the most craveable qualities in snacking.
Texture opens a new world of surprise and delight, creating contrast and a multisensory experience that rewards attention and keeps each bite interesting. Consider these ways snackers are prioritizing texture in their indulgences.
Never Settling for Just One Texture
Today’s snackers want everything: health and indulgence, nostalgia and novelty, convenience and connection. Texture can help bring them all together in snacks like Buffalo Spiced Snack Mix, creating variety from bite to bite. Peanuts, pretzels and raisins can be part of your new go-to, getting a spicy makeover with Buffalo sauce in this quick and easy treat.
Taking Snack Time Beyond the Crunch
While crunch is a classic snacking sensation, it’s far from the only texture consumers seek. Among U.S. consumers who buy crackers, 38% said texture is an important attribute, ranking second to flavor (52%).
Colliding Textures Make Magic
When soft meets crunchy or creamy complements crispy, you can explore an entirely new level of snacking satisfaction. Among U.S. cookie consumers, 55% pointed to texture as the most important attribute when purchasing cookies, suggesting they’re choosing not just between flavors but rather looking for crispy, chewy, soft-baked options and beyond. You can bring the inspiration of colliding textures to your own kitchen with these Butterscotch Pretzel Cookies, which pair crispy cookies with chewy brownies and crunchy pretzels for a complex yet complementary combination.
Find more snacking trends and texture insights by visiting StateOfSnacking.com.
Buffalo Spiced Snack Mix
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 27 minutes
Servings: 18
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 package (8.1 ounces) RITZ Toasted Chips Original
- 1 cup lightly salted peanuts
- 1 cup miniature pretzel twists
- 1/4 cup Buffalo wing sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup raisins
- Heat oven to 375 F.
- Cover large, rimmed baking sheet with foil; spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In large bowl, combine chips, peanuts and pretzels; set aside.
- In small bowl, mix wing sauce, honey and cumin until blended. Add to chips mixture; toss to evenly coat.
- Spread chips mixture onto prepared baking sheet.
- Bake 10-12 minutes, or until lightly toasted, stirring occasionally. Remove snack mix from oven; stir in raisins. Cool completely.
Butterscotch Pretzel Brownies
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes
Servings: 24
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 12 CHIPS AHOY! Cookies, coarsely chopped, divided
- 1/2 cup butterscotch chips, divided
- 5 thin pretzel twists (2 1/4 inches), broken into 1-inch pieces
- Heat oven to 350 F.
- Line 13-by-9-inch baking pan with foil, extending ends of foil over sides; spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine flour and baking powder.
- In large bowl, use mixer to beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Add six chopped cookies and 1/4 cup butterscotch chips; mix well.
- Spread batter evenly onto bottom of prepared pan.
- Top with pretzel pieces and remaining chopped cookies and butterscotch chips. Use back of spoon to partially press toppings into batter.
- Bake 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. Do not overbake. Cool completely.
- Use foil handles to remove dessert from pan before cutting into bars to serve.
SOURCE:
Mondelez International
Food
Separating a Good Steak from a Great One: Understanding How Cut and Preparation Make a Difference
Even frequent steak diners may not know exactly what separates one cut from another. Preparation matters too, and understanding those differences can make it easier to choose the steak that best fits your taste.
Separating a Good Steak from a Great One: Understanding How Cut and Preparation Make a Difference
(Feature Impact) Even frequent steak diners may not know exactly what separates one cut from another. The cut is simply the section of beef the steak comes from, and it helps shape tenderness, marbling and flavor. Preparation matters too, and understanding those differences can make it easier to choose the steak that best fits your taste.
Watch this to find out more:
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“When you’re looking for a great steak, it’s really all about the details,” said chef Efrem Cutler, chief steak officer for Outback Steakhouse. “It starts with quality beef and our longstanding sourcing standards. We’ve built on what we already do well across our steak lineup, from center-cut sirloin to ribeye, with even more focus on hand-trimming, seasoning, preparation and training. When you bring all of that together, you get a steak that’s tender, juicy and packed with flavor.”
Still, many diners aren’t sure which cut is right for them. Just 41% of Americans said they’re confident in their knowledge of different steak cuts, according to Outback Steakhouse’s Modern Steakhouse Survey.
If you want big, bold flavor, Cutler recommends a ribeye. For something incredibly tender, opt for the filet mignon. For a balance of flavor and tenderness, try a New York strip.
“Understanding the differences between cuts can make ordering easier,” Cutler said. “We want guests to feel confident choosing the steak that fits their taste.”
With its Best Steaks Ever lineup of hand-selected, hand-trimmed, perfectly seasoned and expertly seared steaks, including the new Down Under Delmonico Ribeye and New York strip, alongside Victoria’s barrel-cut filet mignon, center-cut sirloin and Rockhampton ribeye, guests can find the cut and flavor profile they crave.
Visit outback.com/steak to learn more and find a location near you.
SOURCE:
Outback Steakhouse
