There are a few ways a young person newly on their own, or just out of college, could prepare food for themselves. One option is to plan meals for the week ahead of time and make a grocery list based on those meals. This helps ensure the necessary ingredients are purchased and reduces the frequency of trips to the grocery store. Consider meal prepping, or preparing several servings of a dish at once and storing them for easy reheating throughout the week. Simple meals like salads, stir fries, and pasta dishes are also relatively easy to prepare and can be customized with various ingredients to keep things interesting. If you are unsure of how to cook certain dishes or techniques, there are many online resources and tutorials available to help learn and improve skills.

Jacquelyn Cafasso writes for Healthline Nutrition to help us understand how honey wins out:
But both honey and agave nectar are caloric sweeteners and offer little added nutritional value. Honey is better than agave nectar because it is:

• higher in antioxidants
• lower in fructose-content
• less processed
• has other health benefits

Agave nectar is marketed for its low glycemic index, but its high fructose content cancels out its potential upsides. If you don’t like the taste of honey, or you’re a strict vegan who doesn’t eat honey, the differences between the two aren’t significant enough to warrant making the change.

Read Cafasso's article, in its entirety, on Healthline's website.

National Nutrition Month® is an annual campaign created 50 years ago in 1973 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). During the month of March, everyone is invited to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthful eating and physical activity habits.
Visit AND’s website for more information, including this year's theme, 50 Ideas to Get Involved and campaign resources available in multiple languages.
Join us in congratulating the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics on their 50th Anniversary of National Nutrition Month®!

Sucrose, glucose, and fructose are three common types of sugar that are absorbed differently and have slightly different effects on the body. Whether they occur naturally in foods or are added to them also makes a big difference in how they affect your health.

Here's an article we had a hard time opening.  But we did.  And because we all want to be healthy, we know you will want to open and read it too.

This article explains why commercially fried foods are bad for you and provides some healthier alternatives to consider (thankfully).

Pumpkin, chia seeds, cactus, and chocolate - Who knew?!! 

Read the article by Krista Linares, MPH, RDN, from Healthline.

What are nightshade fruits and veggies?
Nightshade fruits and vegetables are a broad group of plants from the Solanaceae family. Nightshade plants contain poisonous alkaloids, one called solanine.
While ingesting nightshade plants can be fatal, fruits and vegetables in this same classification of plant — many of which you’ll find at your local grocery store — are actually safe to eat.
This is because the amount of this toxic compound is lowered to nontoxic levels once the fruits and vegetables ripen. Still, the leaves and berries of the deadly nightshade plant are toxic and shouldn’t be consumed.
Find out exactly which of the nightshades are the most nutritious.

• Tomatoes
• Potatoes
• Bell peppers
• Hot peppers
• Eggplant
• Tomatillos
• Goji berries
• Blueberries

Know the three P's: Plan, Purchase and Prepare
Practice these P’s to make tasty, good-for-you meals that are pocketbook friendly.
Plan:

• Plan meals and snacks for the week around a set budget.
• Find quick and easy recipes in the MyKitchen section of yumpower.com.
  
• Include meals that will "stretch" expensive food items (stews, casseroles, stir-fried dishes).
• Make a grocery list.
• Check for sales and coupons in the local paper or online and consider discount stores.

Purchase:

• Buy groceries when you’re not hungry and not too rushed on time.
• Stick to your list and avoid aisles that don’t contain items on your list.
• Buy store brands if cheaper.
• Find and compare unit prices listed on shelves to get the best price.
• Purchase some items in bulk or as family packs which usually cost less.
• Choose fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables and canned vegetables with less salt.
• Pre-cut fruits and vegetables, individual cups of yogurt and instant rice and hot cereal are convenient but usually cost more than those that require a bit more prep time.
• Good low-cost items available all year include: Protein — beans (garbanzo, black, cannellini); vegetables — carrots, greens, potatoes; and fruit — apples, bananas

Prepare:

• Some meal items can be prepared in advance; pre-cook on days when you have time.
  
• Double or triple up on recipes and freeze meal-sized containers of soups and casseroles or divide into individual portions.
• Try a few meatless meals by substituting with beans and peas or try "no-cook" meals like salads.
• Incorporate leftovers into another meal.
• Be creative with fruits and vegetables and use them in different ways during the week.

EatFresh.org's mini nutrition education online course teaches you how to (1) Eat for Health, (2) Save Money on Groceries, and (3) Cook Easy, Tasty Meals.  What have you got to lose?