cooking

Back-to-School: Meal Planning and Make-Ahead Recipes

As the back-to-school season approaches, the need for quick, nutritious, and delicious meals may become more essential than ever. Balancing a busy schedule with the desire to provide healthy meals for yourself and your family might seem challenging, but with some thoughtful planning and creative recipes, you can breeze through weeknight dinners and pack wholesome… Read more »

“March” Into Spring: Welcoming a New Season

On March 20th, 2023 we welcome the official start of the Spring season with the Spring Equinox. With Spring comes warmer weather, flowers in bloom, and more in-season produce in Virginia. How can you best enjoy this season of blooming? 5 Tips for a Happy and Healthy Spring: 1. Enjoy more time outdoors with friends… Read more »

Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15 – October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month. First introduced by California Congressman George E. Brown in 1968, this month serves as a recognition for the many roles that Hispanic individuals have played in our communities around the country. The dates are significant because these they represent the Independence Day celebrations of five Hispanic… Read more »

Including Kids When Cooking

Do your kids want to join in on making meals and snacks? Does the idea of a messy kitchen or failed recipe seem daunting? Whether young or old, here are three tricks that can make it easy to include kids in the cooking process – plus a bonus tip you won’t want to miss!

October Shop Smart, Eat Smart Partner of the Month: Food Country USA in Saltville

Food Country USA in Saltville, Va., may be laid out like many other grocery stores, but it stands out among the rest because of the care toward its customers.  “I think our people are unique, the employees are definitely unique here. It’s more of a hometown feel for sure,” store manager Jeff Eldreth said. 

How to Make Healthier, Homemade Ice Cream

Ice cream is a tasty treat, and it cools us off after a hot day. However, ice cream can be expensive, and it’s unhealthy for our growing bodies. Most ice cream sold in the store or in the ice cream truck is full of sugar and other harmful ingredients. Those treats are also often wrapped… Read more »

Build Your Own Tex Mex Meal

Do you ever get home from work and not know what to make for dinner? Tex Mex meals such as burrito bowls, nachos, and quesadillas are quick, easy, and can be made with foods from your #BetterPantry. Use these simple steps to Build Your Own Tex Mex meal.

 

Meal Planning Help for the Busy Family

Do you struggle with meal planning? Do you prepare meals for your family or just yourself? Whether you are cooking for one or more, meal planning is a skill that takes practice be learned. Even if you know how to plan and shop in advance, it still requires something precious and costly – your time.

 

A Tasty Way to Eat Your Veggies

Written by Jordan Zelenky Part of National Nutrition Month 2014 How many times have you been told to eat two or three servings of vegetables every day? If you’re anything like me, you probably hear that message all the time. Unfortunately, most people just don’t like the taste of those green, leafy veggies. What’s so… Read more »

 

Scrumptious Spinach

Written by Deanna Teter Part of National Nutrition Month 2014 Spinach is a veggie many people do not like because of the rep that comes with it; people do not think it tastes good. But, if you are not a fan of how it tastes by itself, it can taste great when you add it… Read more »