Spring brings us a bountiful, new selection of seasonal, fresh produce to enjoy, but asparagus has become one of our favorite ways of welcoming spring. Asparagus recipes run the gamut from breakfast to dinner, and their fresh and earthy flavor makes them very versatile for use in many different dishes.

Asparagus Nutrition

• Asparagus isn’t just delicious, it’s also a nutritional powerhouse full of fiber, folate, antioxidants and vitamins A, C, E and K.
• Roast, grill or stir-fry your asparagus. These quick-cooking, waterless methods will preserve the fabulous nutritional content and antioxidant power of asparagus.

 

 

Asparagus Recipes

Look to asparagus when you need a quick and easy side dish — these slender stalks require only minimal preparation. They cook up quickly with olive oil and salt and pepper on the grill or roasted in the oven. Look for thinner stalks if you want to sauté on the stove top or work them into salad recipes.

Asparagus recipes are great for a spring brunch. One of the best ways to win over a crowd is with prosciutto wrapped asparagus or creamy asparagus soup.

           

Ingredient	Tips	Swaps
All-purpose flour	Choose whole grain flours: whole wheat, brown rice, oat flour, etc.	Whole Wheat Pastry Flour: Whole wheat pastry flour has all the nutrition of whole wheat, but it is finely milled so that it has a smooth texture like all-purpose flour. It’s a great substitute in cookies like these Thumbprint Cookies. Almond flour: Replace up to ¼ c flour in a recipe to boost protein content. Coconut flour: Replace 20% of the flour in a recipe to reduce carbohydrate content and provide a boost in fiber! (Be sure to add equal parts water to coconut flour) Ground Flaxseeds: Rich in soluble fiber and cancer-fighting lignans, replace about 15% of the flour in a recipe. Beans! Use 1 cup of cooked pureed beans to replace 1 cup of flour + 2 Tbs of fat. Use black beans in brownies like in this recipe for Flourless Brownies. Red Kidney beans in red velvet cake White Beans in cookies
Butter or fat in baking	Be wary of Low-Fat, Reduced fat, Fat-free products because they often use sugar to replace fat.	Avocado: Replace ½ the amount of fat in a recipe with heart healthy avocado. Example: recipe calls for 1 cup of butter:  use ½ c avocado + ½ c butter. You’ll save 78 calories and six grams of saturated fat for every tablespoon! This Healthy Chocolate Pudding recipe is a great example of how good avocado can be in dessert.  Beans: Use a 1:1 ration to swap beans for fats Greek yogurt: Use plain, low-fat Greek yogurt in place of half the amount of butter Simply use less: Fat content can often be reduced by 25% without adversely affecting sweetness or texture.
Eggs in baking	The swaps here function as binders.  If a recipe calls for eggs to serve as a leavening agent as well, add an extra ¼ tsp of baking powder.	Ground Flaxseed: 1 Tbs = 1 egg Ground or whole chia seed: 1 tbs = 1 egg  (Both Flax and Chia are rich in soluble fiber) These Coconut Breakfast Cookies use chia in place of eggs. Pumpkin puree/Canned pumpkin: ¼ cup pumpkin = 1 egg                                            (Cuts calories by ½ and offers 1 gram of natural sugar and twice the RDA of Vitamin A.
Breadcrumbs	Choose whole grain bread crumbs	High-fiber cereal (Arrowhead Mills Whole Grain Flakes, Shredded Wheat, Rip’s Big Bowl): Crush or blend cereal to a fine crumb. (Increases fiber content and cuts calories by ½) Oats, flaxseeds, and nuts: Blend 50% nuts, 25% flaxseeds, and 25% nuts of choice into a crumbly consistency. (Use as a gluten-free bread crumb replacement and a boost of fiber and heart-healthy fats.)
Sugar	Adding flavors like cinnamon, vanilla, and almond extracts to recipes will boost the perception of sweetness without actually adding sugar because we naturally associate these flavors with sweetness.	Date Paste: Puree 1 cup pitted dates + ½ – 1 cup hot water until a thick paste is made to replace 1 cup sugar. A touch of salt: A tiny dash of salt can increase the perception of sweetness Honey: Nature’s natural sweetener Simply use less: Reduce sugar by ¼ to ½ in baked goods and desserts, without adversely affecting sweetness or texture.
Traditional Potato Dishes	Potatoes themselves aren’t bad… it’s all in how you prepare them! Cut back on butter and salt to make potatoes healthier.	Mashed cauliflower: Cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower are proven cancer-fighters and can be prepared just like classic mashed potatoes. Oven-roasted sweet potatoes: Instead of serving candied yams, which have 215 calories per half-cup, try sweet potatoes roasted in the oven with olive oil. (Cuts calories in ½ and adds healthy fat.)

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I’ve pulled together some  Halloween recipes that are healthy, but still taste good enough to feel like a treat! They incorporate nourishing whole food ingredients, but also mix in some sweets so that kids don’t feel totally deprived. These snacks will distract little ones from the big bag of sugar they’ll collect on Halloween for at least a little while!

PUMPKIN PARFAIT

Pumpkin boosts nutrition by adding fiber and vitamins like A and C. Greek yogurt brings protein and fat to temper blood sugar spikes and keep kids feeling full and satisfied.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain, unsweetened greek yogurt
• ¼ cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tablespoon honey (or more to taste)
• ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ¼ cup crumbled sandwich cookies (substitute granola for a breakfast or adult treat)
• 1 package gummy worms

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, mix yogurt, pumpkin, honey, and pumpkin pie spice together.
2. Line a tall glass, ¼ cup of pumpkin yogurt mix, followed by 1 tablespoon of cookie crumbs. Repeat layers.
3. Top with gummy worms and serve chilled.

CARAMEL APPLE TRAIL MIX

Pumpkin Pie Caramel popcorn is a yummy seasonal treat and it’s a healthier snack when you pair it with classic popcorn, apple chips and almonds.

Ingredients:

• 365 Pumpkin Pie Popcorn
• 365 Classic Popcorn
• Bare Apple Chips (Cinnamon and Granny Smith flavors pictured)
• Roasted Almonds

Instructions:

Combine and serve.

MINI MUMMY PIZZAS

These mini pizzas are a festive dinner for Halloween night.

Ingredients:

• 4 whole wheat English muffins, split and toasted
• 2/3 cup marinara sauce
• 1 cup finely chopped kale, spinach or chard
• 1 yellow or green bell pepper, cored and finely chopped
• 1 (6-ounce) package light string cheese
• 16 slices black olives

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Arrange muffins on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and spoon marinara onto each half.
3. Top with kale and peppers, and then shred cheese into strings, arranging it over the muffins like a mummy’s bandages.
4. Arrange 2 olive slices on each half for eyes and bake until cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.

We know our shoppers care about what they put on their body in the same way they care about putting the best food in their body. That’s why we carefully evaluate every product we sell and hold ourselves to high quality standards. We’ve excluded more than 100 ingredients (common in conventional body care products) from our products at Whole Foods Market. We do this as a service to our customers so that shoppers feel comfortable choosing anything they like from our shelves knowing we’ve done the research.

We have a lot of options, so here are 10 favorite body care product our buyers especially love.

1.  Seaweed Bath Co. Body Wash

This body wash detoxifies and hydrates skin while it cleans. The blue green algae in this formula is rich in antioxidants and the neem oil is antimicrobial and hydrating.

2.  Pacha Whipped Soap

Whipped soap is way more fun than a bar! Plus, Pacha Whipped Soap has pumice and organic, fair trade sugar which exfoliates the skin while you clean it. This Cucumber Seaweed blend calms and nourishes with soothing arnica extract and essential oils.

3.  Acure Calming Body Lotion

This lotion is moisturizing, and the aroma of lavender will help you decompress while you apply it. If you shower and moisturize right before going to bed, this is a great choice for you!

4.  Lux Body Butter

Treat yourself to this light and fluffy whipped body butter. The formula is made up of super moisturizing ingredients like high quality shea butter, coconut oil, hemp seed oil and nourishing vitamin E.

5.  Trilogy Antioxidant + Rosehip Seed Oil

This organic face oil goes on smooth and feels hydrating (not oily)! Antioxidants defend skin and essential oils repair and hydrate.

6.  Mychelle Sun Shield Liquid Tint SPF 50

We love that this is a safe 100% mineral sun screen. If you’ve tried natural sunscreen you know that some go on thick and chalky, but not this one! It has a super light liquid formula that blends into skin seamlessly. The sheer tint works well with a range of skin tones. You can wear it alone for a natural look or use it as a primer under foundation.

7.  Evan Healy Whipped Shea Butter for Lips

This will be in our pockets to defend against chapped lips this winter. It features raspberry seed oil, avocado & Moroccan argan oils. It’s also certified organic.

8.  Pacifica Coconut Micellar Water Cleansing Tonic

Powerful yet gentle, this innovative tonic water helps capture and lift away dirt, oil, and makeup without harsh rubbing or even rinsing. It leaves skin feeling clean, hydrated and refreshed without over-drying.

9.  Hauschka Night Serum

This fragrant serum for nighttime repair is oil-free so that skin can breathe freely which supports its natural renewal processes. The formula also contains witch hazel to tone your skin while you rest.

10.  Pacifica’s Devocean Lipstick

This is a 100% vegan, hydrating long wear lipstick. We love the creamy consistency and highly pigmented color.

Bonus: Keep Leaf Toiletry Bag

Now that you have all these great body care products, you’ll need something to store them in. This bag is made of 100% Organic Cotton Canvas and the colors and pattern options are super cute!

Come into Whole Foods Market October 6-8 to get 25% these and all of our body care products!

Now that summer vacations are over, you may be thinking about how to get into a better weekday meal routine. Planning ahead with some time-saving hacks is the best way to make sure you’re prepared for success.

Here are some dinnertime dash tips that will help you put a healthy meal on the table fast:

1. Meal Prep: This is the #1 trend in healthy home cooking. It’s really a simple idea, you take one day a week (usually Sunday) and cook a bunch of staple ingredients that you will refrigerate and eat throughout the week. As you decide what to prep think about three categories: Grains, Protein and Vegetables. When dinner time comes you just have to heat everything back up.
   1. Grains: Quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, bulgur, farro or whole grain couscous
   2. Protein: Beans, tofu, ground beef or chicken. While the weather is still nice, it’s super easy to grill protein for the week.
   3. Vegetables: Choose hearty vegetables that will hold up well after cooking. Seasonal fresh produce will always taste the best so in early autumn I choose potatoes, zucchini, broccoli, green beans, carrots, parsnips, squash, cabbage, spinach, kale, and chard.
2. Batch cook and freeze: If you like the idea of meal prep, but don’t want to eat the same food on repeat all week, take a look at this video which will teach you How to Batch Cook and Freeze. This way you will always have nutritious option on hand and ready to go. Each week you can batch cook something new so that you build a variety of frozen meals to choose from. 
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Going back to school can be a bummer after weeks of summertime fun, so I want to offer a few playful breakfast ideas.

In addition to being fun, they are quick to prepare and nourishing. To make sure breakfast is wholesome I always try to check off these 3 boxes:

• Whole Grains
• Produce (Fruit and/or veggie)
• Protein & Healthy Fat

Why? The whole grains and fresh produce offer sustained energy and the protein and healthy fat will keep little ones feeling full until lunchtime.

Try these breakfast options in order to mix up your morning routine.

Breakfast Banana Split

Ingredients:

• Banana
• Greek yogurt
• Granola
• Berries

Directions:

1. Slice a banana lengthwise and place in a shallow bowl.
2. Scoop yogurt in between the banana slices.
3. Top with granola and berries.

Tip: We recommend choosing full-fat greek yogurt because it wards off hunger longer thanks to its higher protein and fat content.

Breakfast Sushi

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August brings us a bounty of beautiful summer produce, but it also brings busy schedules as kids go back to school and we get back into our fall routines. This leaves little time for cooking dinner and since the weather is still nice, we’d rather not spend extra time in the kitchen anyway! So make your dinnertime dash a breeze with these super simple recipes that make the most of late summer produce.

1. Caprese Couscous: Serve with grilled chicken.. bonus points if you eat dinner al fresco!

2. Avocado Salmon Salad with Kale: This salad calls for kale, but it would be great with whatever lettuces or hearty greens you have available.

3. Fresh Melon Salsa: This melon salsa tastes like summer! Serve it on top of simply grilled fish or meat.

4. Fiery Wok-Seared Green Beans: Green beans are great this time of year so we love that they are the star of the show here. Serve them with grilled or sautéed tofu.

5. Summer Squash and Goat Cheese Pizza: A different way to use summer squash! This pizza is great as a main dish and is equally tasty cut in small pieces and served at room temperature as an appetizer.

Is it warm enough for you yet? During these super-hot days, it’s really important to keep hydration in mind. While a good old glass of  water is the best and most affordable option for hydration, sometimes you want something more flavorful and fun. Here are 10 ways to fill up on fluids that go beyond the tap!

10 Tips for Summer Sips

1. Add flavor naturally — Make your humble glass of water just a bit more refreshing by adding lemon, lime, cucumber, mint or a splash of 100% fruit juice. You can also freeze extra slices of citrus and drop them right into your drink instead of ice cubes!
2. Choose sparkling water — When you are bored of plain water, try a sparkling option like Italian Sparkling Mineral Water or flavored, unsweetened options like LaCroix. Sometimes bubbles are just enough make you feel like your glass of water is more of a treat. To take your sparkling drink to the next level, try out this Blueberry Summer Refresher with oranges, blueberries and mint – yum!
3. Brew your own iced tea — Iced tea is a great no-calorie beverage to have on hand in the summer. Just pour boiling water over 2 or 3 tea bags in a large pitcher, then refrigerate after it brews to your desired strength. Toss in fresh fresh fruit, fresh ginger or a stalk of mint to add some interest like we did in this recipe for Honeydew Green Tea.
4. Coconut or Watermelon Water — These natural fruit drinks are a great alternative to juice. Coconut Water and Watermelon Water both have less than half the sugar of a traditional fruit juice like apple. Plus, they have naturally occurring electrolytes which are just what your body needs in the summer heat. Try 100% fresh pressed options like Harmless Harvest Coconut Water and WTRMLN WTR brand Watermelon Water (pictured above).
5. Make cold brew coffee — I love smooth tasting cold brew over ice in the morning. Have you ever made it yourself? Here’s the shockingly easy recipe.
6. Make lemonade or limeade — Nothing says summer like lemonade, so make your own high quality version where you can control the sugar level and type of sweetener. For an even lower sugar option, replace some of your sweetener with stevia extract. I think fresh squeezed juice provides the best flavor, but bottled 100% juice is the ultimate shortcut in this quick recipe for lemonade or limeade.
7. Electrolyte Water — Electrolytes help your body recover after you get dehydrated from exercise or the hot sun. 365 Everyday Value Electrolyte Water is deionized water with added electrolytes which support optimum hydration. It’s a low-priced, simple, zero-calorie refreshment option.
8. Have a spritzer — Mixing alcohol and summer heat can be a dangerous combo so support hydration and pace yourself by adding a little sparkling water to your wine. This refreshing Wine Tea Punch with Summer Fruit that features fresh cherry and metabolism supporting green tea is a perfectly healthy drink to celebrate with this summer.
9. Ice, ice baby! Freeze leftover coffee, tea or juice in ice cube trays. Drop these cubes into your iced coffee, tea or other favorite beverage to keep it icy cold without watering it down.
10. Make a hyrdrating meal — You can fend off dehydration with the meals you choose too. Fresh fruit, salads, and summer soup like this Watermelon Tomato Gazpacho fill you up and hydrate you at the same time!

Cheers to a healthy summer!

 

When it’s hot, the last thing you want to do is turn on the oven, so here are some no-cook meals that will help you stay cool this summer. They feature the best of summer veggies so that you’ll be inspired to make the most of all the fresh, local produce that’s available this time of the year!

GAZPACHO

Refreshing gazpacho hits the stop on hot days. Add flair and substance to these recipes with fun garnishes. We love chopped cooked shrimp and diced avocado on top for added protein and healthy fats.

 

 

 

JUST NOODLE WITH IT

One of my favorite summer meals is zucchini noodles.  If you don’t have a spiralizer to make the noodles–don’t worry–simply grate zucchini length-wise on a box grater or peel length-wise with a vegetable peeler to create “noodles”. Short on time? At Whole Foods Market we sell prepared zucchini noodles in our produce department. Check out the other veggie noodle options such as sweet potato, summer squash, beet and carrot noodles as well!

There’s no need to cook the zucchini noodles because they actually have a better texture when you leave them raw. Top them with classic spaghetti sauce, dress them with your favorite vinaigrette or just add olive oil, salt and pepper. Personally, I love pesto on my noodles. Here’s a recipe we love:

 

 

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