Grilled Salmon with Strawberry Avocado Salsa
Try this easy omega-3-rich grilled salmon with a zesty berry avocado salsa for your next barbecue.
Dandelion Salad with Hard-Boiled Eggs
Dandelions, a bitter green, surprisingly make a great salad. Pair them with hard-boiled eggs and vinegar, and you’ve got yourself a healthy, hearty salad.
This recipe is from The Clean Plates Cookbook ($17; Running Press) by Jared Koch with Jill Silverman Hough.
Sip this tea alternative to sleep well and prevent disease
Golden milk (or turmeric tea) is a warm, antioxidant-rich drink named for its star spice: turmeric.
This recipe is from The Clean Plates Cookbook ($17; Running Press) by Jared Koch with Jill Silverman Hough.
5 New Healthy Products We Love: Volume 14
From quick veggie noodles to a super nutritious power bar, we found healthy on-the-go snacks for this week’s new products column.
4 Common Yoga Mistakes & How To Fix Them
Whether you’re new to yoga or have been hitting the mat for years, see if you’re making one of these common mistakes.
5 New Healthy Products We Love: Volume 13
This week’s list is loaded with tasty items to help you save time and stay satisfied, from the easiest oats ever to a creamy, protein-packed swap for yogurt.
Thai Mustard Greens with Coconut Milk
Phoebe Lapine’s Thai-inspired mustard green casserole with coconut milk, lime juice, crispy shallots and almonds makes a perfect quick dinner.
10 Tips to a Healthier Holiday Celebration
Instead of giving—or getting—another food and drink hangover, follow these simple tips for a healthy, happy party
You’ve woken with more holiday hangovers than you can count. How can you start the new year off right? You’re in luck—we’ve got the answers.
Marcel Vigneron Embraces Eating His Veggies
The Top Chef veteran goes plant-based in his new Los Angeles restaurant
The Top Chef veteran talks about his plant-based L.A. restaurant, Beefsteak, and why eating your veggies is becoming so popular.
Healthy Holiday Dishes That Will Please Everyone
Hanging for the holidays with vegan, gluten-free, low-sugar and Paleo eaters? What do you feed them? We have the answers
These sweet and savory recipes will bring eaters with every kind of diet-restriction—vegan, Paleo, gluten-free or sugar-free—holiday joy.
Sufganiyot
This Hanukkah season try this sufganiyot (jelly doughnut) recipe with healthier, unprocessed ingredients. Your taste buds will still be wowed.
Coconut Whipped Cream
Coconut can mimic the heavy cream used in making whipped cream, without the cholesterol or the dairy.
Spicy Hot Chocolate
This decadent and luxurious spicy hot chocolate is good for colon and heart health and improving your mood any day.
5 New Healthy Products We Love: Volume 12
Our weekly picks of the best new healthy items out there
Great new healthy snacks for when you’re “hangry” include veggie noodles from Hungryroot, Mikey’s Muffins, Tahini from Shirley Bar, and juice from Munk Pack.
New Nutrition Labels: The Clean Plates Primer
These packaged-food icons are getting their first refresh in decades—here’s what you need to know
Food labels haven’t changed in more than two decades but the new version, debuting in 2018, emphasizes a lot of new things. Here’s what you need to know.
Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Shallots
Against All Grain blogger Danielle Walker has become the poster girl for making gluten-free food great. Her new cookbook, Against All Grain Celebrations, applies that principle to entertaining. This recipe totally transforms a traditionally unhealthy dish.
New, Healthy Ways to Boost Your Energy
Feel better and reduce stress with new delicious, good-for-you products
If you’re eating and sleeping right and you still need a pick-me-up, help is on the way. New products relieve stress or deliver a more natural boost of caffeine.
Sweet and Earthy Roasted Squash Dip
The chic British Hemsley sisters’ newest cookbook is called Good+Simple for a few reasons, and this easy, vegan crowd-pleaser—which will add brightness and cheer to the table with its color—is obviously one of them.
Chocolate-Beet Allspice Truffles
The I Quit Sugar Cookbook from anti-sugar chef Sarah Wilson is filled with sugar-free recipes that don’t sacrifice sweetness. A perfect example? These chocolate goodies that come with a dose of vitamin-packed veggies you won’t even notice.
Pork-Stuffed Mushrooms with Avocado Mayo
This is no meal for meatheads. Cassy Joy Garcia makes Paleo eating easy with her popular blog and new cookbook, Fed & Fit. Bonus: You can serve this one as an appetizer or a main dish.
Sound Bites: Which Foods Increase Your Lifespan, Preventing Holiday Weight Gain and More
The latest nutrition and healthy eating news
In this week’s healthy news column, we learn which foods help increase lifespan; how hearing loss might be tied to what you eat; and how holiday weight gain is a problem globally.
Raw Cacao Hot Chocolate
Ever want to jazz up your nightly cup of hot cocoa? Try our recipe for Raw Cacao Hot Chocolate today. It’s easy and healthy.
7 Yummy Ways to Wake Up Sweet Potato Toast
Got leftover sweet spuds? Here are decadently delicious ways to use them
Got leftover sweet potatoes from Thanksgiving? Whip up these seven healthy sweet-potato toast ideas from popular healthy food bloggers.
A Pumpkin Pie That Loves You Back
A healthier version of the beloved traditional dessert
To most of us, it’s as essential to Thanksgiving as the turkey. But an average slice can top way over 300 calories. Try our decadent healthier version.
Are Plant- and Fish-Based Omega-3s Equally Good For You?
The answer may surprise you...
Which is best? Omega-3s from fish or from plant-based sources? We compare the studies and conclude not all omega-3s are created equal.
Thick Cashew Cream
This recipe is from The Conscious Cook ($20; William Morrow Cookbooks) by Chef Tal Ronnen of LYFE Kitchen and Crossroads.
Daphne Oz’s Secrets To Being A Happy Cook
Transform your kitchen into your Happiness HQ with these simple tips from The Chew co-host
In The Happy Cook, the Chew’s Daphne Oz empowers lovers of healthy eating with easy and delicious recipes.
What’s In Your Food? 9 Red-Flag Ingredients to Watch Out For
From “natural flavors” to “caramel color,” look for these ten unsafe ingredients on food labels—found even in healthy foods—when you grocery shop.
Orange is the New Green
The health benefits of fall's bright and beautiful orange fruits and veggies
Fall’s orange foods deliver on flavor, beauty and nutrition. Find out which are true super foods and how cooking affects them.
Golden Garlic Hummus
You’ll go crazy for our golden garlic hummus. Check out the recipe video and see how easy it is to make!
Can This Green Give You Super Powers?
Shishito peppers’ sweet heat provides 170% of your daily Vitamin C, 80% of your daily Vitamin A, and 100% of your daily deliciousness quota.
Munch on These Healthier Halloween Candies
Better-for-you candies that are scary good
Trick your tastebuds on Halloween by treating them to delicious, better-for-you treats not filled with high fructose corn syrup or artificial ingredients.
Sound Bites: A Longevity-Boosting Herb & Superpowered Produce
Our weekly column on the latest nutrition and healthy eating news
In this week’s healthy eating news: An herb that boosts longevity, how to store tomatoes for peak flavor, and the truth behind the so-called “Grocery Tax” on ballots in November.
Grace Bonney's new book focuses on women who make magic happen daily
Daily wellness rituals, gratitude exercises, and more creative healthy habits from In the Company of Women, new from Design*Sponge founder Grace Bonney.
The Clean Plates Interview: Gunnar Lovelace
Thrive Market co-founder and co-CEO talks about why doing good and feeling good is good
Thrive Market co-founder and co-CEO Gunnar Lovelace on his business, the natural products industry and the new product line that’s blowing up on the site.
Like That? Love This! Week 3
4 classic breakfasts get a healthy makeover
Breakfast seems to be the hardest meal for many to crack. We’re usually pressed for time, eating on the go, and relying on something out of a box or microwave.
Sunflower Caesar Salad
This sunflower caesar salad recipe is from chef Marcel Vigneron of Beefsteak in Los Angeles.
5 New Healthy Products We Love: Volume 11
Our weekly picks of the best new healthy items out there
Delicious vegan cookie dough, non-dairy cheese snacks, coffee blends with superfood ingredients, and more tasty, healthy food products.
Jessica Koslow's new Sqirl cookbook is the essence of California culinary chic
Jessica Koslow’s cookbook showcases the veggie-forward dishes her Los Angeles cafe Sqirl is famous for.
Sound Bites: Good News for Caffeine and Chocolate Fans and a White House Garden Dedication
Our weekly column on the latest nutrition and healthy eating news
Good news for caffeine drinkers and chocolate lovers, post-hurricane food safety, and a reprieve for the White House Garden in this week’s headlines.
Like That? Love This! Week 2
4 classic comfort-food desserts get a healthy makeover
Try our recipe upgrades for healthier versions of chocolate chip cookies, carrot cake, apple spice cake, and honey cake. Some are gluten-free, all are delicious!
The Clean Plates Guide to Paris
The city of lights isn't all puff pastry and pomme frites—here's where to go for healthier delicious meals
The best restaurants, cafes, and markets in Paris for healthy eating, including where to find delicious vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free food in Paris.
Ginger Kombucha Vinaigrette With Mesclun, Carrots and Radishes
This ginger kombucha vinaigrette is sure to reenergize your salad game.
The Clean Plates Interview: Drew Ramsey
Foods that boost your brain, the best anti-inflammatory nutrients you're not already eating, and why kale is still king
How to eat for a healthy brain, the best anti-inflammatory foods you’re not already eating, and why kale is still the best food you can eat.
Like That? Love This! Week 1
4 classic comfort food dinners get a healthy makeover
Instead of cutting out these comfort food favorites, simply make them with better-for-you ingredients. In the first of this series, we make over burgers, pizza. and mac and cheese.
Cinnamon Raisin Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread
We upped the nutrition factor in your typical bagel and cream cheese with our pumpkin cream cheese spread.
Healthy Chicken Taquitos
These are sure to impress even the pickiest of eaters! They also make great leftovers to take to work the next day.
Creamy Turkey Sandwich
This turkey avocado sandwich is a satisfying, simple lunch for any day of the week.
Brussels Sprouts Two Ways: Shaved Raw and Pan-Roasted with Roasted Pears
These brussels sprouts recipes are everything we need.
Chocolatey Superfood Smoothie
Get ready for antioxidant-rich berries and cacao, vitamin-packed greens, and heart-healthy coconut oil and seeds—the seemingly varied ingredients come together deliciously.
“Creamy” Cauliflower Soup with Spicy Croutons
This few-ingredient, dairy-free soup gets its creaminess from cauliflower alone. You can spice up the croutons with dark chili powder or use curry powder.
Chewy Coconut-Chocolate Chip Cookies
For this ultra-chewy and tender coconut chocolate chip cookie, you take out some sugar and half the butter, swap the flours and add oats & shredded coconut.
Sound Bites: Shady Nutrition Research, Foods that Fight Arthritis, the 5-Second Rule, and B12
Our weekly column on the latest nutrition and healthy eating news
In this week’s healthy eating news, the sugar industry funds nutrition research, and the “5-second rule” is a myth. Plus: Foods that fight osteoarthritis.
5 New Healthy Products We Love: Volume 10
Our weekly picks of the best new healthy items out there
This week we found five new healthy products—including color-changing tea and low-carb bread—so good they’re almost magical.
A Chef’s 8 Favorite Healthy Living Hacks
Simple changes and swaps to make your life healthier and more delicious
Eight smart uses for clean ingredients you may already have, including healthier desserts, more nourishing breakfasts, and even an all-natural burn remedy.
Very Chocolatey Chocolate Brownies
These very chocolatey chocolate brownies are a delicious healthy treat for the whole family!
Before Whole Foods, There Was Rainbow Grocery
San Francisco's first major organic and natural food store helped pioneer how we eat today
Since 1975, when the natural foods collective was started, Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco has embraced—and grown—the organic food movement.
Apple and Pumpkin Purée Bran Muffins
Our original Clean Plates Cookbook recipe uses applesauce. But for the season, we’ve subbed in antioxidant-rich pumpkin purée!
7 All-Natural Makeup Products You’ll Love
Forget putting unpronounceable ingredients on your face—try these natural beauty products instead
Applying makeup doesn’t have to mean applying layers of unpronounceable chemicals and preservatives—here are seven of our favorite all-natural beauty products.
Crispy Avocado Fries
Avocado fries are an easy, healthy way to satisfy your french fry craving.
Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes & Brussels Sprout Leaves
You’ll be surprised how tasty Brussels Sprouts leaves are on their own when separated from their heads. Try this awesome winter salad soon!
Barbabietole (Beet Salad) from Chef Mette Williams of Culina
Spice up your salad routine with a beet salad from Chef Mette Williams of Culina.
Asparagus Soup and Cashew Cream by Chef Tal Ronnen of LYFE Kitchen and Crossroads
This recipe is from The Conscious Cook ($20; William Morrow Cookbooks) by Chef Tal Ronnen of LYFE Kitchen and Crossroads.
5 New Healthy Products We Love: Volume 9
Our weekly picks of the best new healthy items out there
From low-sugar protein bars to healthy chips (yes, really!), this week we found a kitchen-cabinet’s-worth of new healthy snacks for munching, crunching and savoring.
How to Glow Every Day
Real-fast recipes for real life
Bestselling cookbook author of The Oh She Glows Cookbook and super-blogger, Angela Liddon, is a rare kind of chef. Find out why in her new cookbook, Oh She Glows Every Day.
Chili Cheese Nachos
This Chili Cheese Nachos recipe is from the Oh She Glows Every Day cookbook by Angela Liddon. It’s delicious, comforting snack!
Fruity Brown Rice
Dried apricots and cranberries mixed here with raisins add bright color and tangy sweetness to the rice, and roasted walnuts lend a toasty crunch.
Sautéed Pork with Mushrooms and Rosemary
For this recipe, thin cuts of pork are sautéed and served with vitamin B-rich creminis and iron and manganese packed fresh rosemary.
The Vegan Cheese Sauce We're Slathering On Everything
This recipe is from Oh She Glows Every Day by Angela Liddon.
5 New Healthy Products We Love: Volume 8
Our weekly picks of the best new healthy items out there
Since we discovered kale popcorn, we’re never going to eat salads again. Just kidding! Read on to find out about our favorite new healthy products.
The Clean Plates Interview: Brendan Brazier
The Ironman champ, co-founder of Vega, and Thrive author on plant-based eating for performance
The Ironman champ, co-founder of Vega and author of the Thrive series gives us an inside look at what’s coming up in plant-based eating for performance.
The Pumpkin Flip Cocktail
This pumpkin-flavored cocktail recipe is from Greenbar Collective , an organic, artisanal spirit producer.
Petite Savory Stuffed Pumpkins
Farm-to-table meal delivery service Paleta offers fresh meals for busy people. Chef Kelly Boyer especially loves pumpkin—the highlight of this recipe!
Pumpkin Hummus
Charles Chen, a Los Angeles-based chef and wellness coach, transformed his health through food. This quick recipe can even be made raw.
Pumpkin Spice Pudding
New Jersey-based nutritional advisor and recipe developer Diane Piazza created this no-cook pumpkin pudding that’s also gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free.
Cranberry Pear Parfait
This cranberry pear parfait from The Clean Plates Cookbook makes for a delicious breakfast or snack.
Sound Bites: Alzheimer’s, Cancer And A Diabetes-Fighting Fruit
Our weekly column on the latest nutrition and healthy eating news
By Megan O. Steintrager For Better Memory, Try a Shake of this Spice Can’t find your keys when you’re ready to head out the door in the morning? You might want to add a dash of cinnamon to your oatmeal. In a Rush State University study, scientists found that mice that were once poor learners became better learners when they were fed cinnamon. Yes, we know you’re not a mouse (or if you are, then kudos on your reading ability—you must be eating lots of cinnamon), but it can’t hurt to give it a try, especially since cinnamon has many other health benefits, including helping control blood sugar spikes. But before you start sprinkling cinnamon on everything in sight, be sure you’re using the best kind—Natural Health 365 has the spicy scoop and more info on cinnamon’s health benefits. Speaking of Memory, The Diet that Reduces Alzheimer’s Risk It might be time to say “Goodbye”—or at least “See you less frequently”—to burgers and milkshakes. The typical Western diet, which is high in “meat, sweets, and high-fat dairy products,” increases Alzheimer’s risk, according to a new report in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. But it’s not all bad news: The same report also links consumption of fruit, vegetables, grains, low-fat dairy products, legumes and fish with reduced Alzheimer’s risk. The article points out that cutting down on meat might reduce a person’s risk not just of Alzheimer’s but also other diseases, including several types of cancer and Type 2 diabetes. Get inspired to eat more produce with these drool-worthy grilled vegetables. A Delicious Diabetes-Fighting Fruit The news about berries—already at the top of the superfood list—keeps getting better and better. Recently, researchers in the department of Food Science and Nutrition at Zhejiang University in China found that berry eaters may be at lower risk for developing type 2 diabetes, nutraingredients-usa.com reports. The findings, which were reported in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, adds to the body of evidence that eating whole fruit can help lower diabetes risk. And it’s not just berries: Harvard research indicates that it’s a good idea to add some grapes and apples to your fruit bowl too. Up your berry consumption today with this Blueberry Bliss Smoothie recipe. Coffee News Worth Buzzing About Java lovers can stop feeling jittery about coffee’s link to cancer. “The World Health Organization has lifted a 25-year-old caution that coffee might cause cancer,” according to an article in the September issue of the Tufts Health and Nutrition Letter. Even better news: Coffee may actually help protect against certain types of cancer, Tufts reports. Are Your Kids Too Sweet? Children and teens should eat less than the equivalent of six teaspoons of added sugar a day, according to new guidelines released by the American Heart Association. The ADA also recommends that kids drink no more than eight ounces of sugary beverages per week. The average American child consumes triple the recommended amount of added sugar, according to the ADA statement. Reducing sugar might seem as simple as cutting out junk food and sodas, but many common foods, even savory seeming ones like pasta sauce and bread, have a lot of added sugars, which manufacturers don’t have to list until new food labeling laws go into effect in 2018. See Sound Bites from August 18 for more on added sugars. Catch-up on past Sound Bites.
The Modern Way to Cook
150+ real-life, vegetarian recipes from British cook Anna Jones
Organized by time, the recipes in A Modern Way to Cook by Anna Jones eat up 15 to 40 minutes, tops. But no dish feels slapdash.
Peak Performance: Secrets of the U.S. Open Tennis Players
Four top women tennis players reveal their secrets to staying fit on and off the court
We asked four top female professional tennis players their secrets to getting and remaining energetic and fit during the U.S. Open Championship.
This recipe is from The Clean Plates Cookbook ($17; Running Press) by Jared Koch with Jill Silverman Hough.
5 New Coconut Products We Love
Can't get enough of the coconut? Here are new food products that you'll be nuts over
Just when you thought you’d run out of ways to enjoy the tropical taste and nourishing health benefits of coconuts, we’ve found five new yummy products.
The Coconut Shell Game
Meredith Baird's cookbook focuses on all things coconut
Meredith Baird’s Coconut Kitchen Cookbook gives all the health benefits for not just coconut milk and coconut water but also a Coconut Milk Recipe.
Raw Bar: 7 Healthier Snack Bars
Our favorite energy bars may be free of GMOs and gluten, but they are filled with flavor
What’s organic, raw, non-GMO, gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, wheat-free, trans fat-free, and contains little to no added sugars? Click to find out.
5 New Healthy Products We Love: Volume 7
Our weekly picks of the best new healthy items out there.
This week we discovered how we much we actually enjoy eating savory oats for dinner. Don’t knock it till you try it! Read on to find out more
Eat This Now: Radishes
Punch up this health-boosting root with these tasty recipes
Radishes — the small but mighty, peppery members of the mustard family — have been eaten across the globe since prehistoric times. Packed with vitamin C, “radishes are detoxifying,” says Clean Plates founder, Jared Koch…
The CleanPlates Interview: Nutrition Mythbuster Jonny Bowden
The best-selling author on fat talks simple ways to fuel yourself for good health
Eat “good” fats like olive oil, but avoid meat. Butter is back—wait, no it isn’t. Avoid fat, but eat plenty of it. Getting whiplash from all the conflicting information?
Cauliflower Soup with Roasted Garlic Oil
Here’s an excellent example of how quick and easy it is to make a warming homemade soup. This cauliflower soup is lusciously creamy even though it’s dairy- free- and it’s finished with a drizzle of always-welcome roasted garlic oil. This recipe is from The Clean Plates Cookbook ($17; Running Press) by Jared Koch with Jill Silverman Hough.
Recipes that involve bread crumbs—from meatballs to casseroles—always pose a sodium challenge because they contain bread; remember the CDC top-culprit list?
Fresh Tomato Sauce
This tomato sauce is for making when plum tomatoes are at their peak, when the flavor of the fruit shines through, and all that is needed is quality olive oil, fresh garlic, salt, pepper and a bit of time. Sweet basil, freshly sliced at the last minute, is more than welcome but not necessary.
The Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
Glossier hair, clearer skin, a healthier gut, and a cleaner bathroom, all in one bottle
You probably already love your white vinegar for its house-cleaning superpowers and your balsamic vinegar for the intense flavor it lends to…
Kale, Tomato, and Lemon Magic One-Pot Spaghetti
This pasta is a complete revelation. The sauce is magically made from the pasta water and tomatoes as the pasta cooks—all in one pan. No fuss, one pan, and a killer bowl of pasta.
Grilled Wild Salmon with Avocado and Pickled Ginger
You can add zing to the avocado with a bit of wasabi paste. We drizzled the finished salmon with Balsamic glaze and a sprinkling of sea salt.
Grilled Eggplant Rollatini
Instead of coating eggplant in flour, egg and bread crumbs and then pan-frying it, grill it instead.
Fermented Juice Is A Thing Now
Get into a pickle for better health
It seems like not so long ago that if someone suggested you drink kale juice, you would have wrinkled up your nose and said, “Eeew, really?”
5 New Healthy Products We Love: Volume 6
Our weekly pick of the best new healthy items out there
Our weekly pick of the best new healthy products out there, from pecan butter and frozen organic vegetarian entrees to decadent vegan chocolates.
Swiss Chard Frittata with Turmeric
This dish is packed with vitamin-rich greens, protein, and anti-inflammatory turmeric.
Purple Potato Salad with Avocado Oil and Fresh Herbs
Look for potatoes that are uniform in size for even cooking, and simmer them until they are barely tender for the best results.
A Delicious Anti-Inflammatory Drink
It's easy being green with all of the exceptional benefits this drink provides
Green tea not only keeps you sated but is a great anti-inflammatory beverage that also helps keep your brain sharp.
Hard Cider Rules
Learn the basics to making this delicious old-school alcoholic apple drink
Cider making is a throwback to colonial times, when hard cider was the everyday drink of choice (safer than water) and the breakfast of champions…
10 Ways to Add Turmeric To Your Diet
Delicious recipes that star the super food turmeric
2016 is the year of turmeric. Related to ginger, this shrub is farmed throughout Asia and Africa and gives curry powders and mustards their golden yellow hue.
5 New Healthy Products We Love: Volume 5
Our weekly pick of the best new healthy items out there
We love snacks that add a bit of snap, crackle and pop to our day especially when a group mid-afternoon yawn rolls around. Here are this week’s favorite new healthy products:
12 Grilled Veggies We Love From Instagram
Make your veggies go Insta-great with these inspired grilling ideas
While burgers and pizzas are great on the grill, nothing tastes more of summer—and the grill—than cooking vegetables atop a fiery flame.
Chunky Corn Chowder
A wonderful way to enjoy summer corn, this is a relatively traditional chowder recipe with one key difference- it uses vitamin-packed sweet potatoes instead of starchy white potatoes. The change is so barely noticeable that I’m hoping it inspires you to make healthy switches in other dishes. This recipe is from The Clean Plates Cookbook ($17; Running Press) by Jared Koch with Jill Silverman Hough.
How To Feel Low-So Good
Jessica Goldman Foung's new book on how to live a low-sodium, high-flavor life
When Jessica Goldman Foung was attending Stanford University, lupus attacked her kidneys and brain. The great news is that she recovered and flourished.
Lamb Tikka Masala
This recipe is from The Clean Plates Cookbook ($17; Running Press) by Jared Koch with Jill Silverman Hough.
Decolonizing Your Diet
Supercharge your guacamole and eat like a MesoAmerican with this plant-based Mexican cookbook
Chilled ceviche, cool guacamole, refreshing agua fresca—doesn’t some light, fresh Mexican food sound like manna from heaven in this summer heat?
Cranberry Caipirinha
A refreshing take on the classic Brazilian drink. The recipe for the cranberry simple syrup can be used in multiple drinks, alcoholic and otherwise.
Grilled Veggie Soft Tacos with Cilantro Slaw and Spiced Crema
This recipe is from The Clean Plates Cookbook ($17; Running Press) by Jared Koch with Jill Silverman Hough.
Baked Brazilian Coconut Crab Dip
Also called Casquinha de Siri in Brazil, this healthy version of one of Brazil’s national dishes will become a popular dish in your rotation.
6 Moovelous Non-Dairy Milks
Lactose-free or not a fan of cow's milk? Here are some good substitutes to try
Lactose-intolerant? Trying to reduce dairy in your diet? Try our go-to non-dairy milks.
Swiss Chard and Rosemary Pesto Pasta
This pasta recipe is from The Clean Plates Cookbook ($17; Running Press) by Jared Koch with Jill Silverman Hough.
Coconut, Peanut & Cashew Chicken Stew
Also known as Xim Xim de Galinha, this chicken, cashew, coconut stew is a very popular dish in Brazil.
Crostini with Garlic and Olive Oil
Crostini and Bruschetta are the same except for the size of the bread. Crostini are generally 3 bites from a long loaf, while bruschetta is heartier.
Gut Check
Go with your gut—hydrate with 3 thirst-quenching probiotic drinks
If you have a phone, television, computer or walked by a book, you’ve probably heard and read a little about probiotics.
Watermelon-Cucumber Agua Fresca
This recipe is from Decolonize Your Diet: Plant-Based Mexican-American Recipes for Health and Healing ($18; Arsenal Pulp Press, 2015) by Luz Calvo and Catriona Rueda Esquibel.
Quinoa Salad with Arugula and Grapes
I love whole-grain salads because they combine the comforting quality of grains with the refreshing quality of a salad. This one has both sweet and savory notes, and can be served as a side dish or a light entree. This quinoa recipe is from The Clean Plates Cookbook ($17; Running Press) by Jared Koch with Jill Silverman Hough.
Black Bean “Burgers”
This recipe is from The Clean Plates Cookbook ($17; Running Press) by Jared Koch with Jill Silverman Hough.
Raw Cauliflower Tabbouleh
This recipe is from The Clean Plates Cookbook ($17; Running Press) by Jared Koch with Jill Silverman Hough.
5 New Healthy Products We Love: Volume 4
Our weekly pick of the best new healthy items out there
This week we are all about unusual flavor and ingredient combinations. Who knew pizza and almonds were the ultimate snack partners?
1 Fish, 2 Fish: Choose Sustainably with the Blue Ocean Institute
How to choose ocean-friendly fish both in your kitchen and while eating out
How can you ensure the fish you buy or dine on is sustainable and safe? The Blue Ocean Institute is here to help.
12 Desserts We Love From Instagram
Yes, you can have your carrot cake and eat it, too
Yeah, we know what you’re thinking…Clean Plates is supposed to be all about healthy eating, so why are you doing a story on desserts?
Grilled Salmon with Strawberry Avocado Salsa
Salmon, strawberries, and avocado- you could hardly think up a healthier trio of ingredients. They come together here to create a meal that’s so refreshingly different and flavorful, “health” is about the last last thing you’ll think of when you enjoy it. This recipe is from The Clean Plates Cookbook ($17; Running Press) by Jared Koch with Jill Silverman Hough.
Lonely Oak Farm
A Farmside Chat with Wisconsin organic farmer Joel Kuehnhold
Farming is hardly new for Joel Kuehnhold, founder and owner of Lonely Oak Farm in Milladore, Wisconsin.
5 New Healthy Products We Love: Volume 3
Our weekly picks of the best new healthy items out there
This week we’re finding tasty ways to up your protein intake with these healthy new food products. You’ll go nuts (and beans!) for these new protein-rich, plant-based goodies. 1. Explore Cuisine Bean Pastas: We’re spilling the beans on this new line of organic, non-GMO pastas from Explore Cuisine, made with nothing but, well…beans! There’s thin spaghetti crafted from either fiber-laden black beans, adzuki beans, edamame or soybeans, as well as fettuccine made from edamame and mung beans. Each two-ounce serving is packed with 20 to 25 grams of vegan protein—pretty darn impressive for pasta. The tender, chewy bean noodles work especially well in Asian-themed recipes. Explore Cuisine also makes tasty pulse pastas from chickpeas and lentils, some with pea protein added for an extra protein punch. (Available at stores nationwide; $25 for a box of six.) 2. Perfect Bar: Bars go by a lot of names—sports, energy, or protein—but many are high in sugar and low in protein and flavor. The Perfect Bar is an exception. This gluten-free, non GMO, nearly all-organic bar is crammed with more than 20 super food ingredients but has no refined sugar. They are also high in protein; the peanut butter, carob chip and almond butter flavors all have between 13 to 17 grams of protein. The best news is they actually taste like real food and are so fresh that they recommend storing them in the refrigerator. (Available at stores nationwide or online; $24 for 8.) 3. Beanfields’ Chips: Tortilla chips may not sound like a good place to look for a protein boost, but Beanfields’ version, made from beans and brown rice instead of corn, have as much as 150 percent more protein and 200 percent more fiber than conventional tortilla chips, plus 44 percent less fat than the standard chip. They recently introduced three new savory flavors: black bean, white bean, made with navy beans, and jalapeño nacho, made with a mix of black beans and navy beans. The vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO chips are great snacks right out of the bag or as canvases for creamy guacamole or fresh salsa. Crispy and salted lightly with sea salt, they’re oh-so addictive! (Available at stores nationwide or online; $30 for 12.) 4. BRAMI Snacking Lupini Beans: You’ve probably never heard of lupini beans, but thanks to Brami, these beans—commonly eaten as a snack in the Mediterranean—are bound to become as familiar as edamame, which they resemble in appearance, taste and texture. Ancient Roman warriors apparently favored them for good reason: They have more protein per calorie than black beans, chickpeas or almonds, making them a good fuel source for long battles (or treks through the urban jungle, as the case may be). They’re also rich in fiber, magnesium and folate. Brami makes the beans tender by soaking them for days before lightly pickling them with spices. They come in four appealing flavors, sea salt, garlic-herb, chili-lime and hot pepper. Cool beans! (Available at some stores or online; $40 for 8.) 5. Nutraw Pistachio Products: Did you know that pistachios contain more protein per ounce than other commonly eaten nuts like almonds and walnuts, more potassium in two ounces than a large banana and more Omega-3, 6 and 9 fatty acids than fish oil? Nutraw Foods is making it easy to enjoy the heart-healthy green nut with their line of organic products made with raw pistachios from California farms. The pistachio raw bar is a lip-smacking mix of chopped pistachios and almonds with dates, coconut oil and green cardamom, which lends a Middle Eastern lilt. We also dig the dense pistachio butter, whose coconut oil and vanilla make it a naturally sweet treat to spread on sprouted toast. (Available via Amazon or online; $26 for 12.)
Cleveland City Guide
The Clean Plates' guide to clean eating in Cleveland
With about 50,000 attending the Republican National Convention in Cleveland starting today—and that’s not counting the media and the protestors—and less than a thousand eating establishments in all of Greater Cleveland…
Gluten-Free Brioche? Magnifique!
New York's Noglu Bakery combines a classic French bakery with American sensibilities
What do you do when you’re French, your world revolves around bread and then you get diagnosed with celiac disease? For Frédérique Jules the answer was to open her own 100 percent gluten-free bakery, Noglu in New York City. Jules hired a Japanese chef, Mitsuru Yatanase, and an American pastry chef, Jennifer Hearting-Lepoutre, to bring their expertise together and to experiment until they perfected an all gluten-free menu. After successfully wowing Parisians, Jules caught the eye of consummate New Yorker, Eli Zabar of Eli’s Market, and the two teamed up to bring gluten-free heaven to New Yorkers. Since the doors of the swanky Upper East Side location opened, the place has been packed. Noglu’s interior. The proof is in the bread; it’s made from a top-secret custom mix of rice flour and potato starch. It’s a customer favorite and Jules’ personal pick as well. She explains, “It was so hard to transition to eating gluten-free and without bread, and once we made this recipe for a soft and flavorful bread I was able to finally enjoy good bread again.” The gluten-free deliciousness doesn’t stop with bread (and brioche and hamburger buns). There are brownies studded with pecans, a glamorous raspberry topped chocolate tartlet and buttery madeleines. Upstairs, a full menu is served focused on organic ingredients. Expect light French classics like a quiche of the day, seasonal green salads, berries and balsamic dressing and scallops with fresh corn salsa and cilantro oil. With 50 percent of the menu also free of dairy, this is one spot that everyone can agree on, no matter your dietary preferences.
Go Fish—Eat ‘Em to Beat ‘Em
Never has eating a fish been so wonderfully sublime
Lionfish are the drama queens of the sea: Eye-catchingly gorgeous and prone to wreak havoc on everything they come in contact with.
Classic Daiquiri
3 ingredients never tasted so good. Just do these 4 steps: Combine, shake, chill, drink.
Chocolate Avocado Pudding
Two of our favorite foods—avocado and dark chocolate—create a surprisingly creamy dessert treat that you will be addicted to.
Kitchen Sink Almond Butter Snack Bars
Chockfull of fiber-rich almonds and brown rice cereal as well as heart-healthy coconut (nectar and shredded) and cacao, these energy bars are perfectly portable and eminently delicious. This recipe is from The Clean Plates Cookbook ($17; Running Press) by Jared Koch with Jill Silverman Hough.
Smashed Avocado Toasts
Casual enough for an afternoon snacks, dressy enough for company, this avocado toast recipe features toasted sprouted bread topped by a delightfully unusual, Asian-inspired twist on guacamole. This recipe is from The Clean Plates Cookbook ($17; Running Press) by Jared Koch with Jill Silverman Hough.
L.A. Adopts A New Platform
Where to eat and imbibe near Culver City's Metro stop
Platform is a new, architecturally stunning retail complex just steps from the Culver City Metro station that houses a critical mass of healthy eateries…
6 Fatty Foods You Should Eat
Can't get enough avocados or nuts? Fear not—these ingredients will not make you fat
Afraid of fatty foods? Read this. We found six fatty foods that you could be eating without guilt.
The New Milks
Moo-ve over cow’s milk, the new milks are in town
“Gone are the days when milk always meant cow’s milk,” Dina Cheney writes in the The New Milks. “Today, the term could just as well…
4 Tricks For Keeping Greens Fresh
Simple tricks to make lettuce, kale, and other greens last longer
You went to the farmer’s market and bought bunches and bunches of fresh greens. Then you tossed them in the fridge and…
What is Stevia?
We aren't going to sugar-coat it—stevia is a good sweetening option
What is stevia? Get the facts, and compare several brands, here.
Cherry On Top
Sleep better when you sip on this sour nectar
Cherries are one of summer’s sweetest gifts, but it’s the sour version of this stone fruit that you really want to add to your diet.
The Forbidden Rice
Whether you call it black rice or forbidden rice, we call it delicious—and a superfood
Researchers have discovered that black rice is full of antioxidants known as anthocyanins, the same ones…
These Are the 10 Healthiest Toxin-Free Teas
Could your tea be steeped in something toxic? Yes — unless you choose the right type.
6 Gluten-Free Pasta Alternatives
No-wheat noodles packed with flavor
We’ve all heard about the drawbacks of traditional wheat pasta. It’s gluten- and carb-intensive, spikes your blood sugar and packs…
Oh, the Benefits of Oatmeal
An oatmeal hack to smooth out your morning routine
Oats are the perfect breakfast food. They’re full of fiber and B vitamins and studies have long shown they keep you full throughout the morning and help you eat less at lunch.
Ice, Ice Baby
4 Healthy Iced Coffee Drink Alternatives
Recipes for 4 healthier alternatives for your mid-afternoon energy fix on a hot summer day, including iced matcha latte, iced yerba mate, and iced maca.
Cuke For The Cure
Fight anxiety by...eating more pickles?
A new study found that fermented foods like pickles can reduce social anxiety: Here’s how to get more pickled foods into your diet.
Try a vegetarian take on traditional Korean bibimbap for a hearty breakfast
Try a vegetarian take on traditional Korean bibimbap for a hearty breakfast
Make your own energy drinks for a healthier and more affordable option
After a sweaty workout session, you’ve got many options for rehydration. Get plenty of electrolytes and flavor in this recipe for homemade switchel.
Amaranth Gains Ground
Ancient grains like amaranth are super super foods
Amaranth, an ancient grain that’s again gaining popularity, especially in gluten-free diets, is a great source of calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium.
Drinking wine to lose weight—it's a dream come true
Could a nightly glass of your favorite Pinot actually help maintain your waistline? Science says it’s possible…
Make your salad much more egg-citing
When it comes to salads, a little extra on top can go a long way to turn a pile of raw greens and vegetables…
Comforting Quinoa Cereal
Although it’s served warm, this easy quinoa dish is meant to be enjoyed as you’d eat a cold breakfast cereal—pour on the milk, top with fresh fruit and perhaps a little sweetener, and dig in. You can add flavors to the quinoa, such as orange zest, sliced fresh ginger, vanilla extract, cacao powder, nut butter, or dried fruits, such as currants, raisins, or chopped dried apple. You can also sprinkle in toppings such as chopped toasted nuts, toasted seeds, coconut flakes, or cacao nibs Whatever add-ins you use, this recipe is simple, satisfying, and devoid of all those sugars, additives, and preservatives.
Cucumber Spears
This recipe is from Vegetarian India: A Journey Through the Best of Indian Home Cooking ($35), Madhur Jaffrey.
Braised Baby Artichokes
This recipe is from The Clean Plates Cookbook ($17; Running Press) by Jared Koch with Jill Silverman Hough.
Amanda Haas' The Anti-Inflammation Cookbook
Can-do advice for fighting inflammation and delicious recipes to go along with it from a new anti-inflammation cookbook by Amanda Haas.
Why you should eat avocado pits
What if we told you that the avocado’s pit is not only edible but also the most nutritious part of the fruit?
Candy Crush
Vegan candy, delivered in NYC
Kimberly Silver always had a sweet tooth. But a degree from The Institute for Integrative Nutrition and a career in…
Pasta Gets A Healthy Makeover
A new pasta bar that pasta lovers and non-pasta lovers alike will adore
There are few foods as beloved, yet as demonized, as pasta. It’s the ultimate comfort fare, but…
This home-brewed elixir gives foods a kick--and boosts your immune system
Bone broth, fermented foods, oil pulling—old-fashioned folk remedies are having a moment…
Chocolate & Apples: A Perfect Pair
Delicious on their own, but together this duo pack a punch of health benefits
Who doesn’t love a great mashup, especially one with chocolate? It’s no longer a secret that…
Te Company and Naturopathica Brew It Up
A speak-tea-sy serves up hot cuppas whilst the other heats up your health
Though we love hidden doors, soft openings and speakeasys, New York is not a town known for…
Baja Bliss
Sol Cocina Brings Baja Sun to Los Angeles
If your idea of Baja-style Mexican cuisine is limited to greasy fried-fish tacos, then get ready…
Lukas Volger shows us one-bowl dishes from ramen to dumplings
There is something both exhilarating and liberating about putting everything you need for a…
Supercharge your honey and your health with beneficial spices
Here’s some good advice that bears repeating: Eat more spices. Cinnamon is full of antioxidants and can…
Red Hot
Josiah Citrin's newest restaurant features open-fire cooking
It’s hard to imagine cooking more elemental than this: A head of cabbage buried in…
Kingsley For a Day
It's all greenmarket fresh at this East Village hotspot
When it comes to keeping things local, the numbers at Kingsley, which opened in the East Village…
We know it sounds weird, but this is one trend you will want to blend with
We love smoothies. But what makes for a refreshing wake-up in July can be decidedly less…
Smoothie Move
Green Blender is whipping up weekly deliveries of decadent smoothie ingredients
Smoothie lovers, start your engines. East Coast organic smoothie delivery service Green Blender has arrived…
Maman Knows Best
South-of-France meets Tribeca vibe at this new boîte
For the owners of Maman, opening a Tribeca location came as naturally as walking by the…
Remarkable Root
This once unloved, ignored root is now ready for its close-up
The root vegetable burdock, or gobo, has an earthy flavor similar to mushrooms, and a stellar nutrition profile. Try burdock in an easy, nutritious sautee.
Ever thought of trying savory yogurt combinations? You will be surprised how good it tastes
If you’re a yogurt with fruit, granola and maple syrup breakfast eater, it might be time to…
That's what you'll do after trying all-natural nut butter blend ChoCoco Nut Power
MeeNut Butter artisan nut spreads are good enough to eat straight out of the jar.
Poke Me
Want a poke? We're not talking the Facebook variety but the classic Hawaiian dish
The Hawaiian raw fish dish poké brings sunny island cheer to New York City, whether you head to WiseFish Poke or Pokeworks.
Quinoa Carrot Muffins
Quinoa not only adds high-quality protein to these muffins, it also keeps them deliciously moist. This recipe is from The Clean Plates Cookbook ($17; Running Press) by Jared Koch with Jill Silverman Hough.
Make a Magic Potion
Whip up a potion of turmeric, ginger and lemon to keep the doctor away
Our turmeric-ginger elixir recipe will give your immune system a boost.
Apple and Applesauce Bran Muffins
These apple and applesauce muffins are a super simple recipe that you can change and adapt, depending on your mood and what’s in the cupboard.
Skip the microwave variety and cook up some homemade kernels
Make your own popcorn complete with healthy toppings.
Brooklyn's Big Cheese
At Brooklyn's Riverdel, vegan cheeses are all the rage
Stroll into Riverdel in Brooklyn’s Prospect Heights neighborhood and you’ll see all the markers of a delicious cheese shop…
This new Culver City fast-casual is the perfect spot to buy a portable feast
Ever wonder what it would be like to eat in the home kitchen of a top-notch chef? You don’t need to wrangle…
Cranberry Apple Squash Quinoa Pilaf
This Cranberry Apple Squash Quinoa Pilaf recipe is from Chef Charles of RawYouth.org.
Entube's new spicy condiment lets you feel the burn
Spicy food lovers: At attention! Do you want your meal seasoned—but not bludgeoned—with piquant heat…
Using lemon and orange peels in your food will brighten flavors and boost your immune system
Try these easy ways to use the whole orange.
Brothee has created a heady brew of nutrient-dense broths that are good for your, well, bones
We love to drink bone broth for its warm, nourishing benefits. But, admittedly, the taste of bone broth’s…
Hudson Valley Harvest puts peas, tomatoes and more in a deep freeze
Chefs, they’re just like us. Some of New Yorks best culinary minds—including those behind Clean Plates-favorites…
Brussel Bytes offers Brussels sprout lovers an addictive new way to eat their favorite veggie
We found an easy way to get all the health benefits of Brussels sprouts.
Ever wonder what sprouted grains are and why they're good for you? Read on...
Take your whole grains to the next level—go sprouted.
Poached Skate with Ginger and Scallions
Use local and/or organic ingredients whenever possible. Substitute grapeseed or sesame oil for canola oil. Choose brown rice instead of white rice. “This is one of my favorite ways to cook fish. It’s so simple yet so satisfying. Traditionally, we use black bass or flounder for this preparation, but one of my favorite fish is skate. The poaching liquid that pools on the plate is the beginning of a fantastic sauce. Once you add the soy sauce and flash fry the ginger and scallions, you’ll be spooning it over your rice and eating every last grain.” – Edric Har
A New Cure
In West Hollywood, meat lovers will find the freshest, cleanest meat around
Salt’s Cure is serving local and sustainable meats in a new location.
Lunar Landing
At this Lower East Side spot, what make this Chinese spot stand out are all the local ingredients
Yunnan BBQ’s Chinese New Year specials are your good luck charm this year.
Sweet Thing
EKG Project desserts are gluten, grain, dairy and soy-free
EKG Project makes guilt-free, healthy desserts.
Simple ways to incorporate almonds, walnuts and other heart-healthy nuts into your diet
Try these easy ways to add more nuts into your diet.
Black and White Sesame Seed Crackers
These sesame crackers are all they cracked up to be. The two-hued sprinkle of crunchy black and white sesame seeds gives lots of favor and character to these delicious crackers.
Curried Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup
Sweet Potatoes, carrots, and spices come together to make this hearty, warming soup. Accompanies a meat dish well, but also great by itself.
Roasted Root Vegetables
This colorful mélange will brighten any holiday table. Using locally grown, organic vegetables offers superior nutrition and intensifies the flavors.
High Tea
You'll think you're at a hip wine bar at the American Tea Room
American Tea Room’s new downtown LA location serves premium teas and delicious food.
Did anyone say, "the Chipotle of Indian?" Oh, that was us...
Instead of calling Inday the “Chipotle of Indian food,” we’re going to call it like we see it, which is…
Grapefruit: Ripe For a Citrus Comeback
The recently maligned grapefruit is making a zesty return to meals
Grapefruit’s health benefits are reason enough to incorporate the fruit into your next salad.
Cucumber Soup
From The New Greenmarket Cookbook ($20;Da Capo Lifelong Books) by Gabrielle Langholtz.
Tropical Smoothie Bowl
This recipe is adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl and Spoon: Simple and Inspired Whole Foods Recipes to Savor and Share ($16; Ten Speed Press) by Sara and Hugh Forte.
Charred Long Beans
This recipe is from Feeding the Fire ($20; Artisan) by Joe Carroll and Nick Fauchald.
Mango Fonio Salad
This recipe is from Senegal: Modern Senegalese Recipes from the Source to the Bowl ($35), by Pierre Thiam.
Beet Ravioli with Almond Thyme Pâté & Basil
This recipe is from This Rawsome Vegan Cookbook: A Balance of Raw and Lightly-Cooked, Gluten-Free Plant-Based Meals for Healthy Living ($20), by Emily von Euw.
International flavors are found at this sexy Santa Monica restaurant
When it comes to eating out on date night, the last thing on your mind may be where your food is sourced…
The Pennsy Holds Court
At New York's Penn Station, top chefs and global flavors come chugging in at this new food court
Anyone who’s tried to find a delicious and healthy meal around Penn Station knows that the…
Whole Wheat Lavash Crackers with Sesame Seeds
This recipe is from The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook: Artisanal Baking from Around the World ($35) by Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez and Julia Turshen.
Making chocolate cake can be time-consuming, but this gluten-free mix makes it easy peasy
When you want to bake a cake at home, conventional store-bought mixes are awfully tempting…
Urban Decay
An easy way to put your kitchen on a compost diet today
If you take a stroll around the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens or Park Slope…
Veggies, On Fleek
In Michael Anthony's new cookbook, vegetables receive star-chef status
When was the last time your mouth started to water just from looking at a Jerusalem artichoke…
Tulsi: Liquid Yoga
The aptly named holy basil, tulsi, is nature's equivalent of a magic potion
What’s the secret to living a stress-free life? We don’t have a magic potion, but…
Elevate with eLOVate Kitchen
This Santa Monica vegan haven is a favorite of stars and food lovers alike
Roberto Martin, formerly a private chef for vegan power couple Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Ross, opened up Santa Monica’s vegan spot eLOVate Kitchen.
A soylike sauce without the soy for the Paleo crowd
Prepare to clear a space in your fridge door: It’s time to meet coconut amines. With its dark hue…
Kefir is as easy to make at home as yogurt--here's how
What’s one of the best ways to stick to your weight loss and wellness goals this year? Mind your microbial gut…
Crispy Nuts and Seeds
Making crispy nuts and seeds is very easy to make, affordable, and delicious! All you need are nuts and seeds of your choice and some water.
Panir Sabzi
Panir Sabzi is a Persian platter served with a delicious mix of fresh herbs, mint, walnuts, radishes feta cheese and flat bread. Don’t let the simplicity of this dish fool you.
This Slow-Cooked Chickpeas Toast is the Perfect Breakfast
Chickpeas are no longer a boring food with these slow-cooked chickpea toasts. In this recipe, spices like cayenne and paprika give it a real kick. Top it with an egg for a more balanced meal. We recommend using a sprouted grain bread and coconut palm sugar.
Kabocha Soup Recipe
This roasted kabocha soup is the perfect thick, creamy fall soup with a kick of turmeric to help boost metabolism. It can be made in a few simple steps.
2015 Food Trends
What was hot In healthy foods this year
Our goal is to turn you on to new products, recipes, cookbooks and trends that help make clean eating more fun…
How to Motivate Yourself
The year's best Motivate tips
The problem with resolutions is simple: they’re rarely simple enough. So instead of making grand…
Organic, non GMO energy bars that will make you say, "Yes, please, can I have some more?"
For clean eaters like us, the holiday season involves a lot of saying “no.” No to the sugar…
Two new healthy bread cookbooks give rise to the perfect loaf
Two new healthy bread cookbooks give rise to the perfect loaf
Emily von Euw's new book, The Rawsome Vegan Cookbook
We have no plans to go 100 percent raw or vegan any time soon, but Emily von Euw of the gorgeous healthy recipe-focused blog This Rawsome Vegan Life is sure filling our heads with visions of maki rolls made with cauliflower rice and collard leaf “burritos” bursting with purple cabbage and mushrooms.
Cauliflower Is This Year’s It Vegetable
You can mash it, rice it, make it into pizza dough--cauliflower is one versatile vegetable
From rice to pizza crust to mashed potatoes, cauliflower is the latest healthy substitute for many starchy…
Urban Plates Up Organic Fare
This Playa Vista reinvents the idea of cafeteria food
Remember the school cafeteria line? It was often an unpleasant journey past a steam table of limp vegetables…
The Four Horsemen Gallop In
LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy opens a new wine bar in Williamsburg
The real star of The Four Horsemen is the 200-bottle wine list.
Great Gifts Under $100
What to get the foodie who has everything
Avoid the last-minute shopping crunch and get loved ones one of these healthy gifts.
5 Smart Tips for Organizing Your Refrigerator
New year, new fridge! That’s right it’s time to make sense of that great cold frontier known as your refrigerator. Here’s how.
Yes, Virginia’s
Virginia's for lovers...of kale, butternut squash and porcini mushrooms
Virginia’s puts a creative spin on new American dishes.
Lodge Bread Finds A Home
This Culver City bakery rises up with ancient bread-making ingredients and methods
Bring bread back into your diet with healthy loaves from Lodge Bread.
This drama will make you want to flush out what's happening with your water supply
Kimberly Levin is a woman of many talents. As a biochemist, she did field research testing stream waters…
Madhur Jaffrey Cooks up Vegetarian
The Julia Child of Indian cuisine showcases her beloved country's best vegetable recipes
In Madhur Jaffrey’s latest cookbook she focuses on vegetarian Indian dishes.
What’s Up Wasan?
Modest in decor but extravagant in flavor, this Brooklyn eatery near the Barclays Center delivers big
Wasan’s new Brooklyn outpost is a hit.
Winging It
It's all about the hormone-free baked wings and carrot fries at this Melrose hangout
Love Baked Wings has got your healthy game day food covered.
Thanksgiving leftovers never looked so good
Leave your holiday lethargy behind and get help digesting all that stuffing and pie…
This Thai fruit can be a great flavor substitute for meat and other proteins
Jackfruit is the next meat substitute you should incorporate into your diet.
Don't be a sap--enjoy a little of the brown goodness for a health and flavor boost
Maple syrup is better for you than you think.
An organic southeast Asian opens in Pasadena's Old Town for rave reviews
Green Zone is putting a healthy spin on your favorite Asian foods.
Farm2Tacos Time
Forget Taco Tuesday--every day is the right time to feast on these beauties, delivered straight to your door
Swap the morning-meeting donut for these delicious breakfast tacos.
Move over avocado toast, try some of this avocado mayonnaise on your bread instead
This mayonnaise is vegan and made from avocados.
Club Med
Local ingredients shine at this new eatery that serves up flavors from Greece to Morocco
Yalla Mediterranean’s wraps and salads are healthy and delicious.
From burgers to cookies, here are ways to get this mighty--and delicious--seed into your daily diet
Incorporate more sunflower seeds into your diet.
Garden Of Eden
Avant Garden is NYC's new vegan hotspot
Avant Garden puts a creative spin on vegan dishes.
This Fonio Is For You
Incorporate the superfood gluten-free grain into your baked goods or as a rice substitute
Quinoa was worshipped by the ancient Incas, and in modern times by all of us who…
Broccoli leaves deserve a star turn in your kitchen--not the compost pile; here's why...
Did you know that about 40% of food in the United States goes uneaten? If you measure that amount…
Gjelina Jets off
A beloved Los Angeles chef serves up exceptional vegetarian recipes in her new cookbook
When Venice restaurant Gjelina opened in 2008, it drew comparisons to power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie…
Sugar House Creamery Is Sweet
An Adirondack creamery molds some organic cheeses that are at peak perfection
Margot Brooks and Alex Eaton are living the cheese dream: They met in college, fell in love…
Cleaner Candy
Fair-trade chocolate and organic ingredients make these candy treats that much sweeter
It’s that time of year: The air is cooler, the spooky decorations are up, the stores are bursting with mini-sized candies…
Don't walk and eat, just walk and talk if you're hoping to keep calories at a healthy level
Halloween and the season of candy consumption it kicks off is the start of an unhealthy eating…
Hopdoddy Burger Bar Is Hopping Good
Sustainable meats and bbq classics are found at this Texas outpost now in California
We tend to think that the best burgers come from the happiest and healthiest cattle. So…
Filfil So Good
More than 20 cloves of garlic are distilled in this bottle of fragrant flavor
This cold season, instead of gagging down cloves of garlic to keep the sniffles at bay…
Choose not just pink but green, purple, and red when it comes to eating healthier to increase survival rates
Skip the pink and try a colorful diet instead.
Shirred Eggs with Asparagus and Goat Cheese
A new, clean way to enjoy your morning eggs
This recipe is from The Clean Plates Cookbook ($17; Running Press) by Jared Koch with Jill Silverman Hough.
Manhattan House Dominates Skyline
In Manhattan Beach, this little-pub-that-could towers over its competition
When you park your car at Manhattan House, the new Manhattan Beach pub, you might…
A Cup of Teaonic
Pour yourself an herbal tea that is good for specific parts of the body
Poor tea: it’s always playing second fiddle to coffee. Just when we’re all on board with green tea’s superstar antioxidant…
Shroom To Breathe
7 ways to devour the wondrous shittake mushroom—and none include foraging
Are you noticing a familiar tickle in the back of your throat? Scratchy eyes? Feeling a little tired…
Dudley Market On Venice’s Boardwalk
Chef Jesse Barber serves grass-fed beef even though it's sand in his restaurant's backyard
Eating clean on the Venice Beach Boardwalk can be a tall order—and we don’t mean because…
La Pecora Bianca’s Pasta With A Purpose
Mark Barak serves up homemade organic pastas made from ancient einkorn wheat
What is most apparent at La Pecora Bianca, the NoMad neighborhood’s new airy Italian…
Travel Channeling
Heidi Swanson delivers delicious recipes from far and wide in her new cookbook
Heidi Swanson’s new cookbook, Near & Far: Recipes Inspired by Home and Travel, is…
A recipe for Apple Spice Dump Cake
As the weather cools down, you may notice an upswing in cravings for warm, sweet treats. But…
Comfort Inn
Chloe opens a fast-casual vegan spot that is stylish and sophisticated
By Chloe’s vegan comfort food is as good as the original.
Mason jars make attractive and versatile serving and packing tools
Make a delicious to-go salad with this easy trick.
Under The Sea
The benefits of adding kelp to your smoothie
Here’s an easy way to get all of kelp’s nutrients into your diet.
Get guilt-free cupcakes from Swole Cakes
If there’s one thing that can sabotage our clean-eating routine, it’s cupcakes…
Call Of The Wild
Head to the Lower East Side for local fare from Wildair
Wildair’s creative dishes make it easy to go wild.
Emerald City
Matcha Box, L.A.'s new (and first) matcha bar
Make the switch from coffee to Matcha Bar.
Good Fortune
Brooklyn's new local Chinese spot
Kings County Imperial is not your average Chinese joint.
The benefits of drinking Desert Farms' camel milk
Desert Farms wants to change your dairy choice — to camel’s milk.
Go Fish
Seamore's, NYC's new Insta-worthy seafood spot
Seamore’s means you don’t have to go to the beach for a seafood shack-vibe.
Where you can find it in LA
Peruvian restaurant Los Balcones has partnered with vegan chef Rachel Carr to open Chavela, a plant-based restaurant next door serving up Peruvian cuisine with pan-Latin influences—and no animal products.
Megan Kimble's year without processed food
We’d all like to consume less processed food, but could you take on the challenge that Megan Kimble did in her book, Unprocessed: My City-Dwelling Year of Reclaiming Real Food?
Superiority Complex
Vegetarians rejoice at the East Village's Superiority Burger
Here’s why we love the amazing veggie burger (and everything else) at Brooks Headley’s Superiority Burger.
Whip It Real Good
A vegan fro-yo alternative arrives in LA
Australia’s CocoWhip—a vegan fro-yo alternative crafted from coconut water and bio-fermented coconut and sweetened with coconut sugar—has arrived in Los Angeles.
The Amazon's newest superfood, macambo
Quinoa, maca, cacao, lucuma, camu-camu…and now macambo, the new Amazonian superfood you need to try.
Amazing Graze
Belcampo Meat Co. opens its third outpost for organic, pastured meat
Conscientious carnivores can dig in at Belcampo, a butcher-slash-restaurant focused on meat from pastured animals humanely raised on Belcampo’s certified organic farm near Mt. Shasta.
You Dig?
Say hello to the all-organic North Brooklyn Farms
The all-organic North Brooklyn Farms is is a place to walk your dog, stop by the farm stand for kale, volunteer or sit down for a three-course Sunday Supper where the distance between farm-to-table is less than 20 feet.
Our picks for better-for-you ketchup
We’re loving the healthier ketchup varieties from True Made Foods and Hatchup.
Get Me to the Greek
EONS, the Chipotle of Mediterranean food
Follow the Mediterranean diet at EONS Greek Food for Life, an upscale fast casual joint in Kips Bay.
Falafel Mania
Where to find the best falafel in LA
See all the ways you could be eating falafel.
This is one kitchen tool worth making some room for
We’re not usually ones for one-use kitchen gadgets: Fun for a minute, then they turn into dust-gathering…
Faro brings authentic Italian to the Italian American haven of Brooklyn
To get to Faro, you’ll need to take the L train past those initial Brooklyn stops where it seems…
Mexican food doesn't have to be greasy: Toca Madera is L.A.'s new health-centric spot
Whether it’s quesadillas oozing cheese or refried beans packed with processed lard, Mexican…
The Homemade Vegan Pantry will help you stock up on kitchen essentials
The Homemade Vegan Pantry will help you stock up on kitchen essentials.
Get Real
The Wanderlust Cafe's healthy fare is reason enough to visit the new yoga center
The Wanderlust Cafe’s healthy fare is reason enough to visit the new yoga center.
Edible Art
Untitled at the Whitney is also creating masterpieces
There’s a new installation at The Whitney Museum of American Art. And it’s a permanent one…
That Sugar Film is anything but sweet on sugar
You’ve seen this trick before: Man eats unhealthy food, gets sick and makes a movie about it…
Beaming, the superfood cafe, is more than just smoothies and juice
Not to get all hippie-dippie, but do you ever feel like every electron in your body is vibrating…
Marc Meyer's Rosie brings an inventive touch to Mexican cocina
It seems like all that Marc Meyer touches turns delicious. That’s why we’re especially psyched that…
Peganism is the new eating philosophy, combining the Paleo and vegan movements
At first glance, the tenets of the Paleo and vegan movements seem to be diametrically opposed…
Firmly Planted
Chef Matthew Kenney opens two new additions to L.A.'s vegan landscape
If summer barbecues of sizzling burgers and steaks are giving you the “vegan blues,” cheer up…
Hudson Garden Grill is nestled within the New York Botanical Garden
Lunch at Hudson Garden Grill comes with an extra-large side of greens. That’s because the restaurant is nestled within…
Buttermilk Buckwheat Pancakes
A classic with a twist.
This recipe is from The Clean Plates Cookbook ($17; Running Press) by Jared Koch with Jill Silverman Hough.
One-Stop Shop
Haggen, with its natural brands and local farmers and producers, has arrived in Los Angeles
Haggen, a grocery chain with a long history of commitment to organic offerings, natural brands and local farmers and producers, has arrived in Los Angeles.
Go to the Mountain—or at least Brooklyn—for a day of wellness
If Mountain were a beauty product, it would be a 10-in-1. This Brooklyn spot has all of your wildest…
A2 milk for the lactose-intolerant may soon become A21 in your book
At this point, you’ve got your milk descriptors (organic, grass-fed, antibiotic-free, pastured, raw, local and so on)…
Ever heard of soft-serve fruit? Chloe's introduces us to our new obsession
Chloe’s makes soft-serve you can eat for breakfast without feeling guilty…
Diner 2.0
There's nothing greasy spoonish about Ingo's Tasty Diner
There’s a reason that American diners have been nicknamed “greasy spoons” for nearly a century…
When pigs fly and other piggy tales from renowned writer Barry Estabrook
Barry Estabrook examines the pork industry and how pigs are raised.
See Salt …
A sea salt conservatory at Terranea Resort gives diners a lick of good taste
So you know that vast ocean sitting right next to us? Yeah, the Pacific. It won’t solve our…
Candy Crush
Sun Cups are the healthy and nut-free alternative to Reese's
For Colorado chocolatier David Lurie, a knock on the door proved life changing. On the other side…
Irvington hits Union Square Cafe with its own blend of greenmarket flavors and drinks
Move over Bloody Mary, you’ve been dethroned as the healthiest brunch drink in town…
Dinner, Solved
Munchery, LA's newest meal delivery service
Munchery’s solving your weeknight dinner dilemmas.
Clean Habits: Bryan Dayton
Our chat with this Colorado restauranteur
Bryan Dayton shares how he leads a healthy lifestyle.
Fijian Voyage
LA's newest pan-Asian restaurant, E.P. & L.P.
Head to E.P. & L.P. for a Fiji experience closer to home.
Home Sweet Home
Sweetgreen arrives in LA
East Coast chain Sweetgreen’s L.A. location is more of a homecoming.
Go Go Getaway
At Treehouse Retreats relaxation and living well's the key
You may want to give your landlord notice now, because once you visit Heather Cox’s idyllic Treehouse Retreats…
Cranberry Simple Syrup
For the thinner, stove-free version of simple syrup, just mix and shake.
Clean Habits: Moby
Our chat with this vegan singer-songwriter
Moby opens up about his vegan lifestyle and new restaurant.
Two new protein-packed snacks
These protein bars are a great alternative to your usual oat-nut-dried fruit-bar routine.
The Veg Table
Vegetable, a new vegetarian restaurant in Studio City
Vegetable restaurant serves healthy vegetarian comfort-food faves.
Matchado
Chalait, a new matcha spot in the West Village
Get in on the matcha trend at Chalait.
Try Goodbites for organic, vegan, gluten-free treats
Goodbites’ addictive snacks are made using a short list of wholesome, raw and nutritious ingredients.
Cuppow compartmentalize's your mason jar to keep dry and liquid ingredients separate
We thought we’d worked out every last use for glass Mason jars. You’ll find them holding chickpeas…
Top chef Mark Peel opens up Bombo, a healthy seafood spot
In the fast-healthy-fresh lunch department, things have gotten a little repetitive lately. Sure, we love…
Snack Break
Two new snack spots we love
Pair your pick-me-up with a quality food at these coffee shops.
Non-GMO and sustainably grown white chia seeds and chia oil from the Chia Co
We love chia seeds, really we do. Their health benefits are myriad: They are the highest known plant-based
Kor Shots are an easy way to reap the benefits of roots like turmeric and ginger
As L.A.’s juice trend (cold) presses ahead, we’ve been keeping our ear to the ground to…
Say whey to go for another probiotic source in your diet
Add another source of probiotics into your diet: whey.
Bouquet, OK
You might not realize it but your traditional flower delivery is full of pesticides
Flowers: so pretty, so natural, so shellacked in pesticides? Hold up: It’s time to rethink the way you buy and give flowers…
Hungryroot makes it easy to satisfy noodle cravings and get your vegetable servings in
We love noodles. We love vegetables. Simple math told us that we were really going to love…
Clean Habits: Akasha Richmond
Akasha in Culver City offers veggie-driven New American dishes...
Akasha Richmond has been a personal chef to the stars and a celebrated restaurateur with her…
It's possible to bake with little to no sugar says Joanne Change of Flour Bakery
It’s no surprise when your healthiest friend says she’s cutting back on white sugar. But when Joanne Chang, the baker and owner behind…
DO! Delivery
Renee Gunter is bringing organic produce to underserved areas of L.A.
We have a new favorite food truck. You can’t chase it on Twitter, and it isn’t hawking fusion tacos…
Nothing's better than A Girl and Her Greens
Chef April Bloomfield is just as talented with vegetables as meats…
The Dude Abides
Check out this guide for guys and dude food
With new cookbook Dudefood’s easy-to-read recipes you have no excuse to avoid the kitchen…
Cold Rush
Pressed Juicery flips the script on dessert logic
Pressed Juicery’s redefining soft-serve.
Hidden Kitchens
Go on a literal culinary adventure with League of Kitchens
Want to learn how to make food from around the world? Take a class from League of Kitchens.
You'll want to shell out for all that Coconut Organics offers
You might love coconut, but George Metrik is obsessed with it, so much so that he launched Coconut Organics…
Life Is A Beach
And then you eat healthy pizza
Pizza Beach’s pies are the healthiest slices around…
Growing Pains
Videos tell the story of going from farm to fork
Have you been taking your food for granted? Signs of a failure of appreciation could include lobbing heads of cauliflower…
Forget The Freezer
With ingredients this fresh, you won't need it anyway
The District by Hannah An’s Vietnamese food is so fresh they don’t even have a walk-in freezer…
Radically different
Radicle Farm salad greens are fresher and more environmentally-friendly than the bagged varieties
Has this ever happened to you? You buy greens at the market with the best of intentions ➙ Forget about the greens…
You'll want to sprout some new roots after checking out these cookbooks
Two new clean-eating cooking guides are hitting bookshelves…
Salads Go Glam
Greenleaf's new Hollywood location
Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop is expanding with its designer salads to Hollywood.
SugaVida is a healthy alternative to refined sugar
Refined white sugar is a cruel mistress. She pulls you in with sweet claims and leaves you with…
Vegan Cheese, Please
Los Angeles is having an artisanal vegan cheese movement—who knew?
ive years ago, chef Youssef Fakhouri decided to sequester himself in his West Hollywood home kitchen with a singular goal…
Chef Franklin Becker of The Little Beet shares his recipe for blistered broccoli
The road to wellness has been a winding one for chef Franklin Becker. Stops on his personal highway included…
Make your Malibu Farm favorites at home with this luscious new cookbook
Hold onto your surfboard: Malibu is emerging as L.A.’s modern agricultural oasis. Vineyards are covering more…
A Good Wrap
Jeanne Chang isn’t your typical restaurateur. She’s got a degree in molecular biology and has been a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine and spiritual psychology. So what’s she doing hawking burritos? Her recently opened counter-service restaurant Kye’s serves what she calls “kyeritos,” a twist on the burrito that uses romaine leaves, collard green leaves and nori (toasted seaweed) as tortilla alternatives. The gluten-free, dairy-free kyerito ($9 to $14) is stuffed with wholesome fillings, including clean proteins (grass-fed beef, wild salmon and organic chicken), healthy grains, organic veggies and a variety of from-scratch sauces. Vegan and Paleo options are also available. “Every chance we get,” says Chang, “we infuse extra nutrition.” The local free-range eggs in the breakfast kyeritos are blended with spinach, the ground beef in the nori burger is mixed with chard and the shakes all have Chinese yam. Foods recognized as health promoting in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine—like goji berries, amla berries and lotus root—also find their way into many of the dishes. The ultra-portable kyerito (eat in or take ’em to go) are as tasty as they are nutritious, and that’s by design. Chang has grounded the restaurant’s philosophy in the Chinese principle of yin-yang. The yin is the nourishing aspect of the food, while the yang is “for the joy of it, for the pleasure, the happiness.” We’re beaming. Kye’s 1518 Montana Ave., Santa Monica 310-395-5937 kyesmontana.com
Time to celebrate: two of our favorite veggies are now one
Kale + Brussels sprouts = kalettes, the new green on the block…
Easy Love
No wonder we're crushin' on Vic's
Vic’s: casual, affordable with food that will have you coming back again and again…
Rather than go on a juice cleanse, keep your body nourished with a soup cleanse
We love organic, cold-pressed juice as much as anyone. But juice cleanses? Hmm…
2014 Round Up
Top picks for 2014
As the year draws to a close, we’re looking back on our greatest, tastiest and healthiest hits. Read on for some favorites, handpicked by the Clean Plates Team—and you.
Clean Habits: Tucker Yoder
How the Clifton Inn chef stays healthy year-round
Check out our interview with Tucker Yoder, the executive chef of the Clifton Inn, a luxurious Relais & Châteaux property.
Healthy Swag
The joyous holiday season can be even merrier when you give gifts that promote health and sustainability.
Minus The Meat
And an emphasis on veggies at this local hot spot
The Gadarene Swine’s vegetable cuisine will even win over meat lovers.
Healthy smoothies, no matter what
Two smoothie companies are making it even easier to blend a healthy snack…
Try planning for a more mindful morning.
Try this savory breakfast recipe from the Huckleberry cookbook.
Little Name, Big Flavor
Courtesy of local and fresh ingredients, of course.
Check out chef Andrew Carmellini’s new spot Little Park.
The new online market that's blown our minds
Try Thrive Market, your one-stop source for the best grocery items…
Clean Habits: Takashi Inoue
How this meat maven stays healthy
Takashi Inoue shares his healthy habits.
Clean Habits: Victor Scargle
Our talk with Lucy Restaurant & Bar's executive chef
Chef Victor Scargle opens up about keeping a healthy balance.
Join the Club
Unconventional ways to dine out in NYC
Shake up your dining experience by joining a supper club.
Super Duper
Green coffee, maca cashews and mulberries are three superfoods you can get from Navitas Naturals.
Clean Habits: Scott Reinhardt
Gramercy Tavern's assistant general manager
Gramercy Tavern’s Scott Reinhardt shares his healthy living habits.
Fermentation Nation
Get on the probiotic bandwagon with fermentation
Fermentation doesn’t have to be difficult or scary…
Why oregano deserves a little more attention
Dietitian Marissa Lippert makes the case for using more oregano.
Like Mad
Focus on the veggies with this new all-vegetarian tasting menu.
Chef Mads Refslund from Copenhagen’s Noma brings a nordic spin to Acme’s menu.
Clean Habits: Ashley Newsome
How a restaurant manager/fitness instructor finds balance
Roman’s Ashley Newsome works hard to stay healthy.
Bar None
Unprocessed ingredients and real energy wrapped into one little bar
These snack bars are healthy and delicious…
Dumpling Delight
The integrity of the dumpling, kept intact.
Mimi Cheng uses only the best ingredients in their dumplings—a difference you can definitely taste.
Doggone Good
Get the hot dog, minus the mystery meat
Yeah Dawg!!! makes delicious vegan hotdogs that won’t creep you out.
Head to the Greenmarket for one of our favorite veggies this season
Make a cool cucumber soup this summer…
Jerked Around
Why jerky can be a smart way to snack.
Jonty Jacobs uses traditional South African curing methods for their beef jerky.
Clean Habits: Nick Anderer
His tactics to staying healthy as a chef
Maialino’s Nick Anderer talks healthy habits.
Parks and Recreation
5 things to help you picnic stylishly and sustainably
Pick up these picnic helpers.
Home Shopping Network
These delivery services take the chore out of grocery shopping
We’re big fans of sitting down for a great meal. But all that darting around town to forage for every last component…
Behind The Wheel
This food truck’s serving up delicious food and doing good at the same time.
Sugar High
In Fed Up, Katie Couric details the unsweet truth about the nation's dangerous sugar addiction
In a galaxy far, far away, a nation of people is in crisis, its citizens are all addicted to a potentially toxic substance…
Step Aside, Green Juice
Blended LuliTonix drinks
Make the swap from juice to blended LuliTonix drinks.
Mermaid’s Garden
Prospect Heights' new sustainable seafood shop
Mermaid’s Garden is our new favorite fish shop.
Very Chocolatey Chocolate Brownies
You had us at "chocolate"
Vegan brownies are delicious too!
Use kombucha for a healthier mixed drink
Kombucha’s great on its own, so why not turn it into a cocktail?
The surprising versatility of veggies
We love this new line of vegetable yogurts created by chef Dan Barber and his team at New York’s Blue Hill restaurants…
Gluten-free dishes for Valentine's Day
Cookbook author and blogger Shauna James Ahern, also known as Gluten-Free Girl, shares with us her love story and most romantic recipe…
This quiche features a brown rice crust that’s easy, gluten-free—and delicious. Though the recipe calls for brown rice, you can use any leftover cooked rice you have on hand. The protein from the chicken and brightness from the preserved lemon make this a satisfying meal-in-a-dish.
Cashew Milk
I remember how weird it felt to make cashew milk the first time. Then, I turned on the blender. Within a moment, the cashews and water had become…milk. Magic.
Preserved Lemons
Traditional preserved lemons are a thing of beauty but they also take months to be fully cured. This quick preserved lemon recipe will give you the bright flavors without the wait.
Tips for finding the true meaning of olive oil labels
Make sure your olive oil is actually extra virgin and from Italy…
Carrot-Avocado Guacamole
Because who doesn't love guac
By just adding Vitamin A and fiber-filled carrots, Chef Matt Lightner of the Michelin two-star Atera restaurant makes addictive guacamole better for you…
7 Tips for 7-Layer Dip
Perfect for those weekends watching football
Michelin two-star chef Matt Lightner shows us how to lightens the Super Bowl’s favorite snack, seven-layer dip.
Super Healthy Kelp Stock
This versatile kelp stock is delicious, nutritious, and shockingly easy to prepare. It’s sure to become a kitchen staple!
“Eat more quinoa.”
New Year's resolutions for 2014
Ok, let’s be honest: have you already swept your New Year’s resolutions under the rug? We shared our resolutions and heard from some food friends as well.
10-Minute Miso Soup
Award-winning cookbook author Hiroko Shimbo shares her favorite 10-minute miso soup recipe.
How do the eating and drinking pros recover after a night (or entire holiday season) of overindulging? We’ve got the insider tips!
Best of Clean Plates 2013
Which Clean Plates stories were most clicked in 2013? Read our top 5 countdown!
Try This Organic Icelandic Treat!
Look out, Greek yogurt: there’s a new, protein-rich organic yogurt in town.
Want a holiday cocktail mixer that’s free of artificial anything? Try this one…with a surprising ingredient.
Got extra guests coming, or need to whip up a dish in a hurry? Check out these fast recipe videos for the holidays or any time!
This Coffee is Mold-Free
Could your coffee contain mold? Check out this boutique roaster for mold-free, toxin-free beans.
Which grain is gluten-free, has as much or more protein than quinoa, and doesn’t have to be rinsed before cooking? Discover kañiwa.
Pink is for eating your way to health, not just ribbons. You can fight breast cancer by choosing these pink foods.
Have You Tried Amaranth?
This whole grain is packed with protein
This ancient grain is gluten-free, and it’s a complete protein. Discover amaranth!
Super Spice: 5 Surprising Uses for Turmeric
How to get this spice into your diet
A certain spice in your pantry may ward off inflammation, certain cancers, and even fight depression as well as Prozac. Learn about turmeric here.
4 Easy Ways to Add Moringa to Your Diet
Have you heard about the latest superfood? Discover moringa—and some tasty bites that contain it.
The New “Sugar”: Monk Fruit
This one is sweet
Maybe it’s time to try Monk Fruit, and discover why it’s being called sugar’s new challenger…
And why they're so darn good
Are you missing out on an unusual nutrient powerhouse? Discover fermented foods…
The Easy Plant-Based Diet (it’s not vegan)
No deprivation here
Tired of diets that don’t work? Try our easy plant-based diet (it’s not vegan!)…
And how to manage it
Stressed out? Surprise: there are certain foods that cause stress. Find out which they are, from Dr. Mark Pitstick…
Quality over quantity
Nutritionist and Clean Plates founder Jared Koch busts the myth that calorie count is crucial when it comes to weight loss…
5 Better-For-You Junk Foods
What to reach for when you get really hangry
Got a craving for a sweet or salty treat? Try our 5 picks for better junk foods.
The Foods You Should Buy Organic…to Avoid Obesogens
The name may be funny but the facts are not
Could chemicals called “obesogens” be making you fat? Find out which healthy foods contain them, and how to steer clear…
5 Guilt-Free Grill Tips for Your BBQs
Here's hoping your next BBQ is your healthiest
When you grill, are you making the best meats you can? Avoid a side of carcinogens with these five healthy, guilt-free grill tricks…
Food Talk: The Happy Egg Co.
Finally, an egg brand you can actually trust
Do happy hens lay better eggs? Read about this Certified Humane company, and you decide…
For the newbie or the advanced gluten-free diet
Going gluten-free, or just want a more nutritious alternative to plain pasta? Try these non-whole wheat alternatives…
Freaky Facts about Conventional Orange Juice
Take care when picking your citrus
Is your orange juice hiding something from you? Check out these weird facts about conventional OJ…
Is Canola Oil Healthy?
See our answer here
Is canola oil heart-healthy, or something to be avoided? Get the facts on this popular cooking oil.
Food Talk: Balinese Cuisine with Selamat Pagi
Discover cuisine from Bali—plus a recipe for one of Indonesia’s favorite condiments, sambal.
Dear Clean Plates: Are Granola Bars to Blame for My Bloat?
The lowdown on granola bars
Are granola bars to blame for your bloat? A particular “high-fiber” product additive might make your on-the-go snack guilty as charged. Find out what it is here.
The Dish: 5 Celebrities Who Eat Healthier
Celebrities everywhere are getting into clean eating. See who we spotted, and where.
Wish you had some less sweet, or even sugar-free breakfast options? Try four delicious choices from around the world.
Food Talk: Jennifer Esposito
Interested in going gluten-free? Get tips and a recipe from actress Jennifer Esposito, who just opened a gluten-free bakery.
Spring Cleansing: Rouge Tomate’s Green Tornado
Ready for spring cleaning? Try this delicious green juice (it can be made in a blender or a juicer), from Clean Plates-approved restaurant Rouge Tomate.
Comfort Food Makeover: Casserole by Back Forty
Does your casserole need a makeover? Toss the canned soup, and try Spaghetti Squash and Farro Casserole from Chef Michael Laarhoven of Clean Plates-approved restaurant Back Forty West.
Are you craving a hearty winter chili? Ditch the can—and the meat—and try this delicious recipe for Lentil and Red Kuri Chili.
Food Talk: Jil Larsen of Magic Mix Juicery
Magic Mix Juicery founder Jil Larsen used to suffer from melasma, a skin condition that caused dark marks. Since changing her diet, her skin has changed, too. Read what changes she made.
Food Talk: Scandinavian Style at Aska
Is your knowledge of Scandinavian cuisine limited to gravlax and IKEA cafés? Learn about the new trend of Scandinavian cooking coming to America, and what you can expect to taste soon—including lichens.
Dear Clean Plates: What is Brominated Vegetable Oil?
And why was it in sports drinks?
A certain chemical was just removed from Gatorade. What is it, and why was it there in the first place? Find out here.
Dear Clean Plates: Is the “Color Added” to Farmed Salmon Unsafe?
The benefits of wild vs. farmed salmon
Ever noticed the words “color added” beside the salmon at your supermarket? Find out what that means.
Dear Clean Plates: What is Erythritol?
Read our answer here!
Dear Clean Plates, I’ve seen something called “erythritol” on the labels of sodas and new foods in the health food section. Is it actually healthy? What is it? –Sugar Mama Dear Sugar Mama, Not quite as sweet as table sugar, erythritol is a sugar alcohol that has a low impact on blood sugar levels (read: low glycemic index). You’re likely seeing it in the health food section because of that and the fact that it’s considered a natural sweetener, like xylitol; it also has close to nil calories and carbs. In fact, it is found naturally in some fruits, mushrooms and fermented foods like wine and soy sauce. Erythritol is often blended with other more-intense sugars to mimic the mouthfeel of sucrose, as erythritol exhibits only about 60 to 70 percent of the sweetness of pure sugar. And while sugar alcohols generally “can act as a laxative in high quantities and also cause gastrointestinal distress like gas and bloating” according to Clean Plates founder Jared Koch, erythritol normally doesn’t cause as much gastrointestinal distress as other sugar alcohols since a majority of it is absorbed before it enters the large intestine. Still, in large doses, it can cause nausea. Two interesting facts: erythritol is certified tooth-friendly since sugar alcohol can’t be metabolized by oral bacteria, and it has a cooling effect (think: minty sensations) when it’s not already dissolved in water, such as when it’s used in frosting, chewing gum, or hard candy. “Erythritol can be a good option for many, but because it is a sugar alcohol, it can also have some side effects,” Koch says, referring back to the gastrointestinal distress. “There have also been some reported cases of allergic reactions. That being said, it might be worth trying to see if it works for your body.” You may have sweet success.
Do you know what’s really inside that pretty red box? Here are four healthier sweets to give your sweetie (or yourself!) this Valentine’s Day.
Upper Crust: Alternative Pizzas
Wish pizza didn’t leave you feeling like you ate a brick? Try the new trend: crusts made with more digestible grains.
Dear Clean Plates: How Can I Prepare Beans to Avoid Discomfort?
Beans, beans, they’re good for your heart. The more you eat… uh-oh. Try our tips to make “the musical fruit” go mute (and become more digestible)!
Is there MSG hiding in your food? You might be surprised. Here are some secret ingredients to watch out for.
Thyme Carrot Chips with Potato-Yogurt Dip
Want a winning snack for this Sunday’s Super Bowl? Forget the bagged snacks; whip up this inventive potato dip with carrot chips.
A staple of the Stone Age, a venerated foodstuff of the Vikings: Nordic Breads’ whole grain rye bread is a hearty find. Get a taste, plus a sandwich recipe.
Coco-nut Granola
You might just beat not only the cold, but a cold with this coco-nutty granola, baked with immunity-strengthening coconut oil and anti-bacterial honey.
Macrobiotics
Is a macrobiotic diet right for you? Find out what this philosophy means, and how to make a quick macrobiotic meal, from chef Shandoah Goldman.
On Our Radar: Hanjan
Hooni Kim, chef at the newly-opened modern Korean restaurant Hanjan, shares his tips for creating a toothsome, umami taste without using MSG.
Food Talk: Harley Pasternak
Celebrity trainer and nutritional consultant Harley Pasternak shares his secrets to a healthy diet.
Ever try “coffee cupping?” It’s like wine tasting, but with java. The experts from Toby’s Estate offer DIY instructions for comparing coffees.
Think all rum comes from abroad? Think again: here’s a non-GMO version that’s being made by one woman, in Brooklyn.
Swapping out meat for tofu is the healthy way to go. Or is it? You might be surprised to learn which vegetarian foods aren’t actually good for you.
Food Talk: Bryan Kest
What does a star yogi eat? Surprise: it may not be what you think.
On Our Radar: Urban Garden
This Fairfax restaurant is full of classic and contemporary twists on Mediterranean food
Are you familiar with fattoush, lebneh or zaatar? Discover them all at a new Middle Eastern spot on Fairfax.
Make the soup of your dreams with Brooklyn Bouillon's bases
Got a hankering for homemade soup? Whip it up fast with these organic, locally-sourced soup stocks from Brooklyn Bouillon.
These "healthy" foods might be fooling you
Think you can recognize a healthy snack? Sometimes, it’s not so easy. Here are five foods that aren’t always as good for us as we guessed.
Going (Modern) Paleo with Hu Kitchen’s Jordan Brown
This Manhattan chef demystifies paleo
Should you be eating like a Stone Ager? The owner of Manhattan’s Paleo diet-inspired Hu Kitchen explains why cooking old, old school could be a great new idea.
Pomegranate Party: A Twist on the French 75 Cocktail
A Michelin-starred restaurant's take on a classic cocktail
Paint the town red with Rouge Tomate’s recipe for a twist on a classic cocktail.
On Our Radar: The Pikey
Head over to Sunset for updated, organic pub food
The Pikey brings quality, organic food back to pub culture.
Market Driven: Farmigo
Farmigo connects local farmers with health-conscious consumers
Wish you had a farmers’ market at your doorstep? Check out Farmigo—and get a taste of what’s in season right now.
These festive treats get a gluten-free update
What’s better than a jelly donut? How about one that’s made with more nutritious oil, sweetener and flour? Check out our special recipe.
The Clean Plates Special: Acting Sqirlly
An exclusive interview and recipe with SQIRL chef Jessica Koslow
In an exclusive article for Martha Stewart’s Whole Living Daily, we interview chef/jam and fermentation guru Jessica Koslow about what she’s pickling now—and share a recipe.
On Our Radar: Maysville Food & Bourbon
Maysville brings Kentucky flavors to the Flatiron district
This southern-inspired spot highlights local, hormone- and antibiotic-free meats and sustainable seafoods and organic produce.
On Our Radar: Cortez
From the founders of Echo Park's Cookbook green grocer
Marta Teegen and Robert Stelzner, the successful duo behind the popular Echo Park green grocer, have translated their love of organic, sustainable and local food to a new small plates restaurant, Cortez.
On Our Radar: Aska
This Scandinavian restaurant brings local, seasonal flavors to Williamsburg
New Williamsburg restaurant Aska’s ingredients are as local as possible—even the flowers on the tables are foraged along the river.
Founder Mott Green chats about his organic tree-to-bar chocolate
Mott Green launched Grenada Chocolate Co. in 1999, possibly the first organic, tree-to-bar chocolate makers, with a dozen local cocoa farmers as shareholders in the chocolate co-op.
No gluten, no problem for Vermont-based bread company Against the Grain
Against the Grain leaves grain out entirely, replacing it with excellent, fresh, locally produced ingredients—like fresh mozzarella cheese.
Talking Turkey with the Godfather of American Poultry
Frank Reese wants you to eat heritage turkeys
Frank Reese, a heritage turkey farmer for sixty years, discusses heritage turkey breeds, sustainable poultry farming, and Thanksgiving shopping tips.
This gluten-free, vegan apple tart is the perfect Thanksgiving dessert
Clean Plates is delighted to offer our readers a scrumptious series of healthful, delicious and nutritious side dishes for Thanksgiving, ideal for contributing to the holiday table or combining for a luscious, plant-based meal.
Showcase seasonal produce with these vegetarian Thanksgiving sides
Clean Plates is delighted to offer our readers a scrumptious series of healthful, delicious and nutritious side dishes for Thanksgiving, ideal for contributing to the holiday table or combining for a luscious, plant-based meal.
The Clean Plates Special: Escarole with Top Chef’s Antonia Lofaso
An exclusive interview with 'The Busy Mom's Cookbook' author
Welcome to the latest in The Clean Plates Special, written exclusively for Martha Stewart’s Whole Living online. We dished with chef Antonia Lofaso of Top Chef about her wild ways of eating escarole raw.
Thanksgiving Sides Series: Roasted Roots Recipe
This classic side dish is perfect for any holiday feast
Clean Plates is delighted to offer our readers a scrumptious series of healthful, delicious and nutritious side dishes for Thanksgiving, ideal for contributing to the holiday table or combining for a luscious, plant-based meal.
Thanksgiving Sides Series: Start with Soup
This curried carrot and sweet potato soup is healthy and hearty
Clean Plates is delighted to offer our readers a scrumptious series of healthful, delicious and nutritious side dishes for Thanksgiving, ideal for contributing to the holiday table or combining for a luscious, plant-based meal.
Waste-Free Groceries: Ingredients
This Austin grocery store is zero-waste and package-free
In an effort to reduce packaging waste generated by food, a new Austin grocery store is shunning recycling in favor of “precycling,” the practice of avoiding recycling by not creating packaging in the first place.
Where to Eat Local? A City-by-City Guide
The best locally sourced and sustainable food businesses across the country
Where does one find these nearby butchers, bakers and popsicle makers preparing delicious, sustainable products and creating local jobs? Check out the 100 Tastemakers across the country.
A new dairy CSA with a serious social mission
Milk Not Jails is not only a dairy marketing and distribution co-operative, it’s also a sustainable CSA with a cheeky pink truck and a serious purpose.
On Our Radar: LYFE Kitchen
Organic local sourcing for a new kind of fast food
Delicious food served quickly, affordably and ethically sounds too oxymoronic to be true. But these kitchen savants are proving that wrong at LYFE Kitchen, coming to LA this winter.
On Our Radar: The Butcher’s Daughter
Despite the name, a juice bar with vegan versions of meat dishes
A new juice bar and vegan café, The Butcher’s Daughter, opens in Nolita later this month.
On Our Radar: The Hart and the Hunter
A taste of the South on Melrose
The hot Abbot Kinney pop-up, Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, focused on locally sourced country-style plates. This commitment to rustic cooking has carried over to a more permanent outpost: The Hart and the Hunter.
Off the Hook: NYC’s Community Supported Fishery
Learn all about Village Fishmonger and their sustainable seafood mission
New York is a city of villages: the butcher, the baker, even the gefilte fish maker. But what of the fishmonger? Reel in the Village Fishmonger, NYC’s own Community Supported Fishery (CSF).
Ruby Roth: Children’s Author and Vegan Advocate
Demystifying the vegan diet kids (and adults)
Vegan art teacher Ruby Roth looked for books that would help explain her diet to children; when she couldn’t find any that “didn’t have talking animals and vegetables,” she decided to write her own.
Beer’s the Thing: SoCal Brews to Try For Fall
Three vegetarian recipes get masterful beer pairings
We presented three delicious vegetarian recipes from the Clean Plates blog and invited — nay, challenged — Sayre Piotrkowski, cicerone (think sommelier for beer), to find us some sudsy SoCal pairings.
Drink to Your Health with Bottled Ayurvedic Tea
MissionRoot brings this ancient holistic medicine to your fridge
The ancient healing system of Ayurveda has been followed throughout India for more than 5,000 years. MissionRoot, an organic bottled iced tea company, brings this holistic practice to the refrigerator case.
Build-a-Bowl: A Healthy Meal Everyone Will Eat (We Promise)
Custom bowls are sure to satisfy even the pickiest eater
One of the easiest ways to please everyone’s palate while still providing a healthy meal is the Build-a-Bowl. Using a variety of nutritious foods and condiments, everyone creates a custom bowl with the flavors they want.
The Clean Plates Special: Kale with Chef John Marsh
An exclusive interview with the GreenSquare Tavern chef
We dished with chef John Marsh of GreenSquare Tavern about everyone’s favorite green, kale.
On Our Radar: Hu Kitchen
A new paleo spot in Union Square
Just last Friday, in a nod towards paleo and pre-industrial times, fast-casual restaurant and market Hu Kitchen opened its doors in the middle of New York City.
It’s No Secret: Stag Dining Group is Here
This secretive supper club is making waves with its concept and food
There isn’t much mystery in the name: Stag Dining Group (SDG) was founded by a group of bachelors. But now they’re producing clandestine, sustainable dinners that are, ironically, putting them on the map.
La Slowtería: Tulum comes to Brooklyn
Chef Hugo Orozco updates his Mexican restaurant with local produce
Chef Hugo Orozco brought his fresh take on Mexican cuisine from Tulum, the sleepy town on the Mayan Riviera where he owned a restaurant by the same name: La Slowteria.
It’s Alive! Barry’s Tempeh
This Brooklyn-made tempeh redefines "fresh"
Think you know tempeh? You don’t know tempeh. Barry’s Tempeh is organic and fresh-frozen. Translation: Beneficial bacteria will still go to battle for your body because they’re alive when frozen.
The Clean Plates Special: Mustard Greens with Chef Daniel Angerer and Restaurateur Adam Eskin
An exclusive interview with the men behind Dig Inn Seasonal Market
Welcome to the latest in The Clean Plates Special, written exclusively for Martha Stewart’s Whole Living online. We dished with chef Daniel Angerer and restaurateur Adam Eskin about mustard greens.
A Radish Grows in Brooklyn
This Williamsburg gem is perfect for seasonal, locally-sourced, picnic-ready meals
Radish may be Williamsburg’s favorite spot for seasonal prepared foods, picnic necessities and local farms’ and artisan products.
Gefilteria: Fish cakes get fresh for the holidays
Gefilte fish get a sustainable makeover from Brooklyn company Gefilteria
For those who may not be ready to de-bone their own carp but want to know where their fish comes from, Gefilteria is a modern artisanal company cooking with old school methods and ethical sourcing.
Local Food Lab Incubates Nourishing Start-Ups
Two Silicon Valley entrepreneurs tackle the local food industry
Local Food Lab, a business incubator, is applying the techie model to the ever-burgeoning food world as more and more people are finding a new beginning in local food businesses.
Brooklyn’s Youth Farm: Sowing the Seeds of a New $1 Menu
High school students learn about healthy eating and food sourcing on one of NYC's largest urban farms
This isn’t your average high school: The 1.25-acre Youth Farm out front serves as an outdoor classroom and integral part of HSPS’s extracurricular activities. Students grew 15,000 pounds of vegetables last year.
A Garden Floats in the Anable Basin, LIC
An architecture student wants to bring a hydroponic garden to the East River
Urban farming can be found across the city, taking gardens to the sky on building rooftops. Now, a 22-year-old architecture student has created an experimental hydroponic floating garden to grace the East River.
Our favorite stone fruits are back in season—here's how to enjoy them
Bite into a perfectly ripe peach before summer takes its leave — rich in vitamins and minerals, and full of fiber, stone fruits are a nutritious and delicious treat…
Farming and Fun at the Flip Flop Ranch
Two hours east of LA, the Flip Flop Ranch gives visitors a slice of the farm life
City life hides our land’s natural elements behind billboards and freeways. Flip Flop Ranch offers families a way to unwind…
This family-run, vertically-integrated creamery is bringing artisanal cheese to the tri-state area
At Valley Shepherd Creamery, one family controls the product from pasture and pasteurization to cave and counter, to create one vertically integrated creamery and 29 delicious varieties of cheese…
City Bakery’s Creative Juices are Flowing
This iconic NYC bakery gets a juice update
The City Bakery has always led a double life: decadent bakery in the front, health-conscious food bar in the back…
Up your burger game by using delicious, local ingredients
Though summer’s end is bittersweet, we love celebrating with a BBQ full of big, juicy, grass-fed, chin-dripping burgers. Here’s how to create a healthful burger from local, artisanal ingredients…
On Our Radar: Prospect
Prospect brings farm-friendly fare to Fort Greene
Don’t let the name of this new farm-to-table restaurant lead you to the wrong neighborhood…
The Clean Plates Special: Short-Grain Brown Rice with Chef Kuniko Yagi
An exclusive interview and recipe from the up-and-coming food world star
Welcome to the latest in our new series, The Clean Plates Special, written exclusively for Martha Stewart’s Whole Living online. We dished with rising star chef Kuniko Yagi about organic, short-grain brown rice.
Take the stress out of snacking with this new subscription service
No matter how good we are about healthy meals, it’s the snacks that often suck us back down into the dark world of…
So you know what you're eating, on the go
NerdTraveler published its “Top 10 Food Apps for Conscientious Eaters” this week, and Clean Plates iPhone App made the list!
Explore the many creative ways to eat summer's favorite fruit
Cherries might be the unofficial fruit of summer. With powerful anti-inflammatory properties, they make a perfect, portable snack. Here are some ideas for incorporating these ruby red fruits into your summer…
The Clean Plates Special: Quinoa with Chef Ray Garcia
The Santa Monica restaurateur gives this ancient grain a new twist
Welcome to the first installment of a new series, The Clean Plates Special, written exclusively for Martha Stewart’s Whole Living online. Today we’re serving up healthy, delicious Scarlet quinoa…
Afire's coconut charcoal makes delicious, healthy grilling easier
It’s BBQ season; what matters isn’t just what you cook, but how you cook it. We found a cleaner, more natural alternative to traditional charcoal: 100% natural carbonized coconut shells…
Trash Talk: Leslie VK Campbell on Sustainable Restaurant Design
The SustainLA founder wants the food world to go greener
Leslie VanKeuren Campbell began SustainLA as an experiment: The green restaurant design firm pioneered a new…
Thank Goodness: Cafe Gratitude Lands in Venice
The feel-good food chain lands opens its second location in LA
Venice is no stranger to hardcore health nuts and now it’s made room for a truly good-for-you joint…
A Guide to Storing Summer’s Bounty
You've got the season's freshest produce—then what?
Summer’s bounty: the Internet is teeming with recipes for seasonal produce, but how do you store these summer gems? Here’s our guide to keeping herbs, fruits and vegetables at their peak as long as possible…
Mario Batali on Botanical Dinners, Michigan Love and Duck Testicles
The celebrity chef also shares a seasonal squash recipe
Mario Batali gave us the scoop on The Edible Garden, being an Italophile and locavore, and duck testicles at the kids’ table…
Coloring and Quinoa: Family-Friendly Dining in Los Angeles
Bring your kids to these parent-approved LA eateries
LA restaurants are a thrill, with healthy, sustainable cooking and respect for many dietary needs…
Founder Jared Koch’s Interview on The 24th Letter
Advice on embracing your bio-individuality and figuring out what foods work best for you
Janera Soerel spoke with Jared Koch for The 24th Letter before his discussion last weekend at the Urban Zen Wellness event…
Summertime, and the Eating is Easy: Alfresco Fare with Chef Seamus Mullen
The Next Iron Chef star brings seasonal summer fare to the Standard
A new pop-up is in town with owner of Spanish restaurant Tertulia and Next Iron Chef Seamus Mullen’s ephemeral venture…
Smorgasburg: Eating Clean at this Foodie Wonderland
This weekly Brooklyn pop-up has plenty to healthy food options
Smorgasburg is an artisanal food fantasy come to life: about 100 vendors sell freshly prepared foods, local produce…
Diversify your veggies with this underwater green
You’ve probably heard, “Eat your greens,” but do you include veggies from the sea too? Seaweed and algae, the ocean’s vegetables, add valuable nutrients to the diet and variety to the plate…
Beyond Sushi: Nothing Fishy About It
Chef Guy Vaknin's vegan and vegetarian rolls will have you rethinking sushi
Vegans and vegetarians weary of the cucumber avocado roll will rejoice at the opening of Beyond Sushi, chef Guy Vaknin’s (of Hell’s Kitchen fame) new Union Square venture.
Expand your food horizons with these local, weekly deliveries of seasonal produce
Are chain grocery stores getting more of your business than you’d like? Here’s a solution: weekly deliveries from a local CSA…
Pick of the Barrel: Damn Fine Pickles at Brooklyn Brine
These artisanal pickles come in seasonal and classic varieties
When you smell the vinegar, you’ve arrived. Jars fill the windows and barrels line the floor of Brooklyn Brine’s new retail store in the front room of their Gowanus brinery…
A Harvard professor's new startup promises to eliminate food packaging waste
Good things come in edible packages. In an attempt to reduce the waste from food packaging, Harvard professor David Edwards…
For Your Own Good: A Green Getaway
Head to Vermont for a relaxing, food-centric getaway
Good Commons is a boutique retreat and vacation spot in Vermont. The Commons’ uncommonly good getaways…
Urban Zen: Clean Plates at Donna Karan’s Wellness Series
Urban Zen’s Sustainable Wellness Series brings speakers at the fore of the wellness movement, including Clean Plates founder Jared Koch, to share their wisdom at Karan’s Sag Harbor Store.
Celebrate Summer in SoCal at FIG’s Farm Dinner
One local family farm gets the spotlight at this Santa Monica staple
Chef Ray Garcia of FIG brings respect for terroir to the table at his delightful quarterly Farm Dinners…
Park Life: Brooklyn’s New Farmer’s Markets
Brooklynites can enjoy the summer bounty with two new farmer's markets
During sticky New York City summers, being a weekend warrior means sticking around for the days that start with…
All Along the Water Towers: Art Project Raises Awareness
Jay-Z, Jeff Koons and others are starting conversations about water conservation
All water is not equal — some has the ability to sustain life, while other types can deplete it. Jay-Z, Jeff Koons and 30 other artists, musicians and designers are collaborating on The Water Tank Project.
Digging in the Dirt: Satur Farms
The Long Island farm is a shining example of sustainable farming done right
With local farmland under threat of decline, Satur Farms remains a beacon of hope on Long Island. Paulette Satur and her husband are committed to expanding sustainable farming…
The Ultimate Omakase: Get Fed at FIG
Chef Ray Garcia ups the local and sustainable dining ante
Want to gild the seasonal lily? Treat yourself to FIG’s Feed Me dinner. The omakase-inspired, exquisitely fresh tasting menu…
On Our Radar: Rosemary’s Enoteca & Trattoria
Indulge in this West Village Italian dream
If you can’t make the trip to Italy, the dream can still be yours at Rosemary’s Enoteca & Trattoria…
A Slice of Eataly in LA
Mario Batali's flagship restaurant heads to the City of Angels
Mario Batali’s stamp on Los Angeles has thus far been the indulgent Osteria Mozza…
As NYC tries to ban soda, we take a look at some soft drink substitutes
It’s official: soda is evil. With Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed ban on sales over 16 ounces, and other cities considering similar action, what’s a soda fan to do? Here are some refreshing, healthier options…
This LA farmers market staple uses Old World fermentation to get nutrient-packed pickled produce
LA is a city big on preservation—and we’re not just talking about Botox and fillers. Brassica & Brine: Nutrient-Dense Living Foods specializes in organic, wild-fermented foods. It’s old school…
Bokashi, What? A New Old Way to Compost
An ancient Japanese style of composting gets an NYC update
Bokashi, an ancient Japanese style of composting, embraces traditional fermentation to create new soil. Thanks to Brooklyn-based Vokashi, New Yorkers can try their hands at this ancient practice.
Everything you need to know about making your own smoothies
Get DIY instructions to make your own perfect smoothie…
Summer’s Coolest Food Truck? It Serves Kids Free Healthy Lunches
The New Haven School Food Truck wants no kid to be without a nutritious lunch
The New Haven School Food Truck ensures kids who receive free or reduced-price lunches during the school year still have access to a healthy meal over the summer—and even made it cool.
Getting There: The Hidden Key to Farm-to-Table Success
Jennifer Goggin of FarmersWeb shares how they're connecting farmers to restaurants for true farm-to-table sourcing
Ever sit in your favorite restaurant, stare at your seasonal greens and wonder: “What was their journey?”…
Long Island Vintners: Gamechangers in Sustainability
A new non-profit organization is educating wine consumers and producers alike
Looking for local wines as sustainable as can be? Sip this: Several Long Island winegrowers have launched…
The Pie Plate Cometh: New Greenpoint Shop Opens Soon
Greenmarket favorite Pie Corps is finally setting up shop on Driggs Avenue
Pie: it’s not just for dessert any more. Handmade sweet and savory pies are set to arrive in Greenpoint this June…
The Brooklyn Standard: An Organic Locavore Bodega
This update on the classic NYC bodega offers vegan- and vegetarian-friendly options and local artisanal products
The Brooklyn Standard is the organic, locavore version of a classic New York bodega. With a chandelier…
Up on the Roof: Where to Dine Al Fresco
Eat under the stars with these three NYC restaurants
NYC rooftops aren’t only for cocktails—there are several breezy spots serving delicious, healthy food along with skyline views…
A Rooftop Chat with Chef Jacques Gautier of Palo Santo
The Brooklyn chef talked volunteering, gardening and cravings
We chat with chef Gautier of Palo Santo in his rooftop garden about the brilliance of tortillas made to order, volunteering with…
The New Autry Farmers’ Market: Wild West Produce
Check out a new Saturday market, right by the Autry National Center of the American West
In LA, it often seems April showers bring May markets. Newly blossomed is the Autry Farmers’ Market: 16 local and organic farmers and vendors outside the Autry National Center of the American West…
Clean Plates Party Prep, Take II: Dinner
Everything you need to know and have to throw a fantastic dinner party
“To invite a person into your house is to take charge of his happiness for as long as he is under your roof.” –Brillat-Savarin. Here are tips to enjoying a great dinner party you throw yourself…
Four Local Farms Laying Fresh and Interesting Eggs
Skip the supermarket for these great local egg purveyors
Fresh eggs laid by happy, healthy hens are beautiful: They boast multi-hued shells, superior nutrition, bright orange-yellow yolks and tight whites that taste delicious. Here are four great options.
Raw Beauty: 6 Foods for Gorgeous Skin
Glowing skin is anything but skin deep. Here are six go-to beauty foods.
Bright Farms: Bringing Fresh Produce to Brooklyn
Sunset Park might be the new home of the world's largest rooftop greenhouse
Is Brooklyn becoming the new epicenter of the local food movement? Plans have begun to build the world’s largest rooftop greenhouse…
Schoolhouse Rocks: The Greenhouse Project
A new NYC citywide initiative brings gardening to grade-school kids
Photosynthesis, aquaponics, decomposition; some concepts are best learned by experience. The Greenhouse Project drops knowledge through hands-on education for NYC kids.
Butter Beans Grow in Brooklyn: Refreshing Healthy Kids Programs
Providing homemade, healthy and tasty meals for kids to take to school
A mom-led, Brooklyn-based organization, Butter Beans, takes their fight against childhood obesity and unhealthy eating to local schools and also offers healthy cooking classes for parents and kids.
Clean Plates Party Prep, Take I: Cocktails
Take your party drinks to another level with these eco-friendly, delicious cocktails
In an age of celebrity mixologists, it’s daunting to host a party with cocktails. But it can be done, and more easily than you’d think! Serve eco-friendly, delicious drinks when you use these tips…
DIY Sprouting Kits
Sprouting: It’s not just for hippies and raw foodists anymore. Growing your own sprouts is an easy, sustainable way to enjoy these nutritional powerhouses. Here’s how…
Get Outside! Three Options For Healthy Picnics
Take in the sights and tastes of NYC, three ways
From quick lunches in the park to sunset nibbles by the river, there are many springtime excuses for a picnic in Manhattan…
The Incredible, Edible Jenna Spevack: 8 Extraordinary Greens
The Brooklyn-based artist's new exhibit asks viewers to consider the value of food
Jenna Spevack is an artist with roots in permaculture certification and master composting whose current exhibit reflects on urban agriculture and the value of growing food in small spaces.
On Our Radar: Yopparai
Local ingredients and a dizzying sake bar come together in this Manhattan gem
Thanks to Manhattan’s newest quasi-secret Japanese spot, you can get your Yopparai on (Japanese for “I’m drunk”) with food full of local ingredients you can actually feel good about. *hic*
The Best of Spring’s Super Greens
These vital veggies are a welcome boost to any diet
Farmers markets across the country are bursting with artichokes, asparagus, arugula, watercress and spring onions. These vegetables cleanse and prepare our bodies for warmer temperatures…
Celebrate Mother’s Day Two Delicious Ways
Whether Mom's more into brunch, lunch, or hands-on cooking, we've got your Mother's Day covered
Whether your Mom would prefer to celebrate with brunch, dinner, or a hands-on cooking class, Clean Plates has you covered…
M Café’s Menu Gets a Makeover
Winter comfort foods are set aside for detoxifying spring fare
At M Café, a popular European-style eatery serving macrobiotic cuisine, the hearty comfort foods of winter have been shed…
Residents are taking healthy, affordable food into their own hands
Faced with a lack of accessible fresh food, East New Yorkers are turning waste into compost: Cypress Hills residents are building Pollos del Pueblo, or The People’s Chickens…
From Slaughterhouse to Sustainable Sanctuary: Chicago’s The Plant
The vertically-integrated farm aims to produce "net-zero waste"
There are a few ways Chicago’s The Plant describes itself: part vertical farm, part research and education space, part food business incubator. Also in its description? Former meatpacking plant.
Table Talk: Jimmy Carbone of Jimmy’s No. 43
We asked the food world expert about beer, breakfast and sourcing ingredients
Jimmy Carbone knows his way around a kitchen, the greenmarket and especially the East Village. We dish with the chef…
The Sustainable Side of the GoogaMooga Festival
Learn all about farm-to-fork practices at this music, food and drink festival
You’ll want a ticket for this ride: The Great GoogaMooga Festival takes place in Prospect Park on May 19-20, and this year…
Vigilant Eats Gets Vigilante with Oatmeal
This organic cereal wants to give your breakfast a gluten-, additive- and preservative-free update
Rise and shine! Whether it’s a healthy breakfast you’re in search of or just a wholesome snack, Vigilant Eats Superfood Oat-Based Cereal is fueling the food revolution in more ways than one…
Chef Einat Admony of Balaboosta Talks Travel, Cookbooks and Israeli Soul
The Tel Aviv native shares her favorite dishes and places to be
Chef Einat Admony of Balaboosta, her restaurant in NoLita, chats about drawing inspiration from her native Tel Aviv, her upcoming cookbook and why her chicken isn’t boring…
For Earth Day, Whole Foods is committing to sustainable seafood practices
In celebration of Earth Day, Whole Foods Market made a big change at the fish counter: The stores no longer sell…
On Our Radar: Candle Cafe West
The popular vegan chain gets an Upper West Side outpost
Upper West Side vegans, rejoice! The Zagat-rated vegan oasis of a restaurant, Candle 79, has just opened its newest addition…
Interview with Ann Gentry: This Vegan Chef Keeps it Real
The founder of Real Food Daily shares the tale of her vegan conversion
Ann Gentry, founder of LA’s iconic organic vegan restaurant, Real Food Daily, dishes about the decision to give up meat, the importance of sustainable farming and what it’s like to be a vegan on the road…
Positively Delicious Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
Frosted or not, this carrot cake is a tasty, feel-good dessert
Contributor Nick Oddo shared his delicious Gluten-Free Carrot Cake recipe: Serve it simple and unadorned or with a quick vanilla whipped cream frosting. Either way, the greatest ingredients are love and positive energy.
On Our Radar: Talking with Neal Harden of M.O.B.
The executive chef of Brooklyn's hippest vegetarian restaurant dishes on its menu
Maimonide of Brooklyn’s executive chef Neal Harden talks about working with Cyril Aouizerate and Alain Senderens, the restaurant’s comic book and how brunch just got better for vegans…
Delectable Earth Day Eats in Los Angeles
Pay Mother Nature respect with these environmentally conscious and delicious eats
Here are some Clean Plates-approved eateries that stand out in their dedication to Mother Earth—from on-site gardens to composting kitchens, these restaurants give her the respect she deserves…
Find Dinner in the Park? Go Foraging with a Wildman
"Wildman" Steve Brill walks us through some common NYC greens
“Wildman” Steve Brill, New York’s favorite foraging guru, runs park and trail tours throughout the state. We joined the Wildman for a foraging walk; here are a few of our finds…
A Conversation with Francine Stephens of Franny’s
Co-owner Stephens dishes on this Brooklyn staple's best and most underrated dishes
We sit down with Francine Stephens to talk about her upcoming cookbook, new restaurant and the most underrated pizza at her Clean Plates-approved hotspot, Franny’s…
Breezy Spring Eats: Clean Plates’ Brooklyn Picks
Enjoy the springtime weather with these outdoor eating areas
With spring temperatures in the forecast, here are Clean Plates’ picks for restaurants with spaces under the open Brooklyn sky that will tantalize more than your taste buds…
Keep your kitchen stocked with products from indie artisans in the tri-state area
With the recent onslaught of artisanal products across the Empire State, New Yorkers can find just about any local foodstuff within the tri-state area. Enter New York Mouth, here to fill cupboards with homegrown goods.
Making cooking more cost-effective, delicious and healthier
From the farmers market to the stove’s flame, the following tips are not only better for the environment but will make your cooking more delicious, cost-effective and healthier. Happy Earth Day!
Celebrate Earth Month with Eco-Friendly Restaurants in the City
These NYC restaurants take eating healthy and sustainably to a new level
While eating local is a great way to celebrate Earth Day, it’s month and beyond, we wanted to spotlight…
Sign up for their CSA, or submit a one-time order
Move over Fresh Direct. There’s another organic and local food delivery service out there: Rustic Roots Delivery. The service not only offers a CSA program, it allows for one-time orders as well…
Interview with Seasonal Chef Andrew Kirschner
The Next Iron Chef competitor opened Tar & Roses in his hometown of Santa Monica
Andrew Kirschner of Next Iron Chef fame finally built his dream restaurant, Tar & Roses, in Santa Monica. We chat with him about sustainable sourcing, his L.A. roots and recent obsession with wood-fired ovens…
Clean Plates’ Picks for the Brooklyn Flea
The best of the best at this Fort Greene Saturday staple
Headed to the Brooklyn Flea in Fort Greene on Saturday? Check out these delicious, Clean Plates-approved food vendors as you wander the aisles…
Skip the artificial dyes this Easter, and go for natural dyes to decorate your eggs
With natural dyes, potential alchemy can be found anywhere in the kitchen: coffee grounds, red cabbage, beets—find great instructions for vegetable and fruit-based dyes for Easter eggs.
Put together these health-conscious charoset recipes before tomorrow night
Passover starts Friday evening at sunset; to celebrate the Jews’ exodus from slavery, I’ve included links to my favorite charoset recipes with tips to make them more delicious by using healthful ingredients…
Amp your dishes up with high quality ingredients like organic produce and nutrient-rich grains
Enjoy this vegetarian Easter menu packed with nutritious ingredients like spring peas, asparagus, fresh herbs, squash, farro, spelt and organic dark chocolate…
Take The Lid Off: Brooklyn Salsa
Founder Matt Burns shares his "condimovement" and a great michelada recipe
Get the inside scoop on the “condimovement,” conscious methods and how to salsa power your suds. Seriously…
Clean Plates Picks for Lovely Spring Eating in the City
These West Village eateries let you enjoy your food and the spring weather
Chickadees are chirping, the sun is shining and NYC restaurants’ outdoor furniture is finally re-emerging. Enjoy these lovely Clean Plates-approved restaurants as you celebrate the spring holidays.
Farmscape Transforms City Spaces into Organic Gardens
No farm, no problem—Farmscape makes organic home gardening accessible
Farmscape is a company determined to make an organic home garden accessible to anyone with a patch of grass to call their own…
Brooklyn Fare is Coming to Manhattan
The three Michelin starred-eater makes its way across town
Brooklyn Fare—Brooklyn’s only restaurant with 3 Michelin stars (and a Clean Plates seal of approval, to boot)—is coming to Manhattan…
Gluten-free, organic, whole grain options abound in our healthy matzoh roundup
Make your own matzoh, or choose from the healthiest brands of matzoh available from websites and grocery stores around the country.
Avoid a food coma with these Easter dinner ingredient tips
Easter doesn’t have to mean candy comas and too much honey-glazed ham.
Chai Mookie Spices Things Up, Healthfully
Zest up your tea with Chai Mookie's organic spice blends
Chai fans, put Chai Mookie on your radar. The fledgling company offers a variety of chai teas featuring healthful and organic spices.
How is the Warm Weather Affecting Local Greenmarkets?
The unseasonably warm temperatures have been a boon for consumers, but not for worried farmers
A warm winter and early spring spell good news for greenmarket shoppers, but present plenty of challenges for local farmers…
Celebrate Spring with Spinach & Green Pea Empanadas
Kick off the first week of spring with these tasty veggie-packed treats
Welcome the first week of spring with a batch of these delicious empanadas filled with spring vegetables…
Fresh Food Bike: A Whole Foods Concierge Who Delivers
LA residents can skip the Whole Foods parking lot for Naeem Tohid's grocery service
Fresh Food Bike’s Naeem Tohid will shop for you at Whole Foods and deliver up to 100 pounds of groceries by eco-friendly bike…
Starbucks Gets in the Juice Game
The ubiquitous coffee chain gets into the growing juice market
“Juice and nutrition is no longer a fad. It’s a full-blown trend,” says Jeff Hansberry of Starbucks in USA Today…
Sea to Table: Sustainable Seafood Delivered to Chefs’ Doors
Sea to Table co-owner Sean Dimin talks bringing sustainable seafood to NYC-area chefs
Many Clean Plates chefs get their seafood from Sea to Table, a service that connects sustainable, wild fisheries to chefs nationwide…
The Seed Library of Los Angeles lets users "check out" heritage, non-GMO, native seeds
A library full of books? How old fashioned. In Venice, The Seed Library of Los Angeles (SLOLA) is a lending library stocked with heritage, non-GMO, native vegetable and fruit seeds—no whispering required…
Host a Food Revolution Supper Club
Take part in Jamie Oliver's healthy, sustainable food movement in your own home
Between a TV show, a mobile food revolution, and trying to solve the obesity crisis in America, Jamie Oliver is a busy man. But he can’t do it alone. Fundraising Supper Clubs, the latest idea from his Food Revolution, lets YOU be the catalyst for change…
On Our Radar: Foragers City Market Restaurant
The Brooklyn staple's new full-service restaurant opens in Chelsea
DUMBO’s Foragers City Grocer plans to open a farm-to-table restaurant in Chelsea this month…
Jeff Leaf's nut-based nectar is both highly nutritious and very delicious
Ever had liquid, almond-coconut ice cream that’s actually good for you? Now you can…
Karen Freer turned getting fired into her own Williamsburg-based gluten-free bread business
The silver lining for Karen Freer after being fired from her administrative job last year? More baking time. Now she runs Free Bread, which sells delicious, gluten-free rolls in Williamsburg and online…
Swap out for some more health-conscious ingredients in this divine chocolate cake without losing the deliciousness
Guinness and chocolate make for a winning combination in this recipe from the Domestic Goddess herself, Nigella Lawson…
A Conversation With Chef Abigail Hitchcock
The Camaje chef opens up about her new Prospect Heights restaurant, Abigail
The chef at Camaje talks about her new “cozy neighborhood spot,” Abigail…
Clean Plates founder Jared Koch spoke to ABC News at Brooklyn restaurant Brucie
Clean Plates founder Jared Koch spoke to ABC News at Brooklyn restaurant Brucie.
Learn Sausage Making with Brooklyn Cured
Scott Bridi's ode to charcuterie keeps the Italian-American pork legacy alive
To Scott Bridi, his charcuterie store Brooklyn Cured is about more than preserving meat; he hopes to keep the legacy of Italian-American pork stores alive…
On Our Radar: Kreation Juicery in Beverly Hills
The second LA Kreation Juicery offers smoothies, cleanses, cold press juices and concoctions
A spin-off of Santa Monica’s Kreation Kafe, Kreation Juicery in Beverly Hills offers made-to-order smoothies, green cleanses, cold press juices, and “Better Than Water” concoctions (think alkaline water mixed with lavender or peppermint oil)…
Founder Jared Koch shares his favorite healthy habit
“If you do decide to indulge, eat it, enjoy it, and forget about it. Stress and guilt are worse than some unhealthy food.”…
Chatting with Vegan Chef and Entrepreneur Ayinde Howell
The man behind vegan pop-up WildFlower shares his vegan origin story
Ayinde Howell is the visionary behind WildFlower, a vegan pop-up restaurant, as well as I Eat Grass, an online vegan community…
Black & Yellow Breakfast Potatoes
The vegan chef shares his tasty take on potatoes
Vegan chef Ayinde Howell shares a simple recipe for breakfast potatoes…
The scotch egg gets a health-conscious ingredients update
Try these Scotch eggs made with better-for-you ingredients like nitrate-free, organic sausage and whole wheat breadcrumbs…
Hamantaschen Recipe
This Purim staple gets a flavor and nutrition boost in this recipe
This recipe for hamantaschen, a cookie traditionally eaten during the Jewish holiday of Purim, uses natural sweetener, whole grain flour and other better-for-you ingredients…
Coco Cafe: Caffeination Meets Hydration
This new Venice company blends espresso with coconut water
The idea for Coco Cafe was born when co-founder Elan Eifer made espresso with coconut water before a painfully early yoga class…
Clean Spirits: Five Organic Vodkas
Organic vodka is both healthier and tastier than its non-organic counterparts
A vodka a day may not keep the doctor away, but drinking organic could help…
Interview with The Juicy Naam’s Giuliana Torre
This Upper East Side offers juices, smoothies, and a full raw/vegan menu
The Juicy Naam, located at The Hotel Wales on the Upper East Side, offers organic juices and smoothies, a full vegan/raw menu, and a wide selection of herbs, supplements and snacks…
The Detox Market: One-Stop Wellness
All the organic, sustainable and healthful products you could want, in Venice and Beverly Hills
The Detox Market features eco-friendly, toxin-free products created by small companies, ranging from organic stone-ground Taza chocolates and detoxifying Kusmi teas to nail polish and perfume…
Author Gabrielle Bernstein Answers The Clean Plates 5
The motivational speaker and life coach dishes on her go-to health-conscious food
Author, motivational speaker and life coach Gabrielle Bernstein joins us to answer the Clean Plates 5…
A Chat with Bareburger CEO & Founder Euripides Pelekanos
On his favorite menu item and the importance of sourcing quality, humanely-treated meat
“We love meat, [but] we don’t want to eat meat from animals that have been raised in commercial feed lots,” says Bareburger CEO and founder Euripides Pelekanos…
On Our Radar: Fundamental LA
The Westwood sandwich shop has opened its doors for dinner
Fundamental LA, an artisanal sandwich shop on Westwood Boulevard, has been drawing rave reviews since its June 2011 opening, but has just recently begun to offer a separate dinner menu that rivals its lunch fare…
Celebrate National Peanut Butter Day with a healthy update on this popular snack
Our makeover of these Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars is packed with better-for-you ingredients…
New Must-Read Book from Dr. Mark Hyman
The Blood Sugar Solution breaks down the science and effects of "diabesity"
Bestselling author Mark Hyman, M.D. has a new book out called The Blood Sugar Solution. I plan to read it ASAP and recommend you do the same…
Interview with Seasonal Chef Bill Telepan
The Wellness in the Schools advocate shares the importance of eating local, unprocessed foods
Chef Bill Telepan chats with writer Megan Murphy about his passion for seasonal cooking, helping make schools healthier, and more…
Oscars Potluck: A Food for Every Film
Get in the awards season spirit with these Clean Plates-approved eateries
Pick up treats tied to the themes of this year’s winning films from Clean Plates-approved spots around town…
The Best Local Mushrooms Come From a Repurposed Trailer
Fred Ellrot's F & F Farms brings locally-grown oyster and shiitake mushrooms to the LA area
At F & F Farms up in Moorpark, Fred Ellrott cultivates exquisitely delicious shiitake and oyster mushrooms…
These Oscars-approved snacks get a Clean Plates health-conscious update
Have a red carpet experience from the comfort of home with these delicious recipes, perfect for an Oscars viewing party…
Neighborhood Spotlight: SoHo
From brunch spots to specialty marts, here are some of our favorite SoHo spots
Discover writer Jessica Colley’s favorite eats in her SoHo neighborhood, from brunch spots to smoothie joints…
The Greenhorns: Young Farmers Unite
We spoken to Greenhorns director Severine von Tscharner Fleming about how to get young people involved in farming
“The Greenhorns are a posse of young people who care a lot about the future of agriculture,” explains the group’s director, Severine von Tscharner Fleming…
Bareburger Expands in East Village, UES and Queens
With options for meat lovers and vegans alike, NYC-based Bareburger can't stop expanding
The NYC-based chain Bareburger is rapidly growing its footprint on the city…
Just because something's organic doesn't mean that it can't suffer from long supply chain problems
Researchers from Dartmouth University say they found dangerous levels of arsenic in foods featuring organic brown rice syrup, including a number of infant formulas…
On Our Radar: Allswell
The former Chef de Cuisine at the Spotted Pig puts his stamp on a new Williamsburg gastropub
Chef Nate Smith, formerly Chef de Cuisine at The Spotted Pig, helms the kitchen at Allswell in Williamsburg…
This Saveur magazine recipe gets a health-conscious but no less delicious makeover
Enjoy the rich Indian flavors in this recipe for Spiced Black-Eyed Peas with Curry Leaves, made all the more delicious with these substitutions recommended by holistic chef Lisa Roberts-Lehan…
Farmstead Meatsmith Shares the Beauty of Butchery
The Washington state-based company offers and educates farmers on slaughtering, butchery and charcuterie services
“Short of apprenticing with a master, good butchery instruction is in film,” says Brandon Sheard, co-owner of Farmstead Meatsmith…
5 Valentine’s Day Date Spots
Fall in love with these Brooklyn restaurants' Valentine's Day specials
Whether it’s your first date or your 500th, Valentine’s Day is a nice excuse for a weeknight out on the town…
Red Velvet Pancakes for Your Valentine
We've updated a classic breakfast recipe with healthier ingredients, just in time for Valentine's Day
This Valentine’s Day, treat that special someone to our makeover of Tidy Mom’s decadent Red Velvet Pancakes with Sweet Cream Cheese Topping…
On Our Radar: Moon Juice
The Venice shop has developed a cult following for its organic juices and concoctions
Forget waxing and waning—Moon Juice, on Rose Avenue in Venice, is already a star.
On Our Radar: Talde
Top Chef contender David Talde brings inventive fusion food to Park Slope
Top Chef and Top Chef All Stars contender Dale Talde is back in the limelight right here in Brooklyn, with his eponymously named Talde in Park Slope.
Chocolate doesn't have to be a guilty pleasure with these healthier, quality options
This Valentine’s Day, show those you care about a little extra love with these top quality chocolates, produced with better-for-you ingredients like organic cacao and natural sweeteners…
On Our Radar: Spring Natural Kitchen
Spring Street Natural's new sister restaurant takes root in the Upper West Side
The new Spring Natural Kitchen on the Upper West side is an offshoot of Spring Street Natural, which has been a SoHo institution for 30+ years…
5 Valentine’s Day Date Spots
We've rounded up some of Manhattan's best Valentine's Day specials
Sparks will fly this Valentine’s Day thanks to creative chefs whipping up romantic feasts citywide…
Found in Koreatown: A Fermented Fantasy Come True
KTown's Galleria Market boasts a plentiful buffet of probiotic-rich kimchi
A guide to Koreatown’s Galleria Market and its giant salad-bar-style presentation of kimchi and other fermented delicacies…
Art in the Age looks to local history to inspire their organic spirits
Three organic spirits inspired by one man’s family history in Pennsylvania Dutch Country…
3 Favorite Winter Dishes
These Brooklyn restaurants serve up comfort food that's heavy on the nutrition, not the calories
Three delicious dishes that are sure to comfort on a cold winter’s day…
These decadent breakfast puffs get a health-conscious update
Try my makeover of Smitten Kitchen’s Cinnamon Brown Butter Breakfast Puffs—same deliciousness, packed with better-for-you ingredients…
Tips for a Healthier Super Bowl Sunday
We've made over some Super Bowl staples for healthier snacking
Get tips and recipes to help you enjoy Super Bowl Sunday without next-day bloat.
Food for Football Watching
Just because LA doesn't have a football team doesn't mean we can't indulge in these Super Bowl-friendly foods
These five LA eateries offer organic, vegetarian and vegan versions of your favorite football treats…
Brooklyn Grange Expands to Brooklyn Navy Yard
Despite its name, the world's largest rooftop farm had been located in Queens
Brooklyn Grange, the urban rooftop farm that supplies many NYC restaurants and markets, is opening a new location in Brooklyn’s Navy Yard…
On Our Radar: North End Grill
Top Chef winner Floyd Cardoz's new Battery Park City restaurant is building serious buzz
The just-opened North End Grill in Battery Park City is fast becoming the neighborhood’s power lunch hotspot. It’s Top Chef Masters season 3 winner chef Floyd Cardoz’s first restaurant since Tabla…
Buffalo Wings for Super Bowl Sunday
Bring buffalo chicken wings and blue cheese dip to a healthier level
These wings are guaranteed to score high marks, even if your favorite team doesn’t…
Interview with Locanda Vini e Olii Chef Michele Baldacci
In conversation about serving unfamiliar and unexpected Italian food
“We aren’t serving safe food here,” says Chef Michele Baldacci of Locanda Vini e Olii in Clinton Hill. The chef shares his vision for the restaurant, tips for home chefs and more…
Your Healthier 2012: Jared’s Tips, Week 5
Including: eat more raw honey and watch new documentary FRESH
It’s not too late to make 2012 your healthiest year yet. These tips from nutritionist and Clean Plates founder Jared Koch can help…
Cookbook LA: The Ultimate Green Grocer
This tiny Echo Park space boasts gorgeous hyper-local produce and food products
In Echo Park, Cookbook LA’s unassuming storefront conceals a delightful green grocer with a daily selection of gorgeous, hyper-local, often organic produce from nearby growers and farmers markets—all in a 500-square-foot space
Haven’s Kitchen: An Oasis for Cooks in Union Square
With classes, events and fresh produce, Haven's Kitchen has it all
Haven’s Kitchen, a gorgeous new cooking school/market/event space in Union Square, stands out in a city full of trendy locavore food businesses…
University of California's Master Food Preserver Class takes advantage of LA's fruit-full bounty
Los Angeles is a veritable urban orchard, which may explain the popularity of the Master Food Preserver Class at University of California’s Cooperative Extension…
These flexible CSAs bring farm-fresh goods to New Yorkers scared of commitment
A crop of local CSAs let you opt in on a weekly basis. Get groceries straight from the farm, when you want them—and when they won’t go to waste…
Including: get more sleep and eat more nuts
From managing cravings to improving your sleep, Clean Plates founder and nutritionist Jared Koch offers five tips to boost your health starting now…
Oliver's Food Revolution literally drives through Southern California
The so-called Naked Chef has long been on a quest to help kids swap French toast sticks for apple slices. Now he’s imparting his healthy eating ethos with the Big Rig Teaching Kitchen…
Including: get your caffeine kick from tea and put down the remote
It’s not too late to make 2012 your healthiest year yet. These tips from nutritionist and Clean Plates founder Jared Koch can help.
Hearty, Comforting and Packed with Nutrients: Favorite Winter Dishes
These NYC restaurants marry comfort and nutrition in some stellar winter dishes
Throughout NYC, chefs are whipping up hearty winter meals that are comforting and nutritious to boot. Here are some of our favorites…
Community Supported Alcohol: Enlightenment Wines
Winemaker Raphael Lyon shares his philosophy and future plans for Enlightenment Wines
Go inside Enlightenment Wines, a New York state winery that offers a “Cult Mead and Wine CSA”—where “CSA” stands for “Community Supported Alcohol.”
Indulge in this classic dish with these nutrition-boosting ingredients
Try this better-for-you (but still delicious) take on Mario Batali’s Lasagne Bolognese.
Practicing mindfulness not just for your food, but also your body
Our focus here at Clean Plates is on healthy eating, but clearly, there’s more to living a healthy life than eating well. Physical activity is a huge part of the equation…
A Vegetarian Supper Club Grows in Brooklyn
Brooklyn Fork and Spoon is an intimate new supper club that'll sate both veggie- and meat-lovers
Glimpse underground dining, veggie-style, courtesy of Brooklyn’s Fork and Spoon Supper Club…
Food Trucks Living the (Green) Dream
These LA food trucks are worth tracking down
Since the food truck explosion began in LA—thanks in large part to Roy Choi’s Korean fusion tacos—the scene has exploded with every imaginable edible. Here are a few trucks worth tracking down.
Warm yourself up with these healthy updates on hearty gumbo
Cook up a steaming batch of this better-for-you gumbo on a cold winter day…
Including: drinking green juice and experimenting with breakfast
It’s not too late to make 2012 your healthiest year yet. These tips from nutritionist and Clean Plates founder Jared Koch can help…
3 Organic Cocktails We Love
Boozy beverages with local ingredients? Bottoms up!
Bottoms up! These cocktail recipes from The Tar Pit, Black Market Liquor Bar and Rosa Mexicano feature organic, local ingredients.
Organic meat that everyone—even vegans—can't get enough of
At this butcher shop, all of the meat is organic and comes from small, in-state local farms…
Mashup: Adam Platt’s Top 101 NYC Restaurants + Clean Plates
Showing that healthy eats hold up in NYC's bustling restaurant scene
We took a fine toothed fork through Adam Platt’s 101 Best NYC Restaurants list for 2011 in New York magazine, and ID’d those fortunate enough to have a Clean Plates Seal of Approval to boot…
Interview with Macrobiotic Chef Lee Gross
Gwyneth Paltrow's former personal chef talks macrobiotics in the kitchen and at home
The former personal chef of Gwyneth Paltrow, Lee Gross helped launch M Café in 2005, and his keen perspective on how to bring macrobiotic cuisine to a mainstream dining audience has been instrumental to the restaurant’s success. Writer Zoe Alexander recently spoke with Chef Gross about his passion for macrobiotics and more.
Cozy Fireside Dining in NYC
Get literally toasty with these NYC restaurants' fireplaces
Here are five NYC restaurants with fireplaces that are worth the trip on a cold winter’s night…
Butternut Squash Soup
This vegan winter soup is flavorful, healthy and heart-warming.
We’re big fans of GreenSquare Tavern in Chelsea (read our review). Here’s chef John Marsh’s recipe for butternut squash soup—perfect for a cold winter day…
Recipe Makeover: Deviled Eggs from Epicurious.com
Our healthy spin on this classic dish
Substitute Greek yogurt for mayo, plus other ways to boost the health quotient of this popular hors d’oeuvre…
Where to find them in NYC
Make a toast to your health and the environment by choosing an organic or biodynamic wine for your New Year’s celebration…
Recipe Makeover: Peppermint Hot Chocolate from The Food Network
Our healthy revamp of this classic winter drink
Try our makeover of the Food Network’s recipe for delicious Peppermint Hot Chocolate…
A New Online Shop From the Food Artisans of Brooklyn
Visit With Love, From Brooklyn this holiday season
With Love, From Brooklyn is an online shop started by Culinary Institute of America grad Dara Furlow that’s offering some great gift ideas this holiday season.
Chef Peter Berley Offers Cooking Classes in Beautiful North Fork
The culinary educator and cookbook author teaches students in the field
Chef Peter Berley’s new culinary education facility, My Kitchen, offers cooking classes in a beautiful setting just 90 minutes from midtown Manhattan.
Our picks for this holiday season
Warm a foodie’s heart (and belly) this holiday season with these eco-friendly and beautiful gifts…
4 Healthy Fast Food Spots in Brooklyn
Our great tasting, sustainable picks
We went on a quest to find the best tasting, most sustainable fast food take-out spots in Brooklyn, for carnivores and vegans alike…
Our healthy rework of this famous chef's recipe
We reworked Emeril Lagasse’s Spanish Meatballs recipe by swapping in healthier ingredients…
Plus her recipe for Caraway Sauerkraut
Relish the thought of enjoying quality, local produce all year long. Crock & Jar founder, Michaela Hayes, chats with us about a nutritious—and delicious—way to savor the season’s best long after harvest is over…
How this bill affects you
Renewed every five years, the “Secret Farm Bill” dictates how our food system runs, and we thought you might want to know how it affects you…
What I’m Grateful For
A message from our founder, Jared Koch
Several years ago I began Clean Plates to share my passion for eating healthier without sacrificing pleasure. While there is still a lot of work to do to make our food supply healthier and more sustainable, when I reflect on the past few years, I’m encouraged by all the progress I see around the country.
Ingredient Spotlight: Cranberries
The vibrant color on the Thanksgiving table
If votes were being cast for favorite Thanksgiving dish, cranberry sauce would earn mine, hands down…
Our healthy revamp of this classic Thanksgiving dish
For your Thanksgiving dinner, try our healthy spin on Martha Stewart’s Cornbread, Bacon, Leek and Pecan Stuffing…
Our wine suggestions
On Thanksgiving, choosing the right wines to pair with your holiday feast can be just as important to having a delicious celebration…
Delicious Autumn Cocktails
Try these seasonal drink recipes
November is time to give thanks to fall flavors—on your plate, and in your glass. From tart cranberries to delicately sweet pumpkin and pear, autumn produce makes for deliciously comforting cocktails…
And where to go meatless in NYC
Did you know that going meatless one day a week can reduce your risk for many chronic preventable diseases?
Recipe Makeover: Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts with Maple Glaze
Our revamp of Joy the Baker's recipe
Our healthy spin on Joy the Baker’s recipe for Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts with Maple Glaze…
Where and how to get fresh, local food
With its short lag time between harvesting and eating, fresh, local food not only tastes amazing—it also packs more of a nutritional punch.
Heritage Foods USA's new movement
As part of their No Goat Left Behind initiative, Heritage Foods USA is dubbing the month of October “Goatober,” with a pledge to sell 500 bucklings to restaurants and their mail order base.
In Season NY: Local Pumpkin Beer
Our roundup of pumpkin beers
We’ve rounded up a list of local pumpkin beers; enjoy knowing that your dollars are supporting a local producer while you savor a delicious seasonal brew.
The Bourbon Red and Other Forgotten Birds For Thanksgiving
Try these heritage turkeys at your table this year
Heritage birds roam freely, far from a feedlot, and have higher levels of omega-3s than your typical grocery store brands.
Recipe Makeover: Guy Fieri’s Chili
Our healthy revamp of this celeb chef's recipe
Try this delicious makeover of celeb chef Guy Fieri’s Dragon’s Breath Chili, packed with better-for-you ingredients like fresh, organic produce and free-range bison.
One of the most nutritionally dense superfoods around
A new superfood, E3 Live provides 64 absorptive vitamins, minerals and enzymes.
Summer Essentials: Healthy Eating During the Outdoor Event Season
Our picks for quick, healthy bites
We found restaurants with the Clean Plates Seal near four of the biggest summer event sites. Pack this list alongside your sunglasses and your picnic blanket, and you’ll never go hungry…