Sheela Prakash, Author at Clean Plates

Natural Sugars Are Still Sugars, But Here’s the Important Difference

By Sheela Prakash / May 15, 2020 /

Sugar has come under fire lately. We’ve been told to eat less of it, to lower our sugar intake, for our health because it can have negative effects on our weight and put us at risk for things like cardiovascular disease and cancer.

10 Healthy Cozy One-Pan Dinners

By Sheela Prakash / May 9, 2020 /

Often, my very favorite meals are the ones that require the least amount of clean-up — I hardly think I am alone in that mentality. Having only a few dishes to wash at the end of the night is a major dinner win, in my opinion.

7 Low-Sugar Baked Goods to Make Right Now

By Sheela Prakash / April 23, 2020 /

Doesn’t it seem like everyone you know is talking about baking right now? Even the people who hardly baked before. For reasons of comfort or joy or simply because we have the time right now, we all seem to be baking. The days of quarantine are long and tucking into the kitchen to bake cookies and muffins and cakes has been helping me get through them.

Our 5 Favorite Healthy Pantry Lunches for the Weekday

By Sheela Prakash / April 13, 2020 /

If the first thing that comes to mind when you think of “pantry lunch” is boxed mac and cheese, think again. Staples such as canned beans and grains can easily be transformed into satisfying, healthy lunches without any need to run to the store.

5 Great-Tasting Low-Sugar Snacks You Can Buy at Trader Joe’s

By Sheela Prakash / March 13, 2020 /

If you’ve ever been able to walk in and out of a Trader Joe’s without buying at least one impromptu snack, you’re a stronger person than I am. There are so many good things to grab that even if I’ve already got plenty of snacks in the pantry at home, I inevitably pick one up to try when I am there.

woman reaching for produce at grocery store

3 Things You Always Ask for at the Grocery Store

By Sheela Prakash / March 12, 2020 /

These days, it feels like the number one goal of grocery shopping is getting in and out as quickly as possible. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t speak up and ask for what you need. Whether it’s at the butcher counter or in the produce section, here’s when and how to get the help you need at the grocery store.

3 Ways to Wind Down After Work

By Sheela Prakash / March 12, 2020 /

Stress that we carry with us from our work days and let linger into the evenings has been shown to impair our sleep and overall well-being. Most of us don’t even need the scientific evidence as proof. I find if I don’t make time to really, truly separate from my work and unwind, I generally just don’t feel very good as the week goes on.

These “Health” Foods Have Way More Sugar Than You Think

By Sheela Prakash / March 10, 2020 /

Once you start to pay more attention to how much sugar you’re consuming, you’ll realize that sugar is everywhere — even in foods we think of as being healthy. Here are 5 surprisingly high sugar foods you should know about.

5 High-Protein Weeknight Meals You Can Make in 30 Minutes

By Sheela Prakash / March 6, 2020 /

We culled the internet for high-protein recipes that take 30 minutes or less to make. Here are 5 that are worth adding to your meal plan.

The 3 Healthy Frozen Foods You Can (and Should!) Buy at Trader Joe’s

By Sheela Prakash / February 27, 2020 /

Each trip to Trader Joe’s feels almost like a scavenger hunt, trying to uncover the recently released snacks, cheeses, wines, and frozen foods. Here are 3 healthy frozen foods I recently discovered.

5 Low-Sugar Ways to Have Something Sweet After Dinner

By Sheela Prakash / February 26, 2020 /

If, for whatever reason, you’re trying to eat less sugar, dessert might feel like a no-go. Luckily, that’s not completely true. While many treats are off the table, you can still enjoy something sweet without ditching your new low sugar lifestyle. Opting for naturally sweet things like fruit and enjoying sweeteners like honey and maple…

Attention Whole Foods Shoppers, This Budget-Saving Tip is a Must

By Sheela Prakash / February 25, 2020 /

As much as the grocery store has a reputation for being expensive (maybe heard it being referred to as “Whole Paycheck”), I never really felt that was totally the case even when I was on a tight student budget. Whole Foods has always had good sales if you seek them out, which I did on the regular as a student and still do today.

Energy boosting snacks with complex carbs

5 (Energy-Boosting) Snacks Featuring Complex Carbs

By Sheela Prakash / February 25, 2020 /

The mid-day energy slump is something we all face. Mine usually hits right around 3:30PM, when the end of the day seems like it might never arrive and lunch feels like it was so very long ago. The only thing that tends to get me over that late afternoon hump is a good snack.

5 Great-Tasting Low-Sugar Snacks You Can Buy at Costco

By Sheela Prakash / February 23, 2020 /

While Costco is indeed a place where you can buy a three and a half pound bag of Hershey’s Kisses, it’s also a place that’s filled with wholesome things. Their snack selection is vast and you just never know what you’ll uncover on each visit.

Is Pirate’s Booty Actually Healthy?

By Sheela Prakash / February 16, 2020 /

When Pirate’s Booty hit grocery stove shelves, it quickly became the snack to reach for. The cheesy, crunchy, puffed rice and corn snack was embraced by kids and adults alike as a healthier alternative to chips and cheese puffs. But is it actually a healthy choice?

5 Caffeine-Free Ways to Boost Your Energy

By Sheela Prakash / February 13, 2020 /

This time of year, it’s easy to get cooped up inside, lazing on the couch for way longer than we should. It’s cold and snowy and there’s a pandemic going on outside! And yet: We all know that getting up and getting out, even when it’s blustery outside, is good for us. Here are five…

10 Health-Boosting Soups to Make This Winter

By Sheela Prakash / February 7, 2020 /

When the weather dips, I find myself immediately adding soup to our weekly meal plan. Until spring hits, a big simmering pot makes a recurring appearance and I never complain. What’s not to like about a warming meal meal that makes it easy to load up on good things like vegetables, beans, and whole grains this time of year.

7 Energizing Breakfast Ideas For the Week

By Sheela Prakash / January 31, 2020 /

While some people can subsist on simply lots of strong coffee through the morning, I am not that person. I basically wake up thinking about breakfast, not simply because it’s a meal I thoroughly enjoy, but because I can’t function without it.

3 New Ways to Use a Bag of Frozen Blueberries

By Sheela Prakash / January 30, 2020 /

I resisted keeping my freezer stocked with frozen fruit for a long time. First of all, my small freezer has limited space and I truly felt my favorite pint of ice cream (Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey, in case you’re wondering) was more worthy of said space.

7 Crunchy, Salty Snacks You’ll Absolutely Love

By Sheela Prakash / January 23, 2020 /

While it’s most common to crave flavors, like salty or sweet, I find I actually crave textures more often. When my husband first met me, he thought it was a funny tendency, that I’d call out the need for a crunchy snack or a creamy dessert, but now he’s used to my quirk.

Is Oat Milk Actually Healthy?

By Sheela Prakash / December 27, 2019 /

If you were to ask us a couple of years ago if we’d be enthusiastically drinking “milk” made from oats and water, I’d have flatly said: Not a chance. Well, currently there isn’t just enthusiasm over oat milk, there’s pure exuberance. Here’s everything you need to know about the alt milk du jour.

3 Vitamin D-Rich Foods to Protect Your Mood

By Sheela Prakash / December 5, 2019 /

Vitamin D is often referred to as the “happy vitamin” because it may have an affect on your overall mood. It’s got a myriad of other health benefits, though, including maintaining bone and teeth health, supporting the immune and nervous system, and assisting with heart and brain function.

5 Everyday Foods Rich in B-12 to Add to Your Diet

By Sheela Prakash / December 3, 2019 /

B-12 might seem like a far-fetched thing you need to consume, but it’s actually quite an important vitamin. A member of the B family of vitamins, B-12 is crucial for brain and nerve health as well as the production of red blood cells and DNA.

5 Affordable Things I Always Buy at Whole Foods for Easy Weeknight Dinners

By Sheela Prakash / November 15, 2019 /

Whether or not you regularly shop at Whole Foods, you’ve likely heard it jokingly called “Whole Paycheck”. The grocery store has a reputation for being, well, pricey. I visit Whole Foods almost weekly though, and I tend to disagree.