Real Food Recipes

What is collagen? Is It Worth The Hype?

There’s been A LOT of talk about collagen in recent years, with new collagen-containing products popping up left and right. So you may be wondering: what is collagen and are the health benefits worth all the hype? (Spoiler: yes!) Originally Published on October 2, 2018 | Updated on March 6, 2023 You may have noticed that collagen products are just about everywhere…

10 Small Diet Tweaks with a BIG Impact on Your Health

These 10 small diet tweaks have a BIG impact on your health by helping to decrease inflammation, boost metabolism, balance blood sugar levels, and so much more! We hear time and again that healthy eating (and living, for that matter) is a lifestyle. But a lifestyle shift doesn’t just happen with the snap of your fingers. And where to even begin?…

8 Reasons to Ditch Coffee for Green Tea or Matcha (& Never Look Back!)

Is green tea healthier than coffee? Oh you betcha! Here are 8 reasons to ditch coffee for green tea or matcha and never EVER look back… I get it: you want your morning caffeine kick. But what if you could get that energy boost AND so much more? We’re talking: Clearer skin Increased metabolism and weight loss Protection from damaging,…

20 Healthy Food Swaps to Instantly Upgrade Your Diet

Instantly upgrade your diet with these healthy food swaps — out with the unhealthy and in with the healthy.It’s as simple as that! Oh and yes, even indulgent snacks and treats like potato chips and pancake mix are on the list… I’m going to let you in on a little secret: improving your diet isn’t as intimidating as it may…

6 Foods That Protect Skin from Sun Damage from Within

There’s a lot more to safe sun exposure than just sunblock and shade. Nutrition plays a crucial role in protecting skin from the damaging effects of the sun. This is because UV radiation causes free-radical activity in the skin cells, which triggers inflammation as well as DNA damage. Luckily, certain foods have powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects on the body, helping to neutralize…

Spiced Superfood Confetti Chocolate Bark

This Spiced Superfood Confetti Chocolate Bark is delicious enough to bring to a party but healthy enough to enjoy regularly at home! It’s also incredibly quick and easy to make. Can you satisfy your sweet tooth and get your antioxidants too? Oh absolutely. First of all: dark chocolate absolutely IS an antioxidant-packed superfood! Then add some spices, nuts, seeds, and…

Kale & Delicata Squash Breakfast Egg Bake

An incredibly simple and delicious healthy breakfast recipe, this Kale and Delicata Squash Egg Bake has quickly become one of my favorite ways to enjoy this flower-shaped autumn favorite! You know what’s a truly beautiful thing? A healthy, incredibly delicious recipe that’s also whip-it-up-in-no-time easy to make. … that and delicata squash. That bright yellow skin! Those green and orange…

3-Ingredient Salted Pecan Pie Truffles

These Salted Pecan Pie Truffles have all the taste of your favorite holiday dessert in one tiny little bite! Plus, they’re made with just 3 wholesome, real food ingredients. OK so which team are you: team pumpkin pie or team pecan pie? Want to know something crazy? My family holidays growing up didn’t include either of these holiday classics. (I’m…

Why You Should Swap Your Morning OJ For One of these Superfood Teas

Upgrade your morning routine by dropping the sugar-loaded OJ, stepping off the blood sugar rollercoaster, and opting for one of these superfood-packed teas instead. NOTE: This post is sponsored by Celestial Seasonings, a company I’ve long admired since touring their factory in Colorado (so cool!) and am excited to partner with in celebration of their new Celestial Seasonings TeaWell Organic…

Wake up in Paradise with this Protein-Packed Piña Colada Chia Pudding

Not only is this Piña Colada Chia Pudding recipe jam-packed with tropical flavor, but it’s a healthy, balanced breakfast or snack option that will keep you full all morning or until your next meal thanks to fiber, protein, and healthy fats. How about starting your day with a little taste of paradise for breakfast? Taking your taste buds on a…

Homemade & Healthy Avocado Fudgsicles

These Healthy Avocado Fudgsicles are loaded with protective antioxidants, fiber, and healthy fats. Plus unlike sugary treats that will send you off on a blood sugar roller coaster and kick your cravings into high gear, just one of these fudgsicles will fill you up and keep you satiated. Who says decadent treats can’t also be good for you? Certainly not…

Pool Parties and Boozy BBQs? 10 Simple Tips to Stay Healthy This Summer

Weddings and graduation parties and BBQs and…? Follow these 10 simple tips to stay healthy while still enjoying the best of the summer! Summertime is filled with fun parties, traveling, time with family and friends, and… lots of sugar and alcohol too! In other words, it’s a wonderful time of the year but can definitely take its toll on our…

8 Skin-Loving Superfoods for a Naturally Glowing Complexion

Can you eat your way to healthy, radiant skin? Oh yes! It may seem too simple — or delicious! — to be true. But the fact is: the skin is a mirror that reflects internal health. We can’t forget that the skin is the body’s largest organ and that everything in the body is SO intimately connected. After years of looking to lotions and…

The Totally Doable Intermittent Fasting Schedule You Can Stick with Longterm

Want all those intermittent fasting benefits without feeling so restricted? This simple intermittent fasting schedule is totally doable and one you can easily stick with longterm. It can be considered one more piece of your daily health and wellness routine (like your morning smoothie or after-work yoga class), or is a great way to ease into more restrictive intermittent fasting if…

Blueberry Pie Quinoa Breakfast Porridge [Vegan, Gluten-Free, Lower-Carb]

Quinoa for breakfast? Absolutely! This Blueberry Pie Quinoa Breakfast Porridge is packed with healthy fats, plant-based protein, fiber, and antioxidants. It’s a lower-carb vegan breakfast option, sugar-free, gluten-free, and paleo-friendly too. Oh and have I mentioned it’s delicious!? Pie for breakfast anyone? OK scratch that… Quinoa for breakfast anyone!? This delicious and nutritious quinoa breakfast porridge is the lovechild of my…

3 Simple Ways to Improve Your Digestion ASAP

Digestion and gut health can be complicated, but there are a few simple steps you can take to improve your digestion right now… even if dinner’s almost ready! Proper digestion is soooo important to your body’s overall health and wellbeing. Did I add enough “o”s there to make my point? One more? OK: it’s sooooo important. I mean, it’s how we get…

Why These 6 Foods Make You Look and Feel 10 Years Older

The skin is a mirror that reflects everything going on behind the scenes, inside our bodies. And so the same foods that have us feeling a decade older make us look it as well.  What if the key to slowing the signs of aging isn’t in some fancy new French serum or laser treatment but on your dinner plate? Well…

Healthy Chocolate-Covered Snowballs (a.k.a. No-Bake Coconut Macaroons)

These Chocolate-Covered Snowballs are as healthy as they are simple to make and delicious! Perfect for bringing to parties or enjoying at home by the fire with a mug of cocoa. I’m still not quite used to these 60º winter days. Since moving to San Jose from Philadelphia, “winter” just doesn’t quite feel the same. And I’m not exactly complaining —…

Healthy Holidays Survival Guide: How to Stay Healthy While Enjoying the Season

The holidays may be merry and bright… but definitely come with some added stress and lots of unhealthy indulgences. This Healthy Holidays Survival Guide has everything you need to maintain your health while enjoying the best of this special season! The holiday season is filled with fun parties, family, friends, traditions, and… lots of sugar, alcohol, and stress too! In…

Festive Herbed Cranberry & Pear Agua Fresca (perfect for holiday gatherings!)

This Herbed Cranberry & Pear Agua Fresca is delicious and festive yet healthy and refreshing drink to serve up this holiday season as a mocktail or spiked with some vodka. Cheers! Drop the eggnog. This agua fresca is perfect for your next holiday gathering. It’s refreshing and healthy yet bursting with festive flavors that scream “It’s the holiday season!” ♬♪ So…

Happy Gut Bean-Free Chili With Bone Broth (Paleo & Low-Carb)

This Happy Gut Bean-Free Chili With Bone Broth is as yummy as it is nourishing to the digestive system. Not only is it free from difficult-to-digest beans and includes flavorful bone broth, but it’s also so simple to make! Note: this post is sponsored by Pacific Foods though all thoughts and opinions are of course my own. Pacific Foods products…

Simple & Spiced Gluten-Free Pumpkin Oatmeal Blender Pancakes

These Gluten-Free Pumpkin Oatmeal Blender Pancakes are as quick and easy to whip up as they are delicious! I’m not going to even try and play it cool and pretend I’m not all about pumpkin spice season. Oh yes, it’s a whole season, haven’t you heard? Formerly known as “fall” or “autumn.” I mean, I practically sprinkle pumpkin spice in…