Food and Health

Slow cookers made a big splash on the American home cooking scene in the 1970s and spawned dozens of cookbooks that showed how to make classic, home-cooked meals without spending hours in the kitchen. Fast forward to today, and slow cooking is making a comeback with new technologies — and an emphasis on healthy, plant-based options. In this article, you’ll learn the fascinating history of the slow cooker and get inspired to flex your slow cooking muscles with some delicious plant-based recipes.

Ocean sits down with Peggy Liu, chairperson of the Joint US-China Collaboration on Clean Energy, for a conversation about the global impacts of our food choices — and how what we eat impacts our health and our climate. They also look at how we can reclaim our relationship with food to make it a source of beauty and meaning in our lives.

If you think of raw foods as nothing more than leaves and twigs, you’re missing out on a whole world of fresh, flavorful, and creative eating options. Eating raw isn’t all or nothing; you can still enjoy your favorite cooked dishes while adding more and more raw vegan options into your diet. In this article, you’ll find out what’s good (and not so good) about raw foods, and how to bring more raw deliciousness and life-giving nutrition to your culinary life.

Soy is celebrated as a superfood by some who claim it can fight heart disease, hormone-related cancers, and osteoporosis while providing a potent plant-based protein source. But others tell us that it’s a central driver of breast cancer, thyroid problems, dementia, and environmental problems like deforestation. So what’s the truth? Is soy good for you? And what are the health and environmental consequences of consuming it? Here’s what you need to know about soy.

Your eyes do so much for you, from allowing you to see the beauty of the world to warning you of potential dangers. But many of us don’t think much about the importance of our vision until it's threatened. The good news is that by eating well, you can keep your eyes healthy and your vision sharp for as long as possible.

Do you think you need a plot of land to grow your own herbs, veggies, fruits, and berries? Actually, if you know how to do it, it’s possible to grow food indoors, and provide your family with delicious produce that will be a source of pride and delight. Read on to find out how.

Quinoa is the tasty, nutty, and tiny seed of the quinoa plant. It’s rich in fiber and protein, easy to prepare, and delicious in a wide variety of dishes. Quinoa is low on the glycemic index, and a source of manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, and folate. And it’s gluten-free, to boot. But is this tiny pseudo-grain as healthy as people claim? Is it ethical and sustainable? And how do you cook it?

Millions of people in the US and around the world live in “food deserts”: areas where it’s hard or even impossible to find healthy food. These food deserts promote poor health outcomes, are a drag on our economy, and reinforce the worst effects of racism. How did food deserts come to be? What do they cost all of us? And what can we do to make healthy food available for all?

When you think of pasta dishes, what comes to mind? A heaping plate of spaghetti and meatballs? A gooey steaming lasagna in a casserole dish? Stir-fried lo mein from a Chinese restaurant? Pasta can be delicious and fun, but can it also be part of a healthy diet? In this article, you’ll discover a wide variety of pastas from around the world, and get introduced to seven plant-based pasta and noodle recipes that are sure to delight your taste buds while supporting your health.

Conversations around weight usually revolve around losing extra pounds, but that isn’t the story for everyone. Many people actually struggle with the opposite — feeling underweight and wanting to gain pounds to achieve an optimal weight. Here’s how to gain weight in a healthy way, on a plant-based diet.

Squash: it’s a racquet game, an unfortunate fate for a bug, and one of nature’s most varied, delicious, and generous foods. If you’ve ever successfully grown squash in your garden, you probably know the meaning of the word “abundance.” But even if you’re a squash lover, there are likely dozens of varieties you’ve never tried. Let’s take a closer look at the health benefits of this versatile, beautiful, and incredibly healthy food.

One of the most common misconceptions about a plant-based diet is that it’s expensive. This article will show you that it doesn’t have to be. With a little planning and prep, and the right strategy, you can enjoy eating a fabulously nourishing, whole foods, plant-based diet without spending an arm and a leg (and without needing to eat any animal's arms or legs, either!).