​The grocery store frozen section is wildly underrated. This is especially the case as food producers are heeding consumers’ demands of healthier on-the-go options. Compared to years ago, both food product and packaging boast better-for-you materials and ingredients. Single serving and resealable packages are standard offerings as well, making cooking for one or many easier. When shopping for bagged vegetables, grains, and protein blends, consider choosing those options with whole ingredients and little else. You can add your own seasonings for a boost of flavoring while maintaining the integrity of your healthy choice. If you’re looking for entrées, again, seek those that offer whole ingredients and lower sodium content. Some studies show that frozen foods can boast even more nutrients than their fresh counterparts. This is due to the ability to lock in both nutrients and flavor by picking foods at their peak ripeness and freezing shortly thereafter.  

​⁠Hunger is the body’s physical signal to eat to maintain the energy you need to fuel your day. Hunger signals can come in a variety of forms from a growling of the stomach to a headache. Appetite is more about a desire to eat. Appetite can be stimulated from hunger, but it can also be prompted by environmental or emotional circumstances. Satisfying both hunger and appetite is important to improve signals of satiety, or the feeling of fullness.

​Asparagus is a non-starchy vegetable containing fiber, potassium, and B vitamins. When buying this green and stem-like vegetable, look for firm stalks and compact buds that will ensure desired tenderness. Note that size does not affect tenderness. Asparagus is typically available year-round at U.S. grocery stores, but it is at its peak seasonality during the spring. Including asparagus into a rotating meal plan can afford many benefits such as easy prep with multiple cooking options. Notably, between twenty and forty percent of the population has the genetic disposition to smell sulfur byproducts that are excreted following a meal that includes asparagus. While everyone emits the generally same byproducts, not everyone has the gene allowing them to smell them.