People choose foods for a variety of reasons especially based on how foods look, smell, and taste. Impaired taste or smell can have a profound effect on a person’s overall diet quality. Loss of either of these sense has been discussed more often as of late given that both can be side effects of COVID-19. To improve nutritional intake when experiencing impaired senses, start by setting up an enjoyable dining experience. Focusing on other aspects of meals, such as atmosphere and dining companions, aids in overall meal satisfaction. Choosing balanced meals that include proteins, starches, and produce ensures the meal is healthy and interesting. The phrase "eating with our eyes" holds value in that our sight send signals to the brain that aid food choices. Plating varied food groups can provide visual and palatable textures that make the meal generally more pleasurable. Be sure to use lemon juice, vinegar, and spices to boost flavor. Excessive salt and sugar may decrease the healthfulness of meals so use these additions sparingly. While we can offer some tips on maximizing enjoyment of meals with altered taste or smell, it is always important that you visit your physician should you experience any such changes.

Even if you're not heading back to school, you maybe entering a busier season of your life! Consider how the many back-to-school tips can benefit you. 

​When After School Activities Throw Off Mealtimes
The new school year is fast approaching and now is the time to plan for how best to manage busy afternoon and evening schedules. A little planning can go a long way in saving time, energy, and money throughout the week. Leveraging cooking appliances such as a slow cooker or Instapot can help you deliver one meal at varying times throughout the evening. We like this BBQ Chicken Recipe from Budget Bytes. Double batch cooking promotes efficiency of time. Making two of whatever you are cooking means you can freeze an entire meal for an alternative week. There are many websites that offer recipe adjustment tools alongside the cooking instructions that make it easy to double or even triple recipes. Whisk.com, for instance, allows you to scale up or down recipes with their recipe converter. Meal prepping on weekends can be planned out more specifically for solo dinners. Try making batches of things like rice and taco meat to then freeze in individual portioned bags. This ensures precooked, yet healthy options are available at any time.
 
Embrace Frozen Fruits and Vegetables
Frozen produce can be just as nutritious as its fresh counterparts. When choosing frozen fruits and vegetables, stick mostly with options that are natural and have the fewest ingredients. Because frozen fruits and vegetables can be bought in bulk, do not go bad as quickly, and are precut or proportioned, their benefits extend beyond just nutrition. Advantages of frozen produce include being budget friendly, reducing food waste, and cutting down on meal prep.
 
Consider a meal planning service, such as the one we offer that boasts 2 breakfast, 2 lunch and 4 dinner options with a coinciding grocery list. It will cut down some of the planning and work needed to get more home cooked meals on the table.  
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DIY Lunchbox Pizza
Make this favorite mini pizza option for your kids’ next lunch. This recipe can easily be adjusted depending upon your child’s growing needs. There's no reason why this can't be a grown up lunch as well. 
 
Ingredients:
1 Flatbread or whole wheat pita
3-4 Tablespoons pizza or marinara sauce
3-4 Tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese
5-10 Turkey pepperoni rounds
*Lunch box with individual containers with lids is required.
 
Get one flatbread or whole wheat pita. Use a 3-inch circle cookie cutter to cut 4-6 rounds out of the bread. Tip: You can use the leftover bread pieces as breadcrumbs by finely chopping, pulsing in a food processor, or grinding in a nutribullet.
 
Places each portioned items into its own container and pack into lunch box with ice pack. Tip: Try this on the weekend so your kids feel confident assembling the lunch!

​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.