Photo Credit: Pichet Ong

Math and English literature double major, Masters in Architecture and… renowned chef? The last achievement on this list might seem like an anomaly, but all three are among Chef Pichet Ong’s many accomplishments.

Growing up, Ong always loved food and had a knack for cooking. When most of us were still learning to boil water, he was making cookies by scratch at the age of eight, thanks to shadowing his mom and housekeeper and learning his way around the kitchen. It’s no surprise, then, that he wanted to pursue a career in the world of food.

Instead of culinary school, however, his parents strongly emphasized higher education, especially with his great grades. But Ong maintained a connection to food at Brandeis University in Massachusetts by working in the school cafeteria, just as he pursued part-time work at different restaurants, including Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse, during graduate school in Berkeley, CA.

As fate would have it, his part-time positions in California led to him becoming a full-time pastry cook at San Francisco’s La Folie. When a position for head pastry chef opened up, he dove head first into professional cooking and hasn’t looked back since.

“My parents were surprised and their initial reaction was disappointment,” Ong says of his decision to pursue a career in food. “But they treated me like a grown-up and viewed my master’s degree as a safety net.”

Throughout his career, Ong, who is best known for his desserts, has always stayed true to his mix of Western and Asian techniques, focusing on Asian pantry ingredients like coconut and tapioca. But it wasn’t until he worked with Jean Georges Vongerichten at SpiceMarket and 66 that the Asian influences in his cooking took center stage. Under the direction of the acclaimed French chef, Ong began to explore savory flavors and opted to become a fish cook. And despite not having the formal culinary education many chefs have, Ong has since enticed loyal crowds with both delectable desserts and savory dishes.

After 16 years of working in kitchens with culinary luminaries, Ong branched out on his own to open P*ONG, an innovative dessert-focused restaurant.

“I like to strike while the iron is hot,” Ong declares, attributing the success of P*ONG to the following he cultivated during his many years in the business.

With rave reviews and devoted followers, there was business as soon as he opened the doors. A few years later, he followed up with Spot Dessert Bar, in the Asian-heavy St. Mark’s area of New York City.

With his newest restaurant, Qi Bangkok Eatery, Ong continues to explore the marriage of sweet and savory with a unique management style. Rather than asking his chefs to strictly follow his recipes, he encourages innovation and is open to adjustments. “I believe I can get the best out of people by giving them a chance to express themselves,” he says.

By being open to experimentation, he’s found opportunities to improve many of his winning dishes. After spending 10 years making sweets and another 10 years whipping up savory dishes, he’s excited to continue blurring the lines between the two tastes. The fascination is largely inspired by his upbringing, where his parents never told him to first finish his meal before indulging in sweets.

“We had no preconceived notion of how a meal should be coursed out,” Ong says, sharing how his family meals featured spicy curry alongside shaved ice.

For a chef who unwinds after a long day with instant noodles and ice cream—mango, strawberry, cherry vanilla and raisin rum are some of his favorite  flavors—it’s no surprise that he’s bringing sugary-salty goods to the masses in his next cookbook. While many of the recipes are Asian-inspired, he also draws inspiration from various cuisines, including dishes such as fried chicken with maple syrup and sweet potato casserole with marshmallow topping. And as long as he continues to push the boundaries of a meal’s sequence and range of flavors, who knows what Ong will cook up next.

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1. Bian Dang (twitter.com/#!/biandangnyc) – New York City
Bian Dang, formerly known as NYC Cravings, serves Taiwanese-style entrees. The pastel blue truck serves lunch boxes (bian dang in Mandarin) with ample portions of treats like fried pork chop over rice with their specialty sauce. The menu also features zongzi, a sticky rice dish wrapped in bamboo leaves with peanuts, dried shrimp, pork, Chinese sausage and veggies—offered without meat for vegetarians too.

2. Chairman Bao (twitter.com/#!/chairmantruck) – San Francisco
Besides its flashy red-and white-striped panda truck, Chairman Bao is known for its baked and steamed buns. A top seller is the pork belly buns—one bite offers you a taste of crispy, juicy meat paired with hoisin sauce. Other popular choices include the people’s buns (a baked bun with sesame chicken, scallion and bok choy) or the crispy garlic tofu bun with miso greens.

3. The Flying Pig (twitter.com/#!/FlyingPigTruck) – Los Angeles
Focusing on French and Pacific Asian Rim fusion food, the Flying Pig is known for its tamarind duck taco: slices of duck confit with mandarin orange, pickled red beets, radish sprouts, toasted almonds and tamarind gravy. Other tasty fare from this food truck includes the pork belly, a hearty dose of braised meat with vegetables and death sauce (hoisin with a punch of spiciness) on a Chinese bun.

4. India Jones (twitter.com/#!/indiajonesct) – Los Angeles
The only thing that will make you smile more than this Indian food truck’s tongue-in-cheek name is its refreshing and tasty offerings. During a hot afternoon in Southern California, cool down with the mango lassi, a smoothie made of mango, yogurt and ice. The curry menu at this truck covers a variety of flavors such as chicken tikka masala and lentil or the bean du jour.

5. Kogi BBQ (twitter.com/#!/kogibbq) – Los Angeles
Korean American Roy Choi’s upbringing heavily influences his culinary fusion of Korean and Mexican flavors, the trait that Kogi has become famous for. If you’re ever unsure of what to order, short rib tacos, filled with succulent meat and topped with a mix of fresh veggies and a tangy sauce, is the way to go. If you’re still hungry and have room for dessert, the chocolate tres leches cake has just enough sweetness to be the grand finale to your meal.

6. Korilla (twitter.com/#!/KorillaBBQ) – New York City
In a city that has seen it all before, Korilla provides Korean BBQ with a twist. Its Chosun bowls provides a multitude of options, with four different kinds of kimchi and three different sauces you can enjoy over a heap of filling veggies. In the mood for a taco or burrito? Try one with bulgogi, pulled pork, chicken or tofu and a side of BKFR (otherwise known as bacon, kimchi, and fried rice). Korilla has caught the eye of Food Network executives, and is currently on the Great Food Truck Race, hosted by Tyler Florence.

7. Momogoose (twitter.com/#!/momogoose) – Boston
Offering Southeast Asian vegan and non-vegan cuisine to Boston and Cambridge, Momogoose offers a selection of soups, baguettes and bowls. The much-loved Ga Nuong features lemongrass chicken on a bed of rice noodles and leafy greens. The Three Sisters, a combination of three veggie crispy rolls, rice noodles and vegetables, provides a vegetarian option. As if great food weren’t enough, Momogoose charitably donates a meal to the United Nations World Food Program for every meal the truck sells.

8. Nong’s Khao Man Gai (twitter.com/#!/Nongskhaomangai) – Portland
Portland, Oregon has become another hub for food trucks, and Nong’s Khao Man Gai is at the center of it. Khao Man Gai, a popular Thai dish of chicken and rice, is the only item served at this food truck. Similar to Hainan chicken from China, Khao Man Gai is poached, cooked in herbs and accompanied by a pungent soybean sauce with garlic, ginger, sugar, vinegar and Thai chilis.

9. The Nom Nom Truck (twitter.com/#!/NomNomTruck) – San Francisco & Los Angeles
After participating in the first season of Food Network’s Great Food Truck Race, Nom Nom became a household name by serving fresh banh mi, a Vietnamese baguette sandwich. At this bright, green truck called the Nominator, choose between lemongrass chicken, lemongrass tofu or honey grilled pork with daikon, cucumber, cilantro, carrots, jalapenos and mayonnaise. The Nom Nom truck recently expanded to serve fans—fondly dubbed nomsters—in both northern (twitter.com/#!/NomNomTruckSF) and southern California.

10. Phamish (twitter.com/#!/eatphamish)
Make sure to arrive famished at Phamish—you’ll definitely leave full. Puns aside, Phamish is beloved for its offerings of Vietnamese dishes like pho, vermicelli and spring rolls. The variety of dishes at Phamish is amazing, and it’s great to have all the options in a Vietnamese restaurant rolled up in one food truck.

Got a favorite we didn’t include? Leave a comment below.

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It’s amazing how much of our lives revolve around food. Even more shocking is how our diet choices affect our health and our chances of becoming successful. Just think about how much happier people are when they are healthy: they feel good about their body and talents, as well as their outlook on life. They’re confident—and maybe smarter and richer.

Yes, we should be concerned that nearly half of American children are overweight and obese, putting them at higher risk for developing pre-diabetes, diabetes and heart disease. But a recent New York Times article shows that eating-related problems like obesity can reach beyond health and have economic repercussions as well. The story details a study that found that overweight women worked in jobs with lower earnings and received less education than their thinner female peers, from closely examining data from a project tracking more than 10,000 people who graduated from Wisconsin high schools in 1957.

The impact of food on socioeconomics doesn’t stop there, nor is the relationship between the two simple. The study went further to show that employers find overweight employees to be less capable and less hardworking. Yet, to complicate matters, women who make less money tend to be overweight or obese in the United States because of the very fact that they cannot afford healthier foods. Moreover, lower-income women can be faced with fear of food deprivation, so they overeat when food is available. Insufficient food also leads to malnutrition, so while people in the lower-income bracket can afford cheaper foods and never go hungry, they are not receiving the essential vitamins and minerals they need to survive.

All of this research has brought school lunches to the forefront of a nationwide push for healthier meals for children. As the setting where children learn how to lead better, more successful lives, school makes the perfect environment for picking up healthy eating habits. First Lady Michelle Obama has launched a nationwide campaign called “Let’s Move” to improve the quality of foods in schools, to make healthy foods more affordable and accessible for all families and to help parents become educated in nutrition and exercise. In December 2010, President Obama signed a $4.5 billion bill to improve the quality of students’ meals. And, just recently, Los Angeles became the first school district to ban chocolate milk. It’s important for all of us—children, teens and adults—to know as early as possible how to make good food choices and understand the repercussions of eating unhealthily to their health and future.

For those of us beyond the schoolyard years, being healthy isn’t just about taking care of your health. It’s also about improving your self-image, keeping a positive perspective of your life and setting yourself up for long-term success. Healthy people are able to succeed because they are in good health, feel energized and can focus on their goals. Unhealthy people, on the other hand, may worry about developing serious medical conditions, affecting the quality of the life they lead.

Fortunately, eating healthy can be easy and fun. Doing simple things like preparing your own lunch for school, instead of eating cafeteria food, is a step to becoming a healthier person. You don’t have to wait until the government starts regulating your meals—good healthcare starts with yourself. You can start educating yourself by incorporating wholesome fresh foods into your diet, like using whole-grain bread instead white, eliminating sugary cereals for steel-cut oatmeal, choosing fruits over chips and cookies and grilled chicken or even steak over pizza and cheeseburgers. For more healthy school lunch ideas, check out our blog, where you can find delicious inspiration for your meals .

If you need some guidance, USADA’s food icon MyPlate is a great example of how you should balance your meals. In 1992, the U.S. Department of Agriculture introduced the food pyramid, which divided foods into tiers. But what’s great about MyPlate is that it divides your plate into sections labeled vegetables, fruits, grains and protein. This helps give you a better visual look of what you should be eating (for example: lean sources of protein like beans, seafood, fish, white-meat chicken.)

Leading healthier lifestyles inevitably improves our self-image and sets us up for long-term success in every aspect of our lives. Physical health aside, everyone wants social acceptance, not the stigma of being overweight. Yet what matters is that you’re healthy and comfortable in your own skin, not that you’re model-thin. Regardless of body size, all teen girls struggle with insecurities about their weight and self-esteem. Perhaps an expanding health education can also help with body image issues and eating disorders.

Nonetheless, food plays a significant role in our health, as well as the most important thing of all—how we view ourselves and our success, dreams and happiness.

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Photo Credit: Creative Abubot via Flickr

Imagine throwing together a quick meal and, in your haste, you leave out the one ingredient that was supposedly vital to the success of your dish. Or, even worse, you added a tablespoon of sugar instead of salt. You hesitantly taste the dish, and it turns out to be amazing. This doesn’t just happen to home
cooks—even professional chefs make mistakes. In fact, many of our favorite foods today were actually kitchen accidents. Hey, it happens to everyone.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Warm chocolate chip cookies are a part of everyone’s childhood memories. But if Ruth Wakefield hadn’t botched a recipe in 1930 when she was running the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts, we wouldn’t have chocolate chip cookies, as we know them today. Ruth ran out of baker’s chocolate for her chocolate cookie recipe, so she substituted chunks of sweetened chocolate. Instead of melting, the chocolate remained as chips, and today they are one of the most popular cookies out there.

Potato Chips
In 1853, potato chips were invented by Chef George Crum at the Carey Moon Lake House in Saratoga Springs. A customer kept asking for his potatoes to be sliced thinner and fried longer. Crum, annoyed, sliced them as thinly as possible and fried the potatoes to a crisp, dousing them with salt. Much to his surprise, the customer loved them, and soon everyone started ordering the potato crisps. Now, these unintentional chips are a snack staple all over the world.

Popsicles
It’s quite fitting that a child invented this popular summertime treat. One day, 11-year-old Frank Epperson left flavored soda water with a stick in it on the porch outside of his San Francisco home. When he awoke in the morning, he was surprised to find a frozen juice pop. Seventeen years later, Frank served his iced treats at a Fireman’s Ball and they proved to be a hit. Realizing the potential for his invention, he applied for a patent for his “frozen confectionary” in 1924. Originally named the Epsicle, the snack was later dubbed the Popsicle, after Frank’s children began calling them “Pop’s cycles.”

Brandy
In order to preserve and transport wine, winemakers used to take the liquid and distill it until it was ready for sale. Then right before consumption, water would be added back to the distilled fluid. They soon discovered that he distilled wine was stored in wooden casks, the resulting liquid—brandy—was just as drinkable as a fine, strong drink.

St. Louis Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
This St. Louis staple has a dry, flat base covered in what can only be called “goo,” thanks to its incredibly chewy and sticky texture. Originally a coffee cake, the butter proportions were accidentally doubled, resulting in a delicious dessert that lives up to its name. Found in restaurant and gift shops throughout St. Louis, the cake is also often enjoyed for breakfast or with coffee.

So the next time you’re in the kitchen and frustrated with the direction your cooking is taking, just think about how you could possibly be whipping up the next big dish in the culinary world. If you’re prone to kitchen disasters, we would love to hear some of your most successful culinary bloopers. Happy mistakes…er, cooking!

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Photo Credit: Mandy Yeh

Without any classical training, Huang has revolutionized New York City’s Chinese food scene, bringing traditional dishes out of Chinatown and into the public consciousness. As chef and owner of BaoHaus in New York’s Lower East Side, Huang makes a conscious departure from American favorites such as General Tso’s Chicken. Using all-natural meats and organic tofu, Huang has created a short but satisfyingly innovative menu of Taiwanese gua bao—a sandwich of sorts with steamed buns in the place of sliced bread.

Huang’s culinary creativity and the ease in which he assumed the role of “celebrity chef” might make some think that his lifelong dream has always been to be a chef. On the contrary, his path has been anything but direct.

“When I was young, I thought I would play for the Washington Redskins,” Huang said. While he was never able to realize his dream of becoming a star quarterback, Huang, a self-proclaimed hustler, certainly has an impressive resume: some of his sports articles have made it into ESPN and Yahoo and he has also served stints as a streetwear designer, a lawyer and a stand-up comedian.

Huang’s big break as a chef came in the form of a Craigslist ad for Food Network’s Ultimate Recipe Showdown. He submitted a recipe for red-cooked (hong shao) beef, adding his own spin to a method usually reserved for pork by braising hanger steak with cherry cola. Although he didn’t win the show, host Guy Fieri recognized his talent and encouraged him to pursue cooking.

Inspired by the positive reinforcement, Huang decided to open his own restaurant. Three months after the show, he opened BaoHaus with the intention of bringing the home-style Chinese food he grew up with to New York City. His restaurant was well-received in the press, including a mention in The New York Times’ $25 and Under column.

This year, one of Huang’s resolutions was to become the best $10 Chinese chef in New York. This gave birth to the $10 TV dinner: a three-compartment Chinese take-out box. Blending the all-American concept of the TV dinner with traditional Chinese dishes, Huang delivers foods that may not be common in the American culinary dictionary in a familiar format. The recipes change weekly, but Huang’s ideal TV dinner would include Shanghai soup dumplings (xiao long bao), sticky rice with chicken, Hunan-style red cooked pork, “lion’s head” meatballs and fried chicken.

Huang’s favorite dishes emphasize that his cooking is not limited to any specific region, though his food has been labeled Taiwanese. As the year progresses, Huang is looking forward to evolving more as a Chinese chef. He is looking to innovate Chinese food, with experiments both small (like switching peanuts for pine nuts in kung pao chicken) and large (attempting parboiled dong an chicken as a dry dish).

Huang’s creativity is also apparent in what he calls his “guerilla cooking methods,” which essentially utilizes only electricity and no gas. For this cooking technique, he draws inspiration from the story of DJ Kool Herc, when deejays would set up turntables on the streets in the Bronx. Huang likes the idea that if he wanted to, he could “take any of his things, hot wire a street lamp and cook on the street.” He believes the method is a win-win, both energy efficient and budget-friendly in cutting down on investments.

In New York’s food scene, a charismatic and talented young chef can be a breath of fresh air. The Year of the Rabbit holds a lot of promise for Huang. He is working out ideas for a cookbook and shooting a pilot for a food show. The show will be personality-driven, following him on his travels and to places he likes and frequents. And Huang fans everywhere, stay tuned—the chef has another project up his sleeve and is expected to release an announcement in the next few months.

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The pleasant voice belongs to a young man behind the tiny register. He doesn’t quite break out in a big jolly grin, but looks at the hungry customer with friendly eyes, happy to make a dinner recommendation or explain what “tingly spicy noodles” actually means. Watching him, it’s hard to glean that this unassuming college grad is living and breathing the dream of foodies everywhere: running his very own restaurant in the heart of Manhattan.

Photo Credit: Christine Wei

But Jason Wang is quick to point out that this business isn’t as glamorous as it seems. “Working in the food industry is the most down-to-earth thing ever,” he says, glancing at the far wall smothered in red-framed photos of Chinese noodles and burgers. “It’s no fun game. Sometimes it’s unfair because people in food work really hard, but the pay is so low. It’s considered unskilled work, but it really is hard work.”

And no, you do not get to eat all day when you own a restaurant. “I actually lost twenty pounds in two months when we opened this store,” Jason admits sheepishly, sharing how mad his girlfriend was. “We opened in July, and before then, I had to build out the store. And when you’re busy non-stop during the summer with no downtime, standing all day, there’s no time to eat.”

With such practical words, maybe it’s not so surprising that at the age of 23, Jason is running the East Village branch of his family’s restaurant chain, Xi’an Famous Foods, a pulled noodle shop that has caught the attention of The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and even TV personality Anthony Bourdain. Keenly picking up on the realities of the job, he works in the store everyday as a very conscious decision. “For the restaurant to be successful, the owner has to be in there,” he explains. “I have to oversee everything, make sure everything’s going smoothly, and expedite things.” And he can’t do that sitting in a closed office behind the kitchens—not that there would possibly be space in the bustling 12-seater, 600-square-foot store.

Jason gives a rundown of the store’s cuisine, which focuses on street food from the western province of Xi’an in China. The unbelievably chewy liang pi (cold skin noodles), the dish that made Xi’an Famous Foods so famous in the first place, is made daily in a complex, two-day process. The restaurant’s intense flavors are an instant throwback to Xian’s ancient glory as the beginning point of the Silk Road, where many merchants—and their spices—from all over the continent traded. “I like to call it ancient fusion,” Jason says. The spices used at the store today, in some sort of poetic authenticity, are imported from an Indian company.

Though Jason can now pull noodles and toss spices with the best of them, he knew essentially nothing about the food industry up until a few short years ago. Jason had studied business at Washington University in St. Louis, and it wasn’t until he realized he didn’t enjoy working in corporate—“I’m not a morning person”—that he started learning what it meant to work in the restaurant. And boy, were there a few surprises.

“The first week was horrible. Getting used to standing on my feet for 12 hours was quite the ordeal,” he says.  But one of the biggest challenges, he shares, is physically being in the kitchen when they heat oil up to almost 600 degrees Fahrenheit to make their own chili oil. “It’s a grueling place, with a lot of prep work: carrying things, moving things, lots of physical activity,” he says. “It’s completely crazy.”

And that business degree? Perhaps useful for preparing finances and keeping records, but running a restaurant is much more. “You’re going to have to learn to deal with the government, the health department, the department of buildings and even parking,” Jason says. “It’s stuff that they don’t teach you at school.”

Luckily for Jason, he has a great mentor in his father, who worked in various restaurants for a decade to learn the ropes in every aspect, whether it came to hosting or cooking and experimenting with new recipes. In fact, his father opened the first Xi’an Famous Foods branch in Flushing when Jason was still in college. Jason first got involved by creating an online presence for the restaurant after Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” feature in 2009. Soon after, he helped expand the brand into three more branches.

Working with family, Jason’s learned, means never having to play bureaucratic games. “I can say whatever I want to him,” Jason says of his father. “We’re pretty open in terms of criticism—he’s very open and has criticized me for a lot of things. But this way we come out with what we need to say and come up with the best solution.”

The duo now co-owns the company and separately manages different branches, and they’re able to overcome the generational wall between many Asian parents and children. “We’re always joking around, and sometimes my father kids that he’s the son,” Jason says. “I respect him as a father, but when it comes to business, we’re equals.” Usually, anyway, until they have a disagreement. Then, Mr. Wang becomes like any Asian parent, temporarily deciding that he knows better because he’s older.

It’s in moments like these that Jason is reminded of the difficulties of being a professional youth. “A lot of times people—landlords, purveyors—might think there’s someone behind you who you’re working for or who they should be talking to. People don’t always take you seriously,” he says. “But it’s a little bit easier once you show them what you’re capable of. Just be persistent, focus on what you have to do, and have confidence in yourself.”

Working in the food industry might have a steep learning curve, but aspiring restaurateurs can still take heart—you just have to be willing to get your hands dirty. “Unless you have a big breakthrough concept, you do have to start from the bottom,” Jason says. “The best way still is to get out there and just do it.”

And at the end of the day, Jason jokes that the favorite part of his job is that he gets to sleep in. But the passion clearly runs deeper than that. “Running your own restaurant, you feel the rewards—not just a monetary reward, but one of accomplishment,” he says. “You take everything more personally and it means more to you. You get a great sense of fulfillment.”

Sounds like a dream to us.

Look out for Xi’an Famous Foods’ next branch on Bayard Street in Chinatown this coming month, and in midtown Manhattan and Williamsburg in the near future.

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Steel-cut Oatmeal with Fried Egg and Kimchi (a bibimbap variation)

Ingredients: 1/2 cup steel-cut oatmeal, 1 egg, 1/2 cup kimchi

Cook time: 8 minutes

Serving: 1

• Cook steel-cut oatmeal in boiling water according to package instructions (or microwave instant oatmeal for about one minute—time can vary based on brand).
• While oatmeal is cooking, fry an egg sunny-side up. For the best taste, keep yolk a bit runny.
• Scoop cooked oatmeal into a bowl and place fried egg on top.
• Add kimchi and mix it all together.

Photo Credit: Angela Lee

Spinach Salad

Ingredients: 3 cups baby spinach, 1 tbsp crumbled gorgonzola cheese, 2 tbsp walnuts (crushed or whole), 1/2 cup roasted red peppers (from the jar), olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Optional: 1 tbsp bacon bits, 1/2 chopped apple, 1 clove of garlic

Cook time: 5 minutes

Serving: 1

• Combine spinach, cheese, walnuts, red pepper, bacon bits and chopped apple in a bowl.
• In a separate, smaller bowl, combine olive oil and balsamic vinegar and whisk. Combine minced garlic, if desired, for an extra kick.

Hint: A little gorgonzola goes a long way, so taste as you mix!

Photo Credit: Christine Wei

Bacon Fried Rice

Ingredients: 1 cup jasmine rice, 2 stalks scallion, 2 eggs, 7 slices bacon, 15 baby carrots
Cook time: 20 minutes (if rice is pre-cooked)

Servings: 2

• Steam rice (about 20 minutes). For best consistency, use day-old rice that is refrigerator temperature.
• Fry bacon, set aside and cool. Break into small pieces once cool.
• Fry carrots in bacon fat until soft.
• Add scallion and bacon to the carrots.
• Beat eggs and add to mixture and stir.
• Drain most of the bacon fat.
• Add rice and stir fry.

Photo Credit: Christine Wei

Buttery Garlic and Sage Tilapia Pasta

Ingredients: 1/4-pound tilapia, preferred pasta (spaghetti may work best), 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 tsp sage, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp butter

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serving: 1

• Boil water and cook spaghetti according to instructions (usually around 10 minutes).
• Mix flour, sage, garlic powder and salt in a bowl or a plate with depth.
• Dredge the tilapia fillet in the mixture. For extra crispiness, pat the flour on both sides.
• Melt butter in a pan and fry the tilapia on one side for 3 minutes on medium heat. Sprinkle a thin layer of garlic powder on the top side.
• Flip tilapia and fry for another 3 minutes on medium heat. Sprinkle with garlic powder.
• Flip and fry for another minute, then transfer the cooked fillet into a clean bowl.
• At this point, the spaghetti should be done. Drain the spaghetti and pour it into the pan used to cook the tilapia.
• Stir on low and soak up all the fried, buttery goodness.
• Add more salt and garlic powder to taste (½ tsp salt and at least 1 tsp garlic powder recommended for garlic lovers).

Photo Credit: Christine Wei

Real Hot Chocolate (inspired by Max Brenner’s Suckao Chocolate Shot)

Ingredients: 1 bar of chocolate, 1/3 quart of milk

Cook time: 10 minutes

Serving: 1

• Pour some of the milk into a pot, enough to cover the bottom by ½-inch and heat on medium.
• Break up the chocolate bar and toss in the chunks.
• Stir until all chunks are melted. Make sure there is enough milk so that the chocolate won’t stick to the pan and burn when melting, but not so much that you can’t see the chocolate.
• Add the rest of the milk until you get the consistency you want. The full 1/3 quart should achieve a rich and creamy drink.

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A beloved local pastry chef, she has established herself in a field unexpected of most business majors. Her determination and passion for desserts won her bakery features and accolades in Gourmet and Food & Wine, as well as numerous awards in Boston Magazine. In fact, she challenged Bobby Flay with her famous sticky sticky buns on the Food Network’s Throwdown with Bobby Flay—and won.

Photo Credit: Joanne Chang

Not that life was always this sweet. Chang grew up in a traditional Chinese household, and though she might not have had a tough tiger mom, she admits in her recently published cookbook, “I rarely had the chance to indulge my sweet tooth. Most Chinese meals end with nothing sweet [so] I wasn’t introduced to the idea of dessert until around 10[-years-old] or so, when I started going to sleepovers with my friends and eating at their houses more.”

But once she had her first mouthful, it was love at first taste: “What started out as a curiosity, stemming from my love for sweets, eventually developed into a full-blown obsession with desserts and pastries.”

She first started selling baked goods at Harvard, where she became known as the Chocolate Chip Cookie Girl. Though Chang knew she had terrific baking skills, true to the Asian stereotype, she stuck with practicality and graduated from Harvard prepared to enter the world as a professional management consultant. But after a few years of working at a top management firm, she soon realized she wasn’t cut out to be a consultant forever. “So I decided to try my hand at something I’d always loved: cooking and baking,” she said.

With little professional cooking or baking experience, Chang started working her way up the kitchen hierarchy by contacting local Boston chefs to gain some background. She first began as a bar-food cook for Boston favorite Lydia Shire, eventually moving to Manhattan’s Upper East Side to continue her culinary education. With French pastry chef Francois Payard of Payard Patisserie, she mastered both technique and creativity.

A quick learner, she began to see that personal and professional baking are very different affairs. After all, professional baking is a job, and that means, “you have time deadlines and lists and standards you have to adhere to,” she said. “At home you can afford to be a bit sloppy or imperfect. At work you don’t have that luxury—but once I stepped foot in a professional kitchen I was hooked.”

She began dreaming about opening her own bakery after her time in New York, and in 2000, she established Flour in Boston’s South End.

Since then, she’s successfully opened two more Flour bakeries in Greater Boston as well a restaurant, Meyers and Chang. Opening this restaurant with her restaurateur husband offered Chang a chance to “feature desserts that have an Asian twist.”

“It’s a fun way to incorporate my love of desserts with my love of Asian food,” she said. The most surprising part of her job? “People seem to find chefs fascinating [and] it’s funny how chefs are now considered celebrities. Most of us are just doing what we love to do.”

But that’s the funny thing about having a passion; some people may harbor a love of cooking and never act on it. But professionals like Chang know that following a dream, no matter how off the beaten path it may seem, can still end in success—as long as you put your heart and soul into learning the craft. For those who want to pursue culinary dreams, she suggests getting hands-on experience. She advises chefs-to-be to “try to get a job in a local restaurant or cafe so you can really see what it’s all about. It’s an awesome profession, but it’s not always what you think it is.”

No matter what you decide to do later in life, remember to enjoy what you love, like Flour’s motto: “Make life sweeter…eat dessert first!”

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To check if fad diets are nutritionally unsound, Blake said you should see if they are “blaming a whole food group, like saying stay away from bread because bread makes you fat, or telling people that it is guaranteed to keep your weight off. These are all red flags for fad diets.” For a normal female teenager, the recommended calorie intake per day is around 2200-2400, depending on physical activity level—the more sedentary you are, the fewer calories you need.

Courtesy Foodswings Flickr

“When it comes to losing weight, all it really is, is a matter of math,” Blake said. “You have to eat less calories than you need. Anything lower than 1600, you’re not going to be able to meet your nutrient needs.”

The issue with most people, however, is that they don’t usually keep track of their daily caloric intake—or they (rightfully) despise having to calculate every calorie. So for an easy approximation of healthy weight loss, Blake refers to the 10 percent rule.

“A beautiful formula, a realistic formula, is that you should lose 10 percent of your body weight over 6 months,” she said. It’s quick, easy and applicable to anyone, whether you are 120 or 200 pounds. For instance, 10 percent of 120 pounds over six months means 2 pounds per month, which is reasonable and doable.

Now that you know how much to lose at a healthy rate, the real question is, is the weight loss even necessary? Maureen Bligh, a registered dietitian who also manages a nutrition education website for the Dairy Council of California, said the “first thing that I would recommend teenagers do is check their body mass index (BMI). Find out, ‘do I even need to diet?’” You might think you do, but not all fat is bad—our body needs insulation to provide warmth and cushioning, since many important blood and nerve vessels pass through fat to get to our organs.

If your body’s ideal BMI indicates that you do need to lose weight, make sure you are doing it correctly. As Bligh pointed out, “If you really look at legitimate science-based research, we don’t need to detoxify our bodies—we already have kidneys, we already have a bladder, a liver.” A good way to lose weight is to learn from consistently fit people who aren’t celebrities dieting for an upcoming movie or job, since long-term healthy weight loss is the goal. The National Weight Loss Registry, an ongoing study that has kept track of how thousands of individuals have been successful at weight loss maintenance, is a great resource. Their research finds that eating breakfast and lower-fat foods, plus exercising at least for an hour each day, has helped people the most.

Unfortunately, one thing people don’t know about dieting is that if done unhealthily, as with fad diets, it can paradoxically lead to weight gain. As Blake warned, “In adolescents, skipping breakfast can increase the risk of obesity,” because if they’re “overly ravenous,” they will overcompensate and eat more later. Dieting can also turn into a vicious roller-coaster cycle. “Don’t deprive yourself,” Bligh said. “If you get into the deprivation mode, it can start a really bad yo-yo dieting thing, where you’re on a diet, then you’re off a diet. It’s worse than if you never started dieting at all.”

Courtesy A Clinical Guide for Management of Overweight and Obese Children and Adults

It’s no coincidence that I’m now snacking on grapes instead of my usual late-night Pringles indulgence. I’m not much of a workout type, so changing eating habits is my secret to long-term weight loss. But then again, when I calculated my BMI with a calculator, it turned out I’m actually considered healthy. So I guess, Mr. Fat, you aren’t supposed to leave me after all. We were meant to be together and I’m just going to have to learn to love you sooner or later.

For a list of registered dietitians nearest you, visit www.eatright.org

Full disclosure: Joan and I are working together on a new medical student/dietetic intern peer-match program.

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Aphrodisiac foods, or foods that are believed to arouse sexual desire, date as far back as Greek mythology. Aphrodite, the goddess of love, considered sparrows sacred and as a result, Europeans consumed sparrow meat, believing in its potential to stir up lustful feelings. In fact, at some point in history, many common spices and foods, such as carrots, were considered aphrodisiacs as well.

For a delicious way to stir up romance in your life, try some of these most popular aphrodisiac foods.

Chocolate elicits a dual effect: Tryptophan—the component in turkey that makes you sleepy on Thanksgiving—lowers inhibitions and inspires relaxation, while stimulants such as anandamide and PEA (phenylethylamine) improve your mood and increase desire for physical contact. PEA is also known as the “love chemical,” causing people to feel excitement and attraction.

Oysters are the food most commonly thought of as aphrodisiacs. The sea creature has a high zinc content, which aids in sperm production and increases libido.

Halved figs are thought to represent the female reproductive organs. The role of figs as an aphrodisiac is steeped in history—Adam and Eve used fig leaves as modest clothing in Eden and ancient Greeks associated the fruit with love and fertility.

Almonds have always been considered symbols of fertility. The Romans gifted newlyweds with the nut to ensure successive generations. Historically, the scent of almonds has been linked to arousing female passion. Beyond this, almonds are also a good source of vitamin E and fiber.

Who doesn’t love unagi? For centuries, the Japanese have considered the eel to be a powerful aphrodisiac and even today, is a dish commonly found in many Japanese restaurants and supermarkets.

The Chinese are always able to find a way to consume animal parts that other cultures would never touch. Tiger parts are a perfect example. However, you don’t necessarily have to consume them—they can be worn on a string around the neck so that the wearer can take in the sexual powers of the animal. But don’t expect to find this in your neighborhood store; due to over-hunting, tigers are now protected in many parts of Asia.

Aside from warding off vampires, garlic is also a powerful aphrodisiac. The smelly plant contains allicin, which increases blood flow. Just try not to overdose, since bad breath is decidedly unsexy.

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I believe in both sides of the argument, since my path to becoming a self-declared “foodie” cannot simply be attributed to one or the other. I was lucky enough to grow up in the Bay Area of California, a food mecca full of fresh and delicious produce, seasoned and renowned chefs and culinary variety owing to the diverse population in the region. My parents also nurtured my love of food, always encouraging my sister and me to “try everything just once.” Simultaneously, I come from a long line of food lovers, leading me to believe my appreciation for all things culinary is somehow written into my genetic code.

My parents emigrated from Taiwan, so my childhood food memories range from the common—beef noodle soup and fried rice noodles—to what Travel Channel host Andrew Zimmern would boldly try on “Bizarre Foods,” like stinky tofu and fried intestines. I devoured everything: slimy sea cucumber, lu wei tripe and all types of foods that would make most people’s skin crawl. I eagerly looked forward to spending my vacations in Taipei. There, I could roam the night markets, enticed by aromas and sampling fare from different street stalls.

Despite working full-time jobs, my parents made sit-down dinners a requirement. Their emphasis on eating together is the reason why our nightly family dinners are my fondest childhood memories. To prepare our meals, my mom would go grocery shopping on the weekend, buying a week’s worth of produce and meat at both Ranch 99 and Safeway. The food she cooked highlighted my bicultural upbringing. Seasonal items, such as wild mushrooms, would be transformed into traditional Chinese dishes. When I create concoctions in my own kitchen now, I often pull recipes from memories of my mother’s cooking—miso-baked white fish, hot dog fried rice and steak stir-fried with asparagus.

Though my love of food began with an appreciation for Chinese cuisine influenced by my parents’ upbringing, my passion grew to encompass foods from different parts of the world. In the town I grew up in, I remember going to the annual summer street fairs, where booths are set up by downtown restaurants and neighborhood shops. Here, I tasted my first escargots. Piping hot and presented in a paper basket, I savored the tender texture of the snails, inhaling the combination of butter, garlic and herbs. Since then, I have developed a love affair with French food—the butter, the richness, the flavors—and consume French fare in any form possible. Julia Child’s memoirs only further influenced my lifetime dream of attending a Cordon Bleu course.

Exploring French cuisine opened the doors to discovering the culinary wonders of the European continent.  My parents, eager to satisfy their own passion, often took my sister and me to eat non-Chinese food. Occasionally, we would be treated to Italian food at the neighborhood Florentine’s. My sister, who was quite the picky eater at the time, would always order fettucine tossed in butter and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. I, on the other hand, would systematically try something different each time.  I played with combinations of pastas (parpadalle being among my favorites) and sauces (anything with seafood or Italian sausage), discovering my favorites and opening up a new world of flavors. To this day, Italian food remains among my favorite standbys for a good meal.

As an expatriate, I have been fortunate enough to sample the culinary diversity China has to offer. In cosmopolitan Shanghai, I have had my fair share of sumptuous French, Italian, German, Japanese (the list goes on and on) and of course, Chinese cuisine. In fact, the city’s food scene reminds me again of the entire nature vs. nurture debate: In recent years, Shanghai has grown organically and economically, as businessman and immigrants from every corner of the world bring flavors, styles and thoughts from their home countries—adding to the natural ingredients and climate of the city. In this melting pot environment, it is only natural that my relationship with food has been and will continue to be further shaped and cultivated. I am excited to learn more about my own heritage by consuming culinary delicacies (spicy hot rabbit head, anyone?) and to continue to explore the world outside my own borders (who can resist fish flown straight from Japan and truffles fresh from France?).

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Japanese – Soba Noodles with Tofu

This low-cal dish, served either hot or cold, is made of buckwheat noodles containing complex carbs that digest slowly, which will keep you fuller for longer and prevents your body from producing many fat-storing hormones and enzymes. For those with food allergies, buckwheat is also gluten-free. Served cold, the dish often comes with a dipping sauce of sweetened soy sauce, rice wine and stock. Enjoy with tofu for protein, vitamin B and iron.

Thai – Tom Yum Soup

This zesty soup is known for its healthy blend of immune-boosting herbs, and often consumed to fight off colds and the flu. Sour and spicy to the palate, chicken broth is flavored with lemongrass, ginger, and kaffir lime leaves that detoxify and calm the body, help break down fats and proteins and bring lots of antioxidants to your diet. Shrimp, the low-calorie protein in tom yum soup, is also plentiful in omega-3 fatty acids and provides minerals like zinc and iron that a strong body needs. Beware, however, that this dish traditionally contains cilantro. If you are not a fan, ask the chef to leave it out.

Indian-Idli

Traditionally eaten for breakfast and snacks, idli are steamed rice cakes made with plenty of black lentil, a kind of bean that is full of antioxidants that help protect the body against cancer and coronary heart disease. Also full of low-calorie fiber, black lentil aids the digestive process and also helps stabilize sugar levels. Idli can be paired with different spices and chutneys containing ingredients like chili pepper, coriander, ginger or garlic, all of which are beneficial to the immune system.

Vietnamese – Spring Rolls

This is a healthier alternative to the traditional crispy, golden spring rolls. Vietnamese spring rolls are not deep fried, but simply wrapped with thin, translucent sheets of rice paper, and usually contain lush amounts of veggies like lettuce, cucumber and bean sprouts. For an extra kick, add in some herbs like anti-inflammatory basil and cholesterol-lowering cilantro. These spring rolls are often dipped in hoisin or peanut sauces for flavor, but calorie-watchers should avoid the latter.

Filipino – Rellenong Kamatis

Like other sources of antioxidants, tomatoes help guard against cancers, heart disease, and high cholesterol.  Stuffing some with ground beef, onion, egg and a rice mixture to makes this dish is a great, non-greasy way to get a dose of vitamin C. Though some diets don’t recommend red meat, lean varieties can provide high levels of zinc and iron needed for healthy metabolism. The dish is seasoned with salt and pepper, and can be garnished with a bit of cheese.

Korean – Bibimbap

If you’re looking for a complete meal, bibimbap steps up to the plate—it’s a rice bowl featuring a variety of vegetables laced with chili pepper paste. This paste, called gochujang, contains soybeans and is rich in protein, vitamins B and C and carotene. High levels of water, potassium and iron in commonly used vegetables like cucumbers, mushrooms and spinach hydrates the skin, lowers blood pressure, and increases oxygen flow in the bloodstream. An egg or slices of meat—just think lean—are often added for additional protein. If you’re worried about carbs, just cut down on the rice.

All photos courtesy of Wikipedia

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by Elaine Low for MochiMag.com

Dorm Pantry Essentials

Before you head to Target or Ikea to pick up a food processor and muffin pans, check with your RA to see what appliances are allowed in your residence hall. Most colleges don’t allow anything but a microwave and a mini-fridge, so make sure you aren’t bringing in toasters or hot plates where they aren’t approved.

If a fridge the size of a mailbox is the only sanctioned appliance in your would-be culinary arsenal, head over to your dorm’s community kitchen to see what it offers–this may range from a full kitchen with a microwave, oven, stovetop and sink to just a microwave and nothing else. Also ask if it’s okay to bring your own appliances and use them in the common area kitchen (a blender or rice cooker could be your best friend for the next four years).

Only stock non-perishable, re-sealable items in your pantry and don’t go crazy with the Costco or Sam’s Club portions (I know it’s a better value, but where are you going to put a gallon of mustard?). Try to buy fully cooked meat strips in refrigerated bags from the grocery store, which will save you time and trouble, and always observe expiration dates. It’s easy to mix and match most sauces with meat or veggies–the noodle chili sauce listed in the first recipe below also makes a great marinade for chicken wings–so play with your options and get creative. You don’t have to have the resources of Kitchen Stadium to cook like an Iron Chef!

*Note: Always be prepared to tweak recipes to your liking. I usually add a dash of this and a dash of that, and eventually recipes become more like guidelines than strict rules.

Pantry Must-Haves:

• canola or olive oil
• soy sauce
• oyster sauce
• rice vinegar
• hot sauce, like Sriracha
• ketchup
• yellow mustard
• sugar
• rice
• ramen noodles
• canned mushrooms, water chestnuts or other veggies
• spatula
• wooden mixing spoon
• mixing bowl
• baking dish or muffin pans
• microwave-safe, heat-resistant bowls and dishes

RECIPES

Chili noodles and tofu (serves one)

1 pack of ramen noodles

Half package of tofu

2 cups of water

1 tablespoon ketchup, or more if desired (same goes for all the sauces)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons Sriracha (rooster) hot sauce

1 heaping teaspoon oyster sauce

dash of oil

1. If using instant ramen noodles, boil water in microwave and pour over noodles as directed on package. If using a stovetop, heat 3 cups of water in a small pot on high until it comes to a roiling boil, then add noodles and boil until tender, about 8 minutes. (Toss out the pre-packaged seasoning; that stuff always makes me feel like I’m eating spoonfuls of salt). Set noodles aside.
2. In a heat-resistant or microwave-safe dish, mix ketchup, soy sauce, oyster sauce and hot sauce. Add a dash of oil to the mix so that the noodles don’t stick together.
3. Drain water from tofu package, and cut tofu into bite-size cubes. Place in microwave dish with chili sauce mix, and drizzle some of the sauce over tofu. Cover dish, and heat in microwave for 3 minutes on high.
4. Toss noodles with chili sauce and tofu, and serve.

Asian Chicken Salad (serves two)

6-ounces fully cooked, grilled chicken breast strips

14- to 16-ounce package pre-washed salad greens

1/2 cup crushed, dry chow mein noodles

1/2 cup water chestnuts, drained

1/2 cup canned mandarins in light syrup, drained

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon oil

2 teaspoons sugar

1. Place chicken strips in a microwave-safe dish, and heat as directed on the package.
2. Mix rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and oil to make dressing.
3. Rinse salad greens and toss in mixing bowl with crushed noodles, water chestnuts and chicken strips. Add dressing and toss. Top with mandarins.

Spicy vegetable fried rice (serves three to four)

2 cups brown or white rice, or packaged pre-cooked rice

12-ounce package frozen mixed vegetables

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons Sriracha hot sauce

2 tablespoons oil (keep handy because rice sticks to the pan easily)

Uncooked rice:

1. Rinse uncooked rice and soak in water.
2. Place frozen veggies in microwave dish and cover in entirety with water. Heat in microwave on high for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat oil in skillet on low heat, then add drained rice and two cups of water and cook on medium-high until soft (and when all liquid is absorbed), about 20 minutes (time may vary depending on pan size). Add more oil if rice begins to stick to pan. Lower to medium heat.
4. Add soy sauce and use spatula to mix with rice. Add hot sauce, adjust amount depending on desired spiciness.
5. Mix in cooked vegetables and simmer on low-medium heat for a few more minutes until ready to serve.

Pre-cooked rice:

1. Place frozen veggies in microwave dish and cover in entirety with water. Heat in microwave on high for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat pre-cooked rice as directed on package. Add soy sauce and hot sauce, and toss in large microwave dish until evenly coated.
3. Mix in cooked vegetables with rice. Heat overall dish again for 1-2 minutes and serve.

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When I go to Asia, it’s hard not to notice that most people there are incredibly skinny, especially in comparison to the average American. The difference in body types is apparent when I shop in Asia, and I find myself having to buy clothing in a size large, instead of my usual small or medium sizes. Then there are the remarks I hear from relatives about how “healthy” I look, which is their polite way of saying I must be eating a little too well.

Much of what accounts for why Asians are generally more slender and healthier than Americans — who are currently dealing with widespread obesity — lies in the differences in diet. By comparing the eating habits in the U.S and East Asia (mainly China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan), we can understand why and how the typical Asian diet can translate into a healthier lifestyle.

Let’s first look at the general types of foods consumed on a regular day in the U.S. and East Asia:

From the table above, we see that the main ingredient in the Asian diet is the beloved white rice. According to Oldways, rice provides 25 to 80 percent of the calories in the daily diet of 2.7 billion Asians. It’s typically eaten with every meal, in the form of steamed, sticky rice. As author Jason Bussell of “The Asian Diet: Simple Secrets for Eating Right, Losing Weight, and Being Well” explains in an interview with Thatsfit.com, “White rice is the most hypo-allergenic, easily-assimilated and energetically neutral of the grains.” Since it’s so easy to digest, rice can be eaten frequently throughout the day. On the other hand, the main ingredient for Americans is white bread, which in large amounts causes carb-overload, and unnecessary weight gain.

Another major ingredient in the Asian diet is soy, frequently consumed in the form of tofu, which contains large amounts of iron, calcium and protein, while being low in carbohydrates and fats. Since many Asians tend to be lactose-intolerant, they often drink soymilk rather than whole milk. Soymilk is a healthier option, as it has the same amount of protein as cow’s milk, but with smaller amounts of saturated fat and no cholesterol.

Besides food products, a major contribution to the healthy diet of Asians comes from their frequent consumption of tea, particularly green, oolong or black. Tea is drunk throughout the day, especially after meals. Its health benefits have long been lauded, as it’s known to help prevent heart diseases, intestinal disorders and cancers as it contains antioxidants. In the U.S., on the other hand, coffee, whose health benefits are often questionable, remains the preferred source of caffeine.

Eating Style

While Americans usually eat from separate dishes, Asians are accustomed to family-style dishes, where there is typically one small dish of each food group for everyone to share, paired with a bowl of rice and sometimes a bowl of soup. Instead of having to finish one’s plate, Asians are more concerned with finishing one’s bowl of rice, while consuming bite size portions of various types of dishes, which consist mostly of vegetables. Instead of worrying about eating a certain portion size, you simply stop eating once your stomach’s half full.

Overall, Asians mostly consume foods that are lower in carbohydrates and cholesterol. Sweets and processed foods are rarely ever eaten in Asia, as fruits usually suffice as dessert.

With high mortality rates and lower cases of heart diseases among Asians (particularly the Japanese), it’s no secret that the traditional Asian diet has numerous benefits both physically—helps maintain a healthy weight—and internally, as your body lower levels of unhealthy toxins.

Though it’s easy to eat as Americans do, given we live in the states, you can try adhering to the eating habits of your parents and grandparents, since it seems to be working out quite well for a few billion people halfway across the world.

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Our love affair with food may be our longest, most precarious relationship to date. Our tug-of-war with food is a two-way street: sometimes you “give in” to food and other times your food works for you. To get the most of this relationship, figure out what you want with food at any given time, and use our cheat sheet to eat accordingly.

Foods That Curb Hunger:
Solids Foods are More Filling
I have tried the “liquid diet,” and it does not work. Eating solid foods rather than drinking liquids can help you feel fuller and make you less likely to snack later on in the day because (surprise) it actually stays longer in your stomach.

Eat Mindfully to Feel Fuller
When your stomach is physically stretched thanks to food, it sends a signal to your brain that you’ve had enough to eat. But whether or not you listen to that signal is really up to you. It’s important to stay in tune with your body’s signals. We’ve all been guilty at one time or another of watching T.V. or checking our emails while we eat, but multitasking can distract us from our body’s signals . Next time you sit down for a meal, try to eat slowly and consciously, and you might find dinner more enjoyable.

Foods That Give You Energy:
Food can boost energy by providing sufficient calories And let’s face it, energy (whether we have it or lack it) affects our mood, so it’s important to learn what types of food can positively affect us.

Eat nuts
Almonds, hazelnuts and cashews are all great sources of energy. Brazilian nuts are also natural mood boosters.

Lean meats
Lean pork, lean beef, skinless chicken and turkey are all healthy sources of protein and can help you feel more alert and focused. They can even fight insomnia, so you can finally get rid of those dark  circles under your eyes.

Whole grains
Foods like whole-grain bread, pasta and rice are full of fiber. Eating whole grains can help slow the absorption of sugar, unlike candy or sugar which can give you a sugar high before your energy level drops severely.

Some extra tips:
Tea is a good alternative for coffee. The caffeine in tea can improve alertness, reaction time and memory. As nourishing as caffeine can seem, the old saying still rings true: “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” so don’t skip it! Eating breakfast every morning can give you more energy and put you in a better mood throughout the day. Another tip: eat small meals frequently, supplemented with snacks, instead of a few large meals. Eating a little something every three to four hours can help you better sustain your energy.

No more guilty relationships with food – have it work for you for a change!

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