When I am asked about plant-based meats I struggle with my answer which is essentially, “Yes, they are good but what do they replace?”

It’s a boring answer and not the one people want or expect. I am constantly asked to confirm people’s choices and this response is the equivalent of a sad trombone. Rarely the right answer is exciting.

The right answer regarding food is always to minimize processing. When food is minimally processed, fiber, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants are increased. Always.

Here's a snack that is easy to make (4 ingredients) and will keep you full and give you sustained energy for hours. The extra "add-in" is your choice. Pick raisins, dried cranberries, peanuts, almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds or chocolate chips. These high-protein and high-fiber snacks are made in minutes and can be kept refrigerated for up to one week. They travel well in your purse or bag, too.

My favorite recipe for a quick and easy weeknight side dish. Kids love them!

These 14 tips can help cooking become more joy and less chore.

This is a fantastic snack or dessert that uses just 4 ingredients. High in fiber, minerals, vitamins and healthy fats. These are fun for kids to make and kids are more likely to eat what they make. Here is the video on YouTube and the recipe:

In 2017 I felt middle-aged and invisible. My hip joints hurt on long walks. I dreaded getting dressed in the morning. I loathed bathing suit season and the numbness was always on my mind.

This is a fantastic and filling soup I make with leeks and rosemary that I grew (aka "managed to not kill") in my garden (aka "random pots that sit outside my kitchen door") with gourmet super food legumes (aka "store brand beans")

This whole meal costs $2.65 and my son loved it which blew me away.

It is not, as some think, based on the never-ending pasta bowl or pizza. Nor is it based on fancy cooking with esoteric ingredients. Basic kitchen skills and equipment apply here: a sharp knife, cutting board and a series of simple pans or a grill.

Many of my patients and clients want to know about plant-based eating and a typical follow-up question is, “What about those Impossible Burgers?”

Because cooking will save us, I believe, from chronic diseases of diabetes, heart disease and renal failure. My overarching mission is to get Americans back into the kitchen and to teach emerging generations how to cook.

Enjoy this recipe below. It’s definitely a keeper.

To go to the grocery store right now and buy all the items on this list may be cost-prohibitive. So I encourage each aspiring home cook to but one or two of the items on the list at a time.

When a diverse group of St. Petersburg residents were asked what the greatest barrier is to achieve an equitable, resilient and regenerative food system their answers had less to do with food and more to do with people.

Hornbeck easily links food insecurity to diabetes, obesity, hypertension and elevated cholesterol in kids. Where income and access to nutritious foods are low, she states, metabolic disorders are disproportionately high.

I had a great time talking the Mediterranean diet at Rollin Oats in September where I made and shared two dips. It was a large crowd which tells me that people are interested in the health benefits and flavors of this region of the world.

Within a 42-block area of south St. Petersburg there is no full-service grocery store that sells fresh or frozen produce, meats, dairy products or whole grains.

But between 4th and 45th Avenues South and 34th Street South to the Bay there are six dollar stores: two Dollar Generals and four Family Dollars.

With his feet wrapped in bandages the man hobbled up to the table where I was standing.

I first noticed the hobbling gait, then the feet crammed into flip-flops. His heels were hanging off the edge. A volunteer at the table I was visiting knew him.

“Hey, Charles. How’s life?”

“You know, I can’t complain,” he said. “I’m alive.”

Fans of local singer/songwriter, Michael Clarity, may notice there’s less of him lately…..65 pounds less, to be exact. Michael is the subject of an interview I recently conducted regarding weight loss through lifestyle change. He changed his entire approach to nutrient intake, portion sizes and physical activity. According to Clarity, it's been work but totally worth it because the pain of staying was greater than the pain of change.

Want to detox your body? Read below for the how to:

Have a liver and two kidneys.

Yes, this system provided by Mom, Inc. and designed by God, Allah, Darwin and Whatyoubelieve has a proven track record and well over 1,000 5-star Google reviews.

Let’s say the people in charge of your food were honestly tasked with making it better your you, the consumer and tax payer. And let’s say the this governing body was directed by appointed leadership placed there by elected officials whose real purpose is to protect industry. Well then you would have the current FDA.

If you have ever suspected that government puts the interests of industry before the benefits of consumers read below. The new Nutrition Facts label was to be mandatory on packaging last year. LAST YEAR. But the FDA, under leadership appointed by our current administration, has provided delay after delay.