Food

New York City in the Fall only gets better when incredible food and delicious wine enter the picture. YumSugar is partnering with Food & Wine to make that experience possible, just for you!

Spend a weekend in the Big Apple exploring the New York City Wine & Food Festival alongside our YumSugar editors, discovering new delicacies and learning the art of wine pairing from experts. Your favorite personalities, chefs, culinary stars, and wine connoisseurs will teach you everything you need to know about your favorites and introduce you to new discoveries.

Enter to win — and spend a weekend changing the way you think about food. To whet your palate for the New York City Wine & Food Festival, check out YumSugar's coverage of the Aspen Food & Wine Classic!

Like all parents, we're constantly doing our best to nourish our little ones with a well-balanced diet. But when the nutrition labels on packaged food are targeted to the average adult's diet (2,000 calories/day), it's not always easy to tell just how much (or how little) of the good stuff our kids are actually getting. That's why we're so excited to share this new tool from Clif Kid with you!

Here's how it works:

1. Head over to Clif Kid.
2. Grab a food package and identify the nutrition label on the back.
3. Under "Adult Nutrition Label," pick a nutrient you want to convert for your child, and enter in the grams from the nutrition label on the package.
4. On the "Kid Nutrition Label" side, you'll see the grams converted into the daily percentage this nutrient takes up in their diet for the day. Notice the difference as compared to an adult's — it's as easy as that.

Put the Clif Tool to work today, and tell us the most surprising finds you discover!

FitSugar reader AllieNic posted a tasty grain-free, Paleo-friendly crumble that makes the most of tasty Summer fruit in the Healthy Recipe group.

Ingredients:

2 pints minus one handful of blueberries
1 Tbsp raw honey
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp arrowroot
3 Tbsp lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
1 cup almond flour
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup sliced almonds
5 Medjool dates
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut oil

Learn how to put it all together after the break!

Between all that spice, comfort, and bright flavor, Mexican food always manages to tempt our taste buds for a delicious feast. The only downside? The recipes we typically associate with readily available Mexican grub in the US are not always the healthiest options for someone who's trying to cut back on extra calories. If you've been missing the tasty flavors of your Mexican favorites, then have no fear. I've called upon three amigos (three wildly simple switches) to make your favorite Mexican recipes healthier at home.

1. Reach for lighter (and less) dairy: All that delicious cheesy goodness is part of what makes Mexican classics so comforting. So, no need to say goodbye to it altogether! Instead of full-fat cheeses, pull for part-skim cheese options for an easy fix that won't skimp on flavor or texture. I also love the idea of using greek yogurt instead of sour cream to cut back on unnecessary fat. I've made a huge plate of these healthy enchiladas and subbed greek yogurt for the sour cream without anyone noticing!

2. Grab whole-wheat options: We all know that refined carbs are just bad news, but don't let them creep their way into your kitchen with your chips or traditional flour tortillas. Luckily this is a wildly easy fix. Just choose whole wheat instead!

Keep reading for one more trick to make Mexican food healthier.

Can't get enough fruit? While perfect on its own, fresh fruit also takes great in cereal, salads, with cheese, topped with yogurt, or in smoothies. Recently a friend forwarded me an article claiming that to fully reap the nutritional benefits of fruit, it should be eaten separately, on an empty stomach. Have you heard this too?

A basic theory of trophology, a nutritional philosophy on food combining, is that fruits should be eaten as separate meals. It's said that fruit digests at a faster rate and requires different digestive enzymes than other foods such as proteins or carbs. When consumed with these foods the digestion of fruit is delayed, causing it to ferment in your gut. Strict supporters of the food combining theory attribute digestive issues like upset tummy, indigestion, gas, and constipation to mixing your fruit with other foods.

But don't give up your peanut butter and banana sandwiches just yet! You can feel good eating your fruit in whichever way you please since there's no scientific research to back up this fruit philosophy. If you're having issues with digesting fruit, you could try eating it separately to see if your body handles it better, but in my experiences, if I eat an apple on its own, my stomach wages a full-on rebellion.

Tell me, do you prefer eating fruit alone or with other foods?