With all of the food blogs out there, it’s hard to know which ones to trust. If you like to cook healthy recipes that you find online, chances are you have had your fair share of recipe failures (like that quinoa and spelt flour, refined sugar-free, vegan cookie recipe that looked so delicious in the picture, but ended up tasting like burnt cardboard…).
And if you follow some of the health blogs out there, you have likely been exposed to all sorts of confusing and contradictory health and nutrition information.
Luckily for you, these six food blogs are great sources of food-related information on anything from debunked USDA food guidelines to the healthfulness of new food trends, plus they contain some awesome healthy recipes that are foolproof and delicious.
1. Food Babe
Photo courtesy of foodbabe.com
Vani Hari AKA The Food Babe was named one of the most influential people on the internet by Time Magazine. She is not only the brains behind the Food Babe blog, but she is also the best-selling author of The Food Babe Way, and a food activist. Vani started her blog in 2011 in hopes of sharing her healthy eating journey with others after her former “typical American diet” landed her in the hospital.
Photo courtesy of foodbabe.com
The Food Babe has helped influence numerous food businesses to change their unhealthy ways. Vani and her army of followers’ list of accomplishments is quite impressive.
They’ve pushed Chipotle to release ingredient lists of their foods, labeling where they use GMOs in addition to committing to stop using GMO foods entirely, influenced Chick-fil-A to remove artificial chemicals from its food and to plan to use antibiotic-free chicken within the next 5 years, along with succeeding in demanding Subway to remove a harmful chemical found in yoga mats from their bread, just to name a few.
No issue is too controversial for the Food Babe to tackle. In fact, she has an entire section of her blog dedicated to the most controversial food investigations. The Food Babe advocates for a diet based on whole foods and writes posts ranging from tips for smart shopping and decoding food labels to how to make a killer green smoothie. She also answers burning questions like “does kale destroy your thyroid?” and “is your protein shake safe?”
2. The Flexi Foodie
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London-based Flexi Foodie Julie Montagu is a yoga instructor, Certified Holistic Heath Counselor through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, plant-based recipe creator, and cookbook author. Her recipes are simple, healthy, and innovative and her blog includes insightful posts about nutrition, health, and overall wellbeing.
Photo courtesy of flexiefoodie.wordpress.com
My personal favorite Flexi Foodie recipe is the chia mushroom meatballs (you won’t even miss the meat after trying these, trust me).
When she isn’t cooking up delicious plant-based recipes, teaching yoga, or writing books, the Flexie Foodie can be found shooting Bravo TV’s series Ladies of London.
3. Food Politics
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Esteemed NYU and Cornell University professor Marion Nestle is the author of the Food Politics blog. If you just can’t learn enough about the food system, the latest nutrition advancements, and the newest food-related scandals, then Food Politics is your place to be.
What makes Food Politics unique is that it was created simply to educate the public on everything food politics and nutrition-related. It doesn’t have any flashy recipes or fluff articles. Marion Nestle tells it like it is in an easy-to-read, digestible manner. So go ahead and impress your friends with your newfound knowledge of food politics and inside scoop into the latest food scandal.
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Want to know if you can ever eat at Chipotle again after their major foodborne illness outbreaks which sickened 500 people? Let Marion Nestle give you the lowdown. Ever confused about what the “natural” food label actually means? Marion Nestle has an answer for that, too.
4. Naturally Ella
Photo courtesy of Naturally Ella on Facebook
Vegetarian health food blogger Erin Alderson (whose initials are E.L.L.A. hence her blog’s name — confusing, I know) started her blog, Naturally Ella, after her father’s heart attack prompted her to clean up her fast food-laden diet. She is a plant-based recipe creator and food photographer and has written two cookbooks.
Photo courtesy of naturallyella.com
Erin puts her own unique spin on a wide range of dishes including pasta, pizza, soups, salads, sandwiches, side dishes, skillets, desserts, and more. Her repertoire includes sun-dried tomato and walnut pesto breakfast pizza, quinoa falafel, a chickpea bowl with roasted vegetables and cashew cream, and pistachio olive oil cake.
Photo courtesy of naturallyella.com
A unique feature of Naturally Ella is that it has an entire section dedicated to seasonal recipes. Erin makes it easy to eat both healthfully and seasonally throughout the year by providing readers with a list of ingredients that are in season in winter, spring, summer, and fall.
5. Minimalist Baker
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Finally, a blog dedicated to simple, wholesome recipes made from 10 ingredients or less that require 30 minutes or less to make and only one bowl or pot. Minimalist Baker is the ultimate food blog for a college student to follow.
Photo courtesy of minimalistbaker.com
The recipes are beyond simple, plus the blog shows you step-by-step how to make cool vegan staples like flax eggs and vegan parmesan cheese. Did you know you can juice without a juicer? Neither did I before reading Minimalist Baker’s post. Did I mention many of the recipes are vegan and/or gluten free?
Photo courtesy of minimalistbaker.com
Contrary to what the blog title may lead you to believe, Minimalist Baker is not only dedicated to baked goods, but savory dishes as well including mushroom and leek risotto, chickpea schwarma salad, and roasted sweet potato and kale breakfast hash. However, the baked goods are off the charts — you just can’t go wrong with coconut oil blueberry scones with rosemary or PB & J graham cracker thumbprint cookies.
6. Nutrition Stripped
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The Nutrition Stripped blog clears up confusion surrounding health food, past health ideals, and societal pressures. Blog creator, McKel Hill gives you the tools to achieve your optimum state of health through nutrition that focuses on what works for your body rather than the latest health fads.
Photo courtesy of nutritionstripped.com
All of the recipes shared on Nutrition Stripped are made with whole foods, are dairy-free and gluten-free, and some are even vegetarian, vegan, or paleo-friendly. What’s even better is that all of McKels’s recipes can be easily adapted to suit your dietary preferences.
Photo courtesy of nutritionstripped.com
McKel is a registered dietician and holds a Master’s of Science in Clinical Nutrition. She has an entire section of her blog about “myths stripped” where she debunks common nutrition myths and shares healthy living tips. Will eating carbs at night cause you to gain weight? Do you know what the top wellness trends of 2016 will be? Want to learn about healthy eating on a budget? Nutrition Stripped has got you covered.