HEALTHY BITES BLOG — Susan's Natural Kitchen

To Bean Or Not To Bean? (plus an Easy Recipe for 16 Bean Soup)

Dried beans can be a budget friendly source of nutrients, fiber, complex carbohydrates and resistant starch.

That said - Some of us are just better off without beans and legumes in our menus. Humans do not “need” to eat beans to be healthy. You can find cultures all around the world where vibrant health prevails, without beans and legumes as a part of the traditional diet.

If you have unexplained allergy symptoms, IBS, or an autoimmune condition, you might be better off avoiding beans for an extended period of time to give your gut a break.

Susan GarthNovember 15, 2022Comment

Vegan Broccoli Cauliflower Soup

Quick, easy and healthy broccoli cauliflower soup, ready in 20 minutes. It’s vegan, paleo, and Whole 30 friendly, with no fats added. When I want a bowl of nourishing comfort, this is one of my go to’s.

Paleo Pumpkin Bars (+ vegan option)

Here's a Paleo Pumpkin Bar recipe for you, inspired by the flavors of Thanksgiving.

This Paleo Pumpkin Bar recipe is

gluten free / grain free
dairy free
maple sweetened
easy to convert to vegan/plant-based

Sautéed Zucchini with Parmesan & Pine Nuts

It’s Zucchini Season!

Here’s one of my faves, ready in 10 minutes.

Susan GarthAugust 15, 2020Comment

Southwestern Layer Dip

When it’s too hot to cook, try this dish of deliciousness for dinner

It’s got allll the flavors and textures going on in each bite. I like to add leftover chopped roasted or grilled chicken for a good dose of protein. We devour it with blue corn chips. Such a treat!

Tell Congress, PRIME Act is the best shot for small livestock farmers!

What we need right now are more small-scale slaughterhouses available to farmers who want to sell meat to their local communities. Only the PRIME Act addresses the lack of slaughterhouse capacity for small-scale farmers. And it not only provides the most immediate relief, it’s also a vital reform for the long-term. We need scale-appropriate regulations so that we can build many more small-scale processors to diversify our food system, empowering independent farmers to feed their local communities.

Susan GarthJuly 22, 2020wapf, PRIME Act, meat is healthy, regenerative agriculture, robb wolf, sustainabledishComment

Tzatziki Platter

Here’s an easy and quick tzatziki recipe. When I was in Crete years ago we had a few different varieties of tzatziki. One had grated carrots in addition to the cucumbers, another was flavored with red wine vinegar instead of lemon. All of them were delicious!

Susan GarthJune 27, 2020Comment

Egg Yolk Vegetable Omelette

Nope, it’s not a Greek Salad… ; )

Try this nutrient-rich omelette for a satisfying low carb breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Susan GarthJune 20, 2020 Comment

Zoodles with Quick & Easy Nutrient Rich Meat Sauce

Don’t you just love zoodles? These are topped with a nutrient-rich meat sauce and some big juicy mushroom slices just simmered on top of the sauce for a few minutes to warm them up. So easy and so good.

Susan GarthJune 15, 2020Comment

Power Breakfast! Or Lunch... Or Dinner : )

For my keto peeps — Here’s a quick power breakfast, lunch or dinner. Time to replenish and recharge with a 5 minute meal!

Susan GarthJune 8, 2020Comment

Yellow Lentil & Spinach Dal

Ohh this dal. Simple, satisfying, so flavorful.

I served many iterations of this recipe at my own restaurant, DISH Bistro (which was beautifully reincarnated as the amazing @sweetbeetbistro), and it’s still is one of my personal chef client’s most frequent requests.

Susan GarthJune 6, 2020Comment

One Minute Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad

When it’s too hot to cook… Or when you want a quick, crunchy salad, try this easy recipe.

Susan GarthJune 6, 2020Comment

Tuna Salad with Walnuts, Apples & Micro Greens

An easy, healthy lunch, just fancied up a bit. Great for weekend lunches when you’d rather spend more time enjoying life and less time preparing food. Micro greens are probably available at your local farmers markets, and some grocery stores too. You can also grow your own!

Lemon Garlic Easy Baked Chicken Wings

After all my vegan years, I must admit that baked chicken wings really agree with me. And they’re EASY. If you have an hour to wait and 5 minutes to prep, try this. So tasty, so satisfying.

Susan GarthMay 29, 2020easy chicken wings, beaked chicken wingsComment

Chili with Quesadillas

What to have on a chilly day for dinner? Chili - make it from whatever you have on hand! Paired with a simple quesadilla on a healthy tortilla (one without crappy ingredients) you’ve got a nutrient-rich meal and excellent leftovers for a recipe re-vamp later in the week.

Susan GarthMay 9, 2020Comment

Poached Egg on German Bread with Spinach & Arugula

When I need some carbs to round out my meal, one of my favorite treats is what my family calls German Bread. My mom is German, born and raised in Mainz am Rhein, so I grew up on this dark, earthy rye bread. You can find it in natural food stores in a few different varieties. If you’re 100% gluten free this one’s not for you, but many people who don’t tolerate wheat bread find they do well with it.

Susan GarthMay 5, 2020poached eggs, german bread, dark leafy greensComment

Lime & Herb Roasted Chicken Thighs w/ Cinnamon Dusted Sweet Potatoes

Here’s an easy, budget-friendly, healthy meal to try. Allow one hour from start to finish.

Susan GarthApril 30, 2020Comment

Banana Almond Flaxmeal Mini Muffins

Craving an easy, yummy baking project that’s grain free and very low in added sugars?

When they’re hot out of the oven they’re like pudding in the middle (I thought they were a fail at first). Once cooled to room temp they set up nicely.

Medicinal Mushroom Soup

Try this quick and delicious medicinal mushroom soup recipe to boost your immune system.

I recently came across some old articles I wrote for my candida website and wanted to share this information on two varieties of medicinal mushrooms, shiitake and maitake (also known as hen of the woods) as lately I’ve been craving mushrooms and enjoying them in my menus.

Low Carb Fruits?

Yes my dears, you can eat low carb and still eat some fruit. Hallelujah!

(If you’re doing keto that’s a different story.)

Even though there's no long, luscious list of "low carb fruits", by paying attention to your portion sizes you’ll stay on track.

Susan GarthJanuary 8, 2019low carb fruit, low carb fruits, low carb fruit portion size Comment