Protein has become the nutrient we’re all trying to squeeze into every meal, usually through chicken, eggs, Greek yogurt, or another scoop of powder. Vegetables probably aren’t going to carry you to your daily target on their own, but some contribute far more than you might expect — especially once you start stacking them throughout the day. These 11 picks can help close the gap while delivering all the fiber, vitamins, and minerals you wanted from your vegetables in the first place.
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Fitness
Struggling to Build Muscle? You May Need More of This Nutrient
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Muscle Menu: Beginning around our 30s, we gradually lose muscle mass, which affects everything from strength and balance to metabolic health. Resistance training and adequate protein intake remain the foundation of healthy muscles, but other nutrients tend to get lost in the mix. New research reinforces that vitamin D status plays an important role in maintaining muscle as we age.
The Study: Researchers analyzed health data from more than 11,000 U.S. adults ages 18 to 59 in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and paired those findings with genetic data from more than 417,000 people in the UK Biobank. People with higher blood levels of vitamin D tended to have more muscle mass in the arms and legs. This held true even when the researchers accounted for factors like race, age, physical activity level, and body weight.
The Takeaway: If you’re trying to preserve muscle as you age, vitamin D deserves a place on your checklist alongside strength training and protein. If you’re at risk for deficiency, talk with your healthcare provider about having your vitamin D levels checked.
Keep in Mind: If your vitamin D levels are low, supplementation may help you preserve muscle mass. (And it’s safer than trying to get all of your vitamin D from the sun).
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Courtesy: Atlantis
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Beauty
Green Light Therapy Is the New Red Light Therapy — But Does It Work?
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The Trend: Red light therapy has a new competitor: green light therapy. Beauty influencers popularized red light therapy for its purported abilities to improve skin texture and elasticity, promote post-workout muscle recovery, and more. Green light is now gaining traction as creators and skincare companies claim it can target dark spots and reduce inflammation.
What People Are Saying: Green light therapy uses shorter wavelengths (roughly 495 to 590 nanometers compared to red light’s 590 to 700), allowing it to primarily target the epidermis, the skin’s outermost layer. Experts think this may help regulate melanin production — which could make it useful for treating certain types of hyperpigmentation — and early studies also suggest it may reduce inflammation.
What to Know: Researchers remind us that red light therapy became widely popular “despite limited scientific understanding of the long-term effects and safety, especially for home use” — and the evidence for green light therapy is even more limited. More research is needed, and experts caution that in some people, particularly those with darker skin tones, green light exposure could potentially worsen pigmentation rather than improve it.
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Nutrition
How to Enjoy Dining Out Without Derailing Your Diet
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Stay the Course: One of the hardest parts about being on a diet is navigating restaurant menus. It can get to the point where cutting out restaurants entirely feels like the safest move, especially if takeout has derailed your goals before. But dietitians say eating out doesn’t have to work against you. With a little planning, a meal out can still fit into your routine, once you know what to look for on the menu.
How to Do It: Scan the menu in advance, if you can, andstart by ordering protein (think fish or a plant-based option), since it will help you stay full. Adding a vegetable, even one topped with sauce or cheese, is also a good idea because the fiber will help prevent blood sugar crashes that could lead to overeating later. You’ll also want to pay attention to the preparation methods, as frying usually adds more fat to a dish than grilling or baking does. And if it’s available, ordering a whole grain like brown rice or quinoa is a nice addition.
The Benefits: Sharing a meal with others is good for your health and may even help you live longer — so you don’t have to give up dining out entirely or skip the fries forever. Making a few mindful choices more often can help you see better results over time while still enjoying a night out.
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Quick Picks
Plant Power — These 11 veggies have the most protein per 100g serving.
Confident Choice — These nearly invisible aligners fit around your schedule, not the other way around.*
Reset Button — Too wired to relax? This reset only takes about 5 minutes.
Post-Workout Plate — Here’s what to eat after a workout to support recovery.
*Indicates a brand partnership
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What We're Cooking
Creamy Tzatziki Chicken Salad
Courtesy: Serious Eats
Serves: 4 | Cook Time: 45 minutes
This chicken salad swaps mayonnaise for a tzatziki-inspired dressing built with thick Greek yogurt, fresh dill, mint, garlic, and lemon. Salting and squeezing the grated cucumber keeps the dressing creamy instead of watery, while shredded chicken holds onto more of the bright, herb-packed mixture than diced pieces. After a short chill, the flavors come together into a cool, refreshing lunch that’s equally at home in pita pockets, lettuce wraps, or piled onto toasted bread.
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This, Not That
Floor Check-In
THIS
NOT THAT
Getty/Unsplash, Adrian Swancar/Unsplash
This: Sit on the floor for a few minutes Not That: Outsourcing all mobility to your couch
Getting down to the floor — and back up again — asks your body to use strength, balance, and mobility in a very real-world way. You don’t need a formal routine. Read, stretch, fold laundry, or play with the dog down there for a few minutes.
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Thank you for supporting our sponsors! They help us keep All Healthy free.
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HEALTHY HABIT
Take Your Coffee Outside
If you’re going to drink coffee anyway, make it do double duty. Step outside with it for a few minutes before settling into the day. You get your caffeine, a little daylight, and a short pause before the calendar starts making requests.
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Final Thought
Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up when you can’t control the outcome.”
