What makes a meal?

Now that my daughter is home from college for the summer, we have been talking a lot about what it means to eat a healthy, balanced diet. Being a Nutritional Science major and working in a hospital healthy weight program this summer, she is really focused on learning the ins and outs of  nutrition and health and the various diets people consume. Being curious myself, I brought home two books from the library that have helped me understand the variations in diets and the numerous ways we can prepare healthy meals. Although I don't follow a gluten-free diet, it's interesting to learn about the recipes that give people the alternative. For example, The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook is a terrific resource because it explains what Whole Foods have to offer from potent antioxidants, vitamins, and essential minerals. Stocking the Pantry is an excellent section for explanations on everything from unrefined oils to basic herbs and spices. All of the recipes are gluten-free with the option of using dairy and eggs.  Next up is Vegetable Literacy which entails a short biology lesson (botanical families) before displaying the mouthwatering recipes that grace the 300 page powerhouse. It's worth spending time with this book to discover some creative recipes-(Parsnip Cardamon Custard) and how the ingredients compliment each other. You will soon begin to understand why celery root tastes so good with chervil and parsley, and artichokes and sunflower seeds go really well together.