Butternut Squash, Red Onion and Chickpea Salad

Health Tips

• Before you pass up garlic because you don't want the bad breath that comes with it, keep in mind that the compounds that cause garlic breath also offer a lot of health benefits. Garlic has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. If you really want to get the most health benefits out of your garlic, choose Spanish garlic, which contains the most allicin (one of garlic's most beneficial compounds).

• With feta cheese, a little goes a long way, so you probably don't need to worry about using low fat varieties (plus, research suggests people who eat full fat dairy are thinner than those who eat reduced fat products!)

• Although the body needs salt to survive, most of us get too much. The problem with consuming too much salt (what chemists call "sodium chloride") is actually the sodium part, which is why people concerned about high blood pressure go on low-sodium diets. If you are trying to reduce salt in your diet, you can try salt substitutes like potassium chloride or try to make do with less salt by using more black pepper, herbs, and spices.

• Unfortunately feta cheese is high in sodium, so if you're watching your sodium intake you might need to substitute another cheese. Some say rinsing the cheese also reduces its sodium content.

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Price Tips

• Fresh herbs can be expensive, so don't let them go to waste. If you have any leftovers, you might be able to freeze them. The Kitchn recommends freezing hardy herbs like rosemary and thyme in olive oil, while Better Homes and Gardens suggests using freezer bags to freeze basil, chives, mint, and more.

• Most dairy products stay good well past their sell-by date. Instead of throwing out perfectly safe food that is just a few days or maybe even a week or two old, make sure the product smells fine, has a normal texture, and doesn't taste funny. Sniff testing isn't exactly rocket science and it can keep you from wasting food (and money).

Cooking Tips

• If you're using olive oil to cook at high temperatures, make sure that the olive oil you're using has a high smoke point because heating an oil past its smoke point can ruin the flavor and even release harmful compounds into your dish. Many people recommend saving extra-virgin olive oil for cold dishes or for adding the finishing touch to a warm dish. You could also use canola oil, coconut oil, or another good high-temperature oil to be on the safe side.

• Here's a trick for peeling garlic quickly. Put the garlic clove on your cutting board. Take a knife with a thick blade and place the blade flat across the garlic clove (the clove should be closer to the handle than the middle of the blade). Whack down on the flat side of the blade with your free hand to smoosh the garlic a bit. Done correctly, the skin will peel right off.

• You should not store your onions with your potatoes because the gases they emit will make each other spoil faster. For more information about selecting and storing onions, check out this lesson about onions in the academy.

• Traditionally, feta cheese is made from sheep's or goat's milk (or a combination of the two). Now some supermarkets sell "feta-style" cheeses made from cow's milk. If you want the authentic feta experience, be sure to read the label carefully.

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Green Tips

• Bell peppers are unfortunately on the "dirty dozen" list compiled by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). You might want to buy them organic when you can.

• Buying local honey from beekeepers in your area not only supports your community but helps those beekeepers protect bees! LocalHarvest can help you locate some tasty honey produced near you.

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