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Kari Hartel R.D., L.D.

Kari Hartel is a Registered Dietitian from St. Louis, MO. She has been passionate about healthy eating and an active lifestyle ever since growing up in a family of farmers and gardeners. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, gardening, reading, hiking, watching her Kansas City Chiefs play football, going to concerts, and spending time with her friends and family.  

Articles by Kari Hartel R.D., L.D.

Have You Heard of the Pegan Diet?

Buffalo chicken pizza seemed like a strange combo at first but now is incredibly popular. The cronut, which is a mash-up of a croissant and ... Read More »

What Are Low Energy Dense Foods and How Should You Be Eating Them?

Consuming fewer calories but still feeling full and satisfied is key to successful weight loss that you can sustain for a lifetime. Foods that are ... Read More »

10 Ways to Keep Healthy Eating Fun and Enjoyable

Try a New Vegetable or Fruit Each Week Have you ever had grilled nopales? Banish baby carrots and snack on sliced jicama instead. One of ... Read More »

Everything You Need to Know about the Health Halo Effect

This phenomenon occurs when a certain ingredient, food, or category of foods with some healthy characteristics is thought to be completely righteous and wholesome because ... Read More »

New Study Finds Cheese and Yogurt May Help You Live Longer

A team of researchers, which included experts on cholesterol and heart health, gathered and analyzed data from various studies that totaled 636,726 individuals who were followed ... Read More »

Research Finds Kitchen Towels Are Full of Harmful Bacteria — Here's What You Can Do

Bacterial pathogens that commonly cause foodborne illnesses (FBIs) linger in the obvious places, of course. The kitchen sink, door-knobs, dirty countertops, and faucet handles are ... Read More »

Eating a Larger Portion One Day Influences Your Portion Size Choices the Next Day

Portion sizes have grown enormously over the past several decades, and the oversized portions we are routinely served at restaurants and fast-food establishments do not ... Read More »

How The Latest Kitchen Technology Helps Improve Your Diet

Smartphones are nothing new when it comes to the latest and greatest in the world of technology. It seems that many devices can be made “... Read More »

10 Ways You Didn't Know You Could Use Quinoa

Why Quinoa is Awesome Quinoa is a complete protein, meaning it contains all of the essential amino acids, the building blocks of protein. You can ... Read More »

10 Ways to Cook Winter Squash

Oh my gourd! Winter squash is so delicious and incredibly nutrient-dense. The deep, rich colors are beautiful to look at and their tastes are even ... Read More »

Top 10 Vegan Comfort Food Ideas

After a long, busy day, all you want to do is cuddle up with a big bowl of delicious, hot comfort food. If you follow ... Read More »

10 Keto-Friendly Pasta Alternatives

If you are trying to limit your carbohydrates, you may think you have to completely give up pasta dishes. However, there are a variety of ... Read More »

The Benefits of Walking Barefoot in the Grass

You are probably well aware that spending time outside is beneficial to your health. Various research studies have proven that living in or nearby green ... Read More »

10 Ways to Get The Most Out of Your Farmers’ Market

If you are like the thousands of individuals trying to make more informed choices about the foods you eat, you may already be purchasing more ... Read More »

10 Tips for Cooking With More Seafood on a Weekly Basis

The American Heart Association (AHA) is now recommending that you eat at least two servings of fish (especially fatty fish) per week. A serving is ... Read More »

What Is The 16:8 Diet?

Have you heard of the 16:8 Diet? Will it help you lose weight? Read More »

How to Avoid Eating at Work

How many extra calories do you think people consume on average at work each week? Read More »

10 Tips for Keeping Your Diet on Track at Someone Else's Dinner Party

If you have a dinner party at a friend, coworker, or family member’s house coming up, you may find yourself stressing about how you ... Read More »

Don't Sleep on Leeks — 6 Easy Ways to Use This Veggies in Your Cooking

If you have not yet cooked with leeks, prepare to add this versatile veggie to your must-have list of ingredients each week. Some Leek Basics ... Read More »

How to Avoid the Temptation to Slack Off on Being Healthy While on Vacation

Do you have a vacation coming up and are worried about staying on track with your wellness goals? Read More »

How to Make High-Intensity Exercise More Approachable

Do you want to try high-intensity interval training but are intimidated? Read More »

10 Dressing Recipes That'll Have You Actively Looking Forward to Your Salad

Let’s be honest — salads can taste pretty bland if you don’t jazz them up with an incredibly flavorful dressing. But don’t settle ... Read More »

What is Carbohydrate Backloading?

Carbohydrates are a hot topic these days, especially because of the recent hype surrounding the keto diet, the previously popular low-carbohydrate diets such as the ... Read More »

Everything You Need to Know About Being a Flexitarian

The moniker “flexitarian” is a combination of the words “flexible” and “vegetarian.” A flexitarian is a person whose diet is usually meatless but occasionally includes ... Read More »

Can Chewing Gum While Walking Help You Lose Weight?

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if losing weight were as easy as taking a magic pill? Of course, a fictional, magic pill to effortlessly drop ... Read More »

10 Ingenious Tips for Better Portion Control

If you're trying to lose weight or have already achieved your goal weight but need to maintain that healthy weight, you know that portion control ... Read More »

Everything You Need to Know about the Nordic Diet

You have probably heard the various well-established health benefits associated with the Mediterranean diet, but what you may not be privy to are the advantages ... Read More »

10 Creative New Ways to Use Hummus

Hummus, the classic dip made from pureed chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and tahini (sesame seed paste), is not only delicious, it is also ... Read More »