EDIBLES

4 ways to enjoy fresher foods at home

Published

11 minutes ago

11/05/2026

(Feature Impact) Fresh fruits and vegetables add color, nourishment and satisfaction to life. Knowing your food was grown from the earth and nurtured by the sun and rain can add a whole new dimension of enjoyment to your meals, which processed foods often can’t replicate.

However, if you’ve ever bought a cart full of produce with the best intentions – only to watch as half of it goes bad before you’ve managed to use it – you aren’t alone. Eating fresh foods is often easier in your healthy-eating dreams than in reality. With small habit changes, though, you can transform your household into a place where fresh, whole-food ingredients are at the center of your daily routines.

Consider these suggestions from the fresh produce experts at Avocados from Colombia.

Shop with a Plan

Meal-planning before you shop can help ensure every ingredient you buy has a purpose within its shelf life. Instead of picking out fruits and vegetables with vague aspirations of figuring out something to do with them later, you can simply consult your list and remember you need peppers, onions and avocados for that breakfast burrito recipe you want to try.

Pay Attention to Where Food Comes From

The source of your food can make a big difference in its freshness. When produce is grown and harvested with care then shipped quickly to its destination, it preserves quality and simplifies the journey from the farm to your table.

Consider fresh fruits like Avocados from Colombia, which aren’t just grown but raised at high altitude in rich volcanic soil, nourished by mountain rain and harvested by the hands of growers who care about their land and their craft. The fruit reaches U.S. shipping ports in as little as 3-5 days, so you can confidently choose flavorful produce that arrives as fresh as possible from beautiful Colombian orchards.

With two harvest seasons across nine growing regions, fresh Colombian avocados can be enjoyed throughout the entire year, whether you want to serve bright guacamole or dice an avocado as a cool, creamy topping for a warm winter chili.

Use Fresh Ingredients in a Variety of Ways

It’s always easier to use fresh ingredients when you’re brimming with ideas of things to do with them. For instance, avocados can be transformed into guacamole, creamy salad dressing or flavorful sauces; sliced for use in grain bowls, salads or avocado toast; or frozen to blend into smoothies. This also makes it easier to buy produce in bulk or take advantage of sales.

Find Inspiration Online

Recipes like these Chicken and Avocado Rollups can be an easy solution for putting fresh avocados on the menu, offering the type of everyday joy the growers behind Avocados from Colombia hope you taste. Their new “Raised by Colombia” short film puts faces to that idea, following Don Hernando, a grower of 40 harvests, and his granddaughter Camila, who brought the science of growing home. It ends where your avocado does: at a family table, where the grandmother of the house serves it in a kitchen like yours.

To watch the film and discover more recipe ideas, visit AvocadosColombia.com/RaisedByColombia.

Chicken and Avocado Rollups

Recipe courtesy of Avocados from Colombia
Total time: 20 minutes
Servings: 5-6

2 tablespoons mayo
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon lime juice
3 large flour tortillas, warmed
1 large avocado, smashed
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 cup cooked chicken breast
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

In small bowl, mix mayo, sour cream and lime juice.
Place tortilla on flat service and spread with lime crema followed by smashed avocado.
Layer with tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, chicken and bacon. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Roll tortilla into tube shape and cut into pieces. Repeat with remaining tortillas and fillings.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock (avocado on cutting board)

SOURCE:

Colombia Avocado Board

EDIBLES

Enjoy a tangy, spicy Buffalo Chicken with Superfood Swap

Published

1 week ago

10/29/2026

bowienews

(Feature Impact) When you’re craving a specific comfort food, other flavors just aren’t going to hit the spot the same way. The good news: It only takes one or two simple ingredient changes to satisfy your taste buds while leveling up the nutrition of a meal.

Watch video to see how to make this recipe!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=MtmGlJZJqgk%3Fsi%3D3povqSwlt4EsTVDq%26controls%3D0

For instance, if you’re jonesing for the zesty kick of buffalo sauce, your mind might initially go to pizza and wings. This Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweetpotatoes recipe featuring North Carolina Sweetpotatoes invites you to rethink that takeout order and enjoy the same bold, satisfying flavors in a more nutritious way. They’re a little sweet and a little spicy with savory chicken and creamy avocado stuffed jacket-style inside a nutrient-dense baked sweetpotato.

Sweetpotatoes – deliberately spelled as one word to better differentiate this unique root vegetable from traditional potatoes – are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. The American Diabetes Association even calls them a “diabetes superfood,” as they raise blood sugar more slowly than other starchy foods while allowing you to savor some natural sweetness. They’re also a great choice for athletes, thanks to complex carbohydrates that boost energy and nutrients that support endurance and recovery.

Find more ways to level up your favorite flavors at ncsweetpotatoes.com.

Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweetpotatoes
Recipe courtesy of the North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4

4 sweetpotatoes
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 1/2 cups buffalo sauce
1 avocado, diced
2 tablespoons diced chives

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place sweetpotatoes on lined baking sheet and use fork to pierce each one for venting. Bake 45 minutes, or until tender.
Let sweetpotatoes cool slightly then use knife to gently cut each open lengthwise and crosswise. Use fork to lightly mash inside sweetpotatoes.
In large bowl, combine shredded rotisserie chicken with buffalo sauce until evenly coated.
Spoon buffalo chicken mixture into each sweetpotato. Top with diced avocado and chives.

SOURCE:

North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission

EDIBLES

Get Halloween-Ready with spooktacular cinnamon cupcakes

Published

1 week ago

10/26/2026

bowienews

(Feature Impact) Fall flavors and Halloween decorations make an ideal seasonal combination. These Cinnamon Spiced Ghost Cupcakes are the perfect example, with the warmth and sweetness of the cake offering a tasty base for piles of frightful frosting. All it takes to transform a swirl of white buttercream into a spooky ghost is a couple dots of food coloring, chocolate chips or another candy of choice.

They’re simple to make, easy to personalize and fun for all ages, whether you’re baking a tray for kids to decorate or bringing them to a Halloween party. Add sprinkles, a dusting of cinnamon or decorations that fit your theme.

Find more seasonal recipes to enjoy at Culinary.net.

Cinnamon Spiced Ghost Cupcakes

Recipe adapted from The Marble Kitchen
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 16 minutes
Servings: 12

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3-5 tablespoons heavy cream, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
black food dye or chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F and line cupcake pan with paper liners.
In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
Using electric or stand mixer, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar about 4 minutes on medium or medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add egg, mixing well and scraping down bowl.
In small bowl or measuring cup, whisk milk and vanilla. Set aside.
Add 1/3 dry ingredient mixture to butter mixture and beat until combined. Add 1/2 milk mixture and mix well. Continue alternating dry and wet ingredients.
Bake about 16 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle of cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
To make frosting: Using electric or stand mixer, beat butter and salt on medium-high speed 5 minutes, scraping down bowl halfway through.
Reduce speed to low and add sugar 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with heavy cream until 3 tablespoons have been added. Stop occasionally to scrape down bowl. Once all sugar is in, add vanilla and beat on medium-low 1 minute until light and fluffy. If desired, add additional cream 1 teaspoon at a time until frosting reaches preferred consistency.
Place buttercream in piping bag with large round tip. Pipe tall mounds of frosting on each cupcake in ghost shapes (wider on bottom, narrower on top). Add dots of black food dye or chocolate chips for eyes.

Photo courtesy of Unsplash