Crunchy, spicy, different, easy.

Do you ever reach outside of your tastebud's comfort zone? We all have our go-to comfort foods. For years, mine was spaghetti. The thing is, as I've gotten older my body reacts clearly to how I fuel it. Not to be too graphic, but garbage in, garbage out is descriptive. And, I don't sleep well, I'm farty, or sluggish and foggy. I'm way past menopause so I can't lay it there.

I'm a brave cook and eater. Luckily, my husband will try anything once. I knew I wanted to shake things up food-wise but I wasn't sure which way to go. I did know I didn't want to do anything Keto or similar. I was an Atkins devotee in the early 2000s, and I screwed up my body, felt horrible, and it took a long time to level out.

For me, Instagram scrolling was helpful to see a bunch of tasty, healthy and sometimes unfamiliar things as I followed entertaining, knowledgeable chefs, registered dieticians, and food bloggers wash, slice, dice, and toss.

Like stars on a clear night, there are myriad to enjoy and taste test with. Here are three of my favorites:

Cooking for Peanuts by registered dietician Nisha Melvani

Justine Snacks by recipe developer and Brooklyn-based cook Justine Doiron

The Korean Vegan by lawyer and plant-based food blogger Joanne Molinaro.

Who are some of your favorites to follow?