Category Archives: Recipes

Paige’s Game Day Cowboy Caviar

From wings to chips to gameday chili, Americans are gearing up for the greatest football watching (and eating) game of the year! But, tasty and delicious doesn’t mean forgoing healthy and arthritis-friendly foods. To help, JA Warrior and contestant on the Food Network’s “Kids Baking Championship” Paige Goehner has shared her favorite arthritis-friendly recipe – Cowboy Caviar Pasta Salad. Continue reading Paige’s Game Day Cowboy Caviar

arthritis-friendly cranberry recipes

Arthritis-Friendly Cranberry Recipes

Whether you’re serving them up in a sauce or stringing them for decorations, cranberries are a cheerful holiday staple. The bright berries are packed with antioxidants and fiber, providing cardiovascular and immune support. The problem is that we normally eat these tart berries in super-sweetened products. But by making your own cranberry treats, like these, you can get the nutritional perks without a sugar overload.

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arthritis-friendly party foods

Fuss-Free Holiday Party Foods

By Jess Thomson

Knowing that I’m a cookbook author with culinary school cred, people look forward to eating at our home during the holidays, but it brings a certain amount of pressure. My guests expect interesting, delicious home-cooked food. What they ­often don’t realize is that, as with many people who have arthritis, the combination of December weather and holiday stress usually means my lupus symptoms flare right when I need my body to cooperate. Holding a knife can be downright painful.

So when I’m trying to fit party prep into my schedule, I make a few rules. First, I plan a menu with tasks I can do ahead, so I’m not spending more than about an hour per day in the kitchen in the days before the party. I pick dishes I can complete before friends arrive. I also buy great basic ingredients, like good extra-virgin olive oil, so the flavor comes from the food instead of from a finicky cooking process. Most important, I try to avoid movements that are harsh on my body, like chopping.

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Holiday Meal Preparation

A Joint-Friendly Holiday Feast

Get first-hand advice on preparing a delicious holiday meal without causing an arthritis flare from food writer Jess Thomson.

From cocktail parties to gift wrapping to the litany of family events, the spirit of the season is always exciting – but also, frankly, exhausting. With chilly weather and a too-busy schedule, November and December can mean flares for many of us. It’s hard to revel in the season’s twinkle when it hurts to hold a cocktail. And when you’re also the one expected to host friends and family for a dinner party, the thought of picking up a knife with those aching joints can be downright daunting.

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