Somewhere in the past 50 years we’ve lost sight of what it means to eat a well-balanced diet, according to the seasons and dictated by our bodies’ needs.
If you’ve been yearning to eat more naturally, as our ancestors once did, and as people in many parts of the world still eat today, you’ve come to the right place. We take a straightforward, uncomplicated, and practical approach to food and the way we eat.
Whole grains. Fresh produce. Wild fish. Grass-fed meat. Pastured poultry and dairy…
Consider your last meal. Can you identify where your food has been from farm (to supermarket) to table? If you had the time, desire, and counter space, could you make everything from scratch?
Be mindful. Read labels. Ask questions.
It’s ok to eat chocolate, but choose dark over milk, which is richer in disease-fighting antioxidants. Have wine with dinner, but stop after one glass. Use butter (sparingly) and avoid margarine and hydrogenated vegetable oil at all costs. Ditto the high fructose corn syrup… sodium nitrate, vanillin, and yellow #5. If you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it. Instead, shop at farmers’ markets, join a community sponsored agriculture cooperative (CSA), plant herbs and vegetables in your backyard (or on your windowsill).
As mothers ourselves, we know how challenging it can be to feed our families healthfully. Our workshops and seminars cover a gamut of topics including picky eating, label decoding and how to distinguish between real and fake foods. We aim to make feeding your family healthy and simple, for you.
Natalya and Vicky also work with families to design simple and practical eating plans, consult on pantry makeovers, offer greenmarket tours and run intimate workshops focusing on successful feeding strategies for young children.
Apple to Zucchini focuses on the basics: how to buy, prepare, and enjoy fresh, local, unprocessed foods. The Apple to Zucchini philosophy: Eat Naturally; Live Organically.
Natalya Murakhver
Natalya has written on food labeling and natural food for Kiwi Magazine, Organic Gardening and others. She served as the co-editor on “They Eat That,” a cultural encyclopedia of weird and exotic food from around the world, which was published by Greenwood Press in January 2012. She earned a Masters of Arts in Food Studies from NYU and has studied wine and spirits at the International Wine Center and the American Sommelier Association.
Victoria Stein Feltman RD, CDN
Vicky is a nutritionist who specializes in childhood nutrition. Before going into private practice Vicky worked at the New York Children’s Health Project in the South Bronx, where she counseled kids and adults and taught nutrition education at schools, homeless shelters, and community centers. From 2008-2010 Vicky was a frequent contributor to AOL Health and AOL Food, writing about the latest nutrition news and developing healthy meal plans and recipes.
Vicky has a BA from Cornell University and a Masters of Science in Nutrition from NYU. Prior to becoming a registered dietitian, Vicky spent four years as an editor at O, the Oprah magazine, and later worked as a restaurant publicist in New York and Los Angeles. Vicky is an active member of the Academy of Dietetics and Nutrition, Greater New York Dietetic Association, New York State Dietetic Association, and New York City Nutrition Education Network.