This week we'll explore ways to enjoy cabbage and why you need to try furikake seasoning. We'll also delve into some very rare and special Hawaiian goose chicks and eating the rainbow in 2026.

Eat Colorfully

Seasonal Ingredient Spotlight: CABBAGE

January is an odd time for veggies; most of the squash are long gone, but we're still far away from the earliest spring produce. That's why I'm excited about cabbage right now. Before you get worried about this (I know cabbage isn't always popular), please have an open mind; cabbage is actually a phenomenal ingredient with an infinite array of possibilities.

One of my favorite ways to use cabbage is in an easy slaw. I especially adore this Tropical Macadamia Mango Slaw, which you can enjoy as a side dish or even stuffed into tacos. The cabbage provides great texture and crunch, and the citrusy dressing helps to tame its assertiveness. If you're into slaws, I think you'll also love my go-to Rainbow Vegan Citrusy Slaw and this non-traditional Tropical Pad Thai Salad.

But don't get lulled into thinking that cabbage is just for slaws or salads. If you really want to experiment with this versatile veggie, then prepare to have your mind blown with this Nacho Cabbage. It's everything you love about nachos, reinvented in a much healthier way.

Try This Week: FURIKAKE SEASONING

If you follow my Instagram stories, you'll see that I've been putting furikake seasoning on everything lately. Furikake is a Japanese seasoning blend that typically includes small flakes of dried seaweed (nori), sesame seeds, salt, and sometimes sugar. It's a bit oceany, a bit nutty, and very delicious.

Although furikake is delightful, I suggest paying attention to the ingredients. Some blends contain quite a bit of sugar; however, there are also some great no-sugar options available (this is the one I like). Some brands can also contain dried fish, so look carefully if you don't eat seafood.

You can also make your own blend at home; check out the recipe contained in my Furikake Cauliflower Bites for details. Mine is a no-sugar version that's easy to make and uses just three pantry ingredients.

What can you do with furikake? The list is endless! It's best added as a sprinkle on top of a dish after cooking. I sprinkle it onto salads, bowls, tofu, veggies, avocado, and just about anything else.

Live Colorfully

In the Natural World: NENE CHICKS

I'm beyond thrilled to introduce you to Eeny, Meeny, Miny, and Moe, the four Nene (Hawaiian Goose) chicks who are living near us right now. My husband named them; it seemed the perfect fit for quadruplets.

Have you ever heard of the Nene? They're very rare geese, endemic (meaning, they're found only here) to the Hawaiian islands. Nene were almost hunted to extinction and the population was down to only 30 birds in 1950. Thankfully they've rebounded well due to a lot of conservation efforts, but they remain the rarest goose species in the world and there are still only a few thousand birds total.

This is our 13th winter here, and the first time we've ever had Nene chicks living right near us. It has been such a treat to watch them toddle around, happily munching on grass and napping in the sun. When it rains, one of the parents fans out their feathers and the chicks tuck themselves underneath.

We always cherish our closeness with nature here and feel reverence for this magical place. Living near these Nene chicks for the past few weeks has brought us such joy!

Self-Care Pick: EATING THE RAINBOW IN 2026

As we enter 2026, we're all getting bombarded by advertisements for fad diets, quick fixes, and health trends. This year, what if we ditched the quick-fix mentality and instead focused on simply eating more veggies and fruits? I vote that we should make 2026 the year of eating the rainbow!

We all know that veggies and fruits are good for us, but to kick off 2026, I want to chat about why it's important to eat a broad range of produce. If you find yourself always coming back to the same veggies and fruits (bananas, oranges, lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, green beans, and corn are all common in the American diet), you may be missing out on some of the fabulous benefits that plants can offer. Here's why:

1.) Different veggies/fruits have different nutrients. These nutrients vary hugely between species and include not only the common ones we think about (e.g., Vitamin C) but also less common but very important nutrients like antioxidants, trace minerals, omegas, and many more.

2.) Different veggies/fruits have different types of fiber. A lot of the newer research is showing that the key to a healthy gut microbiome isn't just lots of fiber in general but also a diversity of fiber types. Ingesting a wide range of prebiotic fibers from different types of plants likely means you'll have a more varied and more robust gut microbiome.

To start 2026 off colorfully, I challenge you to find some new veggies or fruits to enjoy. If you often buy green beans to go with dinner, try asparagus, sugar snap peas, or artichokes. If you usually put a banana on your breakfast, try berries. If you tend to make a salad with romaine and cucumbers, try kale and beets instead. If you usually roast potatoes as a side, try cauliflower.

So yes, eating your veggies is important; however, eating the same few veggies again and again likely isn't giving your body everything it needs. Instead of just focusing on the amount of veggies and fruits we eat, we can all benefit by trying to enjoy a wide range of different types.

Thanks for joining me for this issue of Eat Colorfully, Live Colorfully! I'd love to hear from you, so please feel free to reply with questions, thoughts, or requests. If you missed a previous issue, you can view all my newsletters here. Have a great week!