You want the very best that life has to offer, from fancy cars to first class travel to million-dollar homes.  While these things are simply not in the budget for the average Joe, you can certainly have the best of everything (or a reasonable facsimile) when you sit down to eat each night.  Budget gourmet may sound a bit dicey, but I can assure you, it does not include items like pâté du Spam or canned tuna Fiorentina.  You also won’t be rushing out for foie gras or beluga caviar, but you can have your gourmet cake and eat it too if you understand how to cook for a king, even when you’re eating on a budget.

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Popularity: 10%

Compared to the United States as a whole, California has a relatively young cuisine, the foundation of which is innovation.  The third largest state in America and with the largest population, it has a wide variety of microclimates and geography, making it well suited for growing and raising foods of all kinds  Agriculture is the core of the state’s economy and California produces more crops than any other state.  Home to the largest irrigation systems built in America, farmers even in the most remote deserts have the opportunity to raise and harvest valuable crops.
California cuisine takes advantage of the region’s abundant natural resources.  With the wide variety of fresh produce and vast grazing land for livestock, obtaining fresh, local, seasonal ingredients is easy.  The inclination toward a healthy lifestyle has also encouraged the development of California cuisine.  Foods grown and harvested naturally, prepared simply, and without preservatives and fats, along with the constant flood of aspiring chefs bringing their culinary heritage, have assured California has its share of creativity with regard to food and food-related products.

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Popularity: 9%

Texas and Tex-Mex cuisine
Big as Texas.  A state that is as large as all of New England, New york, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois combined, Texas has served under six flags and reflects a culture that includes cowboys, rodeos, and ten-gallon hats.  It is a region that bred a cuisine described as the only food that is truly native to the United States.  A cooking style that merges the Texas and Mexican cultures, Tex-Mex cooking was originally regarded as a poor man’s Mexican food based on corn, pinto beans, tomatoes, and chiles.  It was developed by people working with primitive kitchens and limited ingredients, and owes its appeal to the inventiveness of its creators, who were able to make their foods interesting by combining the same ingredients in different ways.  
From the famous “bowl of red” – Texas chili – to tacos, fajitas, and salsa, these flavorful introductions  influence the eating habits of not only Texans but also of all other Americans.

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Committing yourself to the goal of losing weight is really a transformation of your lifestyle. Changing your diet and introducing exercise into your life are a daily challenge. There are several things that can derail you from the progress of achieving your goals. Stress and illness are two of the most common culprits that rob us of our hard earned hard-bodies, but have you ever considered some of those “healthy” foods you’ve just introduced to your newly nutritious lifestyle to be guilty themselves?

Some of the foods we perceive to be “good” for us also have the potential to jeopardize our diets. There are several foods we consider to be healthy, but are high in fat, sugar and/or calories! Foods like nuts and avocados are very nutritious, but also quite fattening. Other foods commonly thought to be beneficial are: protein bars, fruit juices which are high in sugar and salad dressings!

These foods, while still quite wholesome, can throw us off our path to a healthier life without us even being aware. And that’s the point. We need to be aware. Your number one weapon in the battle for a better body, better eating habits and ultimately a better lifestyle is knowing. Knowledge is power.

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Popularity: 7%