As a Certified Nutrition Educator and Consultant with 13 years of experience as a vegetarian cook, Maria has a résumé that barely fits on one page. It's a good thing that most of her recipes do. Maria gravitates toward simple, nutritious ingredients when crafting her salads, soups, and gluten-free pastries. Rich vegetables and legumes often serve as the backbone to her meals, which are designed to support overall health and heal the body's illnesses.

These meals are only part of Maria's wellness and weight-loss program. She also advocates meaningful lifestyle changes that may range from growing your own unprocessed foods to avoiding products with gluten. If you're uninitiated with holistic nutrition, there's no need to worry. Maria regularly leads tours of local grocery stores, cluing her clients in on which grains promote health and which vegetables most effectively ward off vampires.