Recent "food trend" studies show that more people are making vegetables the main course of their meals. Although the interest in healthy eating extends to all age groups, millennials seem to be driving this healthful food trend. Data from the NPD Group suggests that people younger than 40 are eating 52 percent more fresh vegetables compared with young adults 10 years ago, and that preference is likely to continue as they age.

In support of this trend, professional chefs, bloggers, restaurants and home cooks are embracing the flavors of a vast variety of vegetables, from common to exotic. Episodes of the popular "Iron Chef" television show feature vegetable-centric meals and a recent article in New York magazine noted, "Simply put, the once-meat-obsessed populace is realizing that vegetables actually taste good. Especially when fresh, in season, and carefully prepared."

You'll see that many restaurants now offer vegetable-based entrees that have inspired home cooks to explore the healthy and delicious potential of making fresh vegetables a main course.

Some reasons driving the shift in popularity of vegetables over meat include:

- Vine-Ripened, great taste. Homegrown vegetables have a home field advantage when it comes to flavor because they stay on the vine to fully ripen and are harvested just before eating. Store bought veggies are often harvested before they're fully ripe, so they don't spoil on the journey to the store. Once picked from the vine, sugars begin to turn to starch-and that homegrown sweetness dissipates.

- Good health. Everyone knows that vegetables are good for you, but research backs it up. In a study of over 130,000, in the Journal of American Medical Association Internal Medicine, consumption of plant protein is associated with longer life compared with animal protein consumption.

- Good stewardship. Eating more vegetables and less meat can have a positive effect on the environment. Data from the University of Oxford, England, suggests that eating more vegetables could have a greater impact on reducing one's carbon footprint than giving up a car!

As vegetables grow in popularity and push meat from the center of the plate, more people are interested not only in eating more vegetables, but eating locally grown vegetables - hey, what's more local than growing your own veggies at home? Growing vegetables at home is convenient, satisfying, a money-saver in the produce aisle, and they'll taste better, too!

Fortunately for the home gardener, professional growers make it easy to grow nutritious and delicious vegetables at home. Bonnie Plants, for example, is a greenhouse grower offering more than 250 varieties of vegetable, herb, and fruit plants, ranging from traditional favorites to new and different choices. Some easy-to-grow options for your veggie main course include hearty tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and zucchini.

Bonnie Plants operates more than 70 greenhouse facilities in 48 states and trucks fresh plants from greenhouses to retailers near you, so they're ready for planting upon purchase, and you'll harvest six weeks sooner than if you grow from seed. Plus, the plants are grown a truck-ride away from the retailers that sell them. Don't worry if you have little outdoor space, patio-ready caged varieties and combo pots are available as great options for small spaces.

Curious home gardeners interested in healthy eating can enjoy experimenting with vegetables to replace meat. For a new take on burgers, try substituting squash. Veggie burgers, like their meat-based counterparts, can be made in advance, frozen in patties, and pulled out for easy reheating as a healthy burger choice on a busy night. Try putting a new spin on salad, substituting Swiss chard for a fresh, peppy taste in lieu of such standbys as lettuce, spinach, and arugula.

Time to season your homegrown veggies? Bonnie Plants also offers herb plants, so fresh seasoning is only a snip away with a quick trip to your garden plot or pot.

Visit bonnieplants.com for more information on varieties along with planting tips, tending, troubleshooting, harvesting, and a plethora of delicious recipes to try!

"The largest transfer of wealth in history is now underway, and it is in the form of established operating businesses owned by Baby Boomers," according to a white paper by C2C Business Strategies, LLC, a business management and consulting organization specializing in business transitions.

Baby boomers and their transition advisors will face several challenges over the next several decades.

Some tips to make the most of the transition include:

- Prep work: Many baby boomer business owners have given little or no thought to the transition process, and they may find themselves unable to sell the business when they want to. Most financial consultants recommend a lead time of three to five years to prepare a business. Meanwhile, as more baby boomers seek retirement, the surplus of businesses available for sale may reduce business values.

- True value: Survey findings of business owners suggest that many overestimate the value of a business because they are basing estimates on projections or future orders rather than the current cash the business is generating.

- Good advice: Baby boomers looking to sell their business can benefit from a skilled transition advisor to guide and direct the process. Advisors can help business owners decide on a realistic price and determine a sale structure that works for both buyers and sellers.

As in the case of a real estate agent negotiating a home sale, a business advisor will find the right buyer for a business and will work with the buyer and seller until the transaction is complete.

Tips for business owners to help ensure a smooth sale include:

- Good housekeeping: Make sure all financial information is current and in order. Time is essential once a business-sale transaction is underway, so don't slow down the process by scrambling for information.

- Flexible financing: Data show that sellers who accept financing terms receive, on average, 86 percent of their asking price, compared with 70 percent for those who will only accept cash. An advisor can help sellers evaluate financing terms to maximize sale prices.

For more information about transitioning out of a business, visit rysgp.com.

No doubt, there are many sources that sponsor holiday clothing collections, but savvy shoppers can support a variety of causes in a quest to win the Ugly Christmas Sweater Party, or make a splashy holiday statement.

Some strategies to get a smile, while staying warm and comfortable this season and donating to a worthwhile charity, include:

* Sweaters: The Ugly Christmas Sweater has become a must-wear for any holiday party. Those who embrace the sweater party spirit can do something extra this season by browsing ugly holiday sweaters at iEDM.com

Whether you don one nostalgically or ironically, it's wearable joy and a great way to spark up a conversation. With themes ranging from Grumpy Cat to PacMan, Grinch and Alice in Wonderland, they have plenty of options for your next Christmas party.

If you're throwing your own Ugly Christmas Sweater party, you may want to consider picking up a couple of extras for guests who dare to show up without one.

iEDM donates 5 percent of its holiday profits to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to support its research and treatment, and support families with children undergoing treatment.

* Hoodies: Not feeling the Ugly Christmas Sweater theme??Why not wear an Ugly Christmas Hoodie instead?

These iconic staples to anyone's wardrobe can be stylish and versatile and be the perfect ensemble to a party.

For a truly unique holiday hoodie, companies such as Epic Hoodie have a wide selection of colorful hoodies and a curated collection that showcases the original work of artists, each of whom receives a portion of every sale.

These Ugly Christmas hoodies are handmade in the United States using eco-sustainable inks and fabrics.

Have a raver on your Christmas list? iEDM has just what you're looking for with its rave hoodies in all kinds of colors.

* Onesies: If you're unsure what to wear to your office Christmas Party, why not make the ultimate splash and rock a vivid, comfortable, and eco-friendly adult onesie? Onesielife is a first of its kind, all-over-print streetwear onesie company.

Bonus? All onesies are handmade in the USA, and this retailer donates 5 percent of every purchase to the nonprofit Children's International, which provides food and services to children in need around the world.

Whatever your need this holiday season - be it an Ugly Christmas Sweater for a party you're attending or throwing, an Ugly Christmas hoodie to keep warm or wear out, an adult Christmas onesie to be the envy of any event, or a gift for your favorite raver - you can find everything you need here.

To learn more about these unique collections, visit iEDM.com, epichoodie.com, and onesielife.com.

A whopping 84 percent of parents surveyed said they'd "welcome" contributions to their 529 college savings accounts in lieu of other traditional presents, according to new data from Fidelity Investments. However, only 29 percent had actually asked for such assistance. 

What's holding parents back? Well, maybe they still believe in Santa - good luck with that - or maybe they haven't heard about programs like the free online one at Fidelity that lets friends and family easily chip in to lessen the burden. 

And quite a burden it is, given that the College Board's Trends in College Pricing 2017 listed the average total annual charges (tuition, fees, room and board) of a private four-year college at $50,900, an in-state public four-year college at $25,290, and an out-of-state public four-year college at $40,940. 

See full-sized image here.

At open houses, school fairs, coffeehouse meetups, rallies, and more, millions of Americans - students, parents, teachers, school leaders, small business owners, elected officials, and individuals - are gathering to raise awareness of the importance of opportunity in education and the doors that it opens.

At its heart, that is what school choice is all about: opening doors.

For families, school choice opens doors to different types of schools, making it more likely that students can find education settings that inspire them to succeed and be happy.

These options include traditional public schools, magnet schools, charter schools, private and parochial schools, virtual schools, and home schools. All of these choices are important, and all of these doors should be opened, because every child is unique. A school that works for one student may not work for another.

And school choice continues to open doors for students after they graduate.

With a strong K-12 education, students are more likely to be successful in college, in a vocational program, and in their careers.

In my eight years as President of National School Choice Week, I have witnessed story after story of children finding opportunities they never thought possible, precisely because of school choice.

I have seen students attend college and go on to graduate with masters' degrees, even though their parents hadn't finished high school.

I've seen students with special needs find a setting where they've thrived. I've seen students who discovered their passions, escaped bullying, and grew in confidence.

And that's what makes school choice - and National School Choice Week - so exciting.

Everyone can be a part of this celebration.

So whether you're looking for a school for your child and want to learn more about your options during the Week, or whether you take time to get informed about all the choices available in your area and share that awareness with others, you're helping the children in your neighborhood.

Above all, I hope you will use National School Choice Week to open doors, for your family or for other families. The next generation will thank you.

Start today by visiting schoolchoiceweek.com.

Yes, times are tricky for both buyers and sellers.

"Rising demand among millennials, full employment, and the strong economy have bumped against limited inventory," the Washington Post reported, "which fuels price increases."

What to do? Read on for some of the best insider tips.

* January and February are the best months to buy. Forget the "experts" who warn you shouldn't try to time the market. A recent study from NerdWallet shows houses typically cost 8.45 percent less during those two months than in June and August.

True, the pickings might be slimmer, given that most sellers list a house in the peak spring or summer seasons. However, not only are you less likely to be up against buyers with wads of cash - they're probably wintering in the likes of St. Barts - but you'll also stand to profit from a time-tested truth. "If their home is (still) on the market in fall or winter," notes the home improvement website BobVila.com, "chances are they'll be eager to close."

With the median price of homes currently listed in the U.S. at $275,000, that 8.45 percent "discount" translates into a very un-chump change savings of more than $23,000 - and a lot more in pricier cities like San Francisco.

Sellers, on the other hand, do best in the first half of May, according to Zillow.com.

* Generation Z is quick to buy. We hear so much about Millennials these days, but those born after 1995 caught Zillow's attention for a very good reason: When they buy, they buy "quickly."

More than two-thirds of those Gen Z buyers spent less than three months on their search, compared to 54 percent of Millennials and less than half of both Gen Xers (born between 1965 and 1976) and Baby Boomers.

One of the best ways to pique their interest? Smart home features that allow just about anything to be remotely controlled on their phones.

* A new roof is a sure-fire way to boost a home's resale value. A perennial fixture on Remodeling magazine's annual Cost vs. Value Report, roofs are often the first thing prospective buyers notice even before exiting their cars. And if yours pales in comparison to others up for sale in the area - or worse, looks like something out of "Twister" - that could explain the lack of nibbles.

Patsy O'Neill, a sales associate with Sotheby's in Montclair, New Jersey, has witnessed this effect first-hand.

"If your current roof is an eyesore," she says emphatically, "buyers will be predisposed to find other things they hate about your place. It's just the way people's minds work."

Your roof no longer cutting it? You might want to check out the popular Timberline roofing shingle line from GAF (gaf.com), North America's largest roofing manufacturer, given their look of luxury at affordable prices. An even more upscale choice: the Designer Shingle line from the same company.

* Play the online odds. "Studies show that homes with more than six listing photos online are twice as likely to be viewed by buyers," Trulia.com reports.

Of course, that only applies if the house you're trying to sell is photo-worthy. (See "New Roof" above.) And if it isn't … well, let's just say you might want to skip this tip.