Calorie Counters

Lovely Ellie Krieger Adds USA Today Columnist to Her Resume

When a Best Selling Author Speaks, I Listen!

by Joi

Ellie Krieger Comfort Food Fix

I’ve got nothing but love for Ellie Krieger and nothing but love for USA Today. I’ve been a loyal reader for YEARS – remember when it was bigger? It took a while to get accustomed to the smaller version but now I can’t imagine it being larger. Now it’d probably feel like a giant’s newspaper!

The fact that USA Today and Ellie Krieger are teaming up to help readers cook and eat healthier meals has hands sweaty and my mouth watering.  What a dynamic duo! Learn more about Ellie Krieger’s new column in USA Today here.  I’ll be clipping and saving each recipe for my collection – I have the first one, of course: Garlic-Basic Shrimp and it sounds delicious. Click the link to see the recipe online.

Below is information that was sent to me about Ellie Krieger’s new cookbook, Comfort Food Fix. Can’t wait to get my hands on this one, it sounds as wonderful as the rest of her cookbooks.

Ellie Krieger, New York Times Bestselling Author and Host of “Healthy Appetite” Offers Healthy Versions of Classic American Comfort Food Dishes

Comfort Food Fix Now In Stores Everywhere (You can also buy Comfort Food Fix: Feel-Good Favorites Made Healthy on Amazon.)

You don’t often hear a Registered Dietitian say nothing is ever “off limits,” but Ellie Krieger believes just that. With a philosophy of “usually-sometimes-rarely”, Krieger is all about incorporating your favorite foods into a healthy lifestyle. To this end, Ellie has created Comfort Food Fix: Feel Good Favorites Made Healthy (Wiley Hardcover; $29.99), a collection of healthy versions of comfort food classics. Here Ellie provides 150 soul-satisfying recipes including hearty favorites like meatloaf, lasagna, chicken pot pie, crab cakes, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and more — all without the calories and saturated fat.

Ellie has every meal covered: There are recipes for breakfast, brunch and baked goods; snacks and starters; soups and sandwiches; meat, poultry, seafood, and vegetarian main dishes; sides and salads; and of course desserts. Each recipe contains complete nutrition information and calorie counts along with a side-by-side comparison of Ellie’s healthy version of the recipe versus a typical version of the recipe. You’ll be amazed at how simple substitutions can dramatically reduce both the caloric content of these recipes as well their saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol counts, while increasing healthy nutrients and antioxidants – all without sacrificing flavor and the comfort food experience that we’ve all come to expect from these classic dishes.

Everyone loves fried chicken – Ellie’s version, “Honey-Crisp Oven-Fried Chicken”, is lower in calories, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium than a traditional version of fried chicken – but with the same crisp golden perfection that is sure to satisfy any fried chicken craving. Using skinless chicken thighs, low-fat buttermilk, corn flakes for crunch, honey, tons of spicy flavor, and baking the chicken rather than frying, Ellie reduces the calorie intake of this classic from 560 to 330 calories.

How does she do it? Ellie breaks down her “make healthy” strategy into “15 Fix Factors,” many of which she applies in her “Honey-Crisp Oven-Fried Chicken” recipe, including:

  • Get Creamy (Nearly) Creamlessly – Use low-fat milk thickened with flour or cornstarch, along with evaporated milk for cream sauces, soups, and puddings; reduced-fat sour cream also ups the cream factor with less fat and no artificial ingredients
  • Un-Fry – Lightly bread, toss or spray with oil, and then bake to achieve that craveable crispness
  • Oil Well – Use antioxidant-rich extra-virgin olive oil or a neutral tasting canola oil for stir fries and baking
  • Sweeten Smartly – Use unrefined sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, and molasses; these give your blood sugar a gentler rise, but use them sparingly

Repro-Portion – Measure out servings and keep an eye on portions; most of us have grown accustomed to much bigger servings of food than we need

With full nutrition information for every recipe and gorgeous full-color photos that are sure to whet any appetite, Comfort Food Fix: Feel-Good Favorites Made Healthy will have you eating healthier versions of your favorite comfort food dishes without any of the guilt.

More Ellie Krieger Cookbooks:

ABOUT ELLIE KRIEGER:
Host of the Food Network’s hit show “Healthy Appetite,” now on the Cooking Channel, Ellie’s warmth and charisma have made her the leading go-to nutritionist, with a lifestyle emphasis, in the media today. Krieger’s success can be attributed to her unique way of offering real life advice without any of the gimmicks and crash diets that permeate the media today. She reaches people with her message that it is possible for anyone, given the tools and knowledge, to live life to the maximum by keeping a healthy balance and nurturing a richly satisfying and sumptuous, attainable lifestyle. Ellie’s 2005 book Small Changes Big Results was a how-to on easy-to-live-with habit changes that yield optimal results. Ellie’s second book, The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life, was an immediate New York Times bestseller, peaking at #2 on that list. In addition to being named to Amazon’s Customer Bestseller List for 2008, The Food You Crave won the 2009 IACP Cookbook award and the esteemed 2009 James Beard Foundation Award for “Best Cookbook with a Healthy Focus.” Her last book, So Easy: Luscious Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week, also became an instant New York Times bestseller.

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

A Healthy and Delicious Recipe from Ellie Krieger

by Joi

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps, an Ellie Krieger Recipe

I gotta tell you, I LOVE Ellie Krieger recipes.  They’re always delicious, always fun to prepare, and always healthy. How could  you possibly ask for more?  The following recipe is from A Bullseye View and, by all appearances, Ellie Krieger has waxed brilliant again.

Apparently it’s how she rolls.

Cooking spray
2 medium zucchini (about 1 pound total)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (3/4 ounce)
1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Slice the zucchini into 1/4-inch thick rounds. In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini with oil.

3. In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan, breadcrumbs, salt and a few turns of pepper. Dip each round into the Parmesan mixture, coating it evenly on both sides, pressing the coating on to stick.

4. Place in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the zucchini rounds until browned and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove with spatula, serve immediately and snack away!

At a time when we’re all counting calories, this beautiful snack is especially welcome.  I’m hooked on fried pickles, and these look like a healthier alternative.

Ellie Krieger Cookbooks:

Bob Blumer’s Cauliflower Popcorn

Roasted Cauliflower Recipe You'll LOVE

by Joi

Cauliflower

The following recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks, Glutton For Pleasure: Signature Recipes, Epic Stories, and Surreal Etiquette. This cookbook puts the f in fun cooking and eating.

The recipe is one that I make often. My entire family loves this healthy snack, so it’s perfect for snacks for ballgames, The Biggest Loser (after all, I’m convinced Bob Harper sees through the tv), Survivor, etc. Make it, you’ll love it.

Bob Blumer’s Cauliflower Popcorn

1 head cauliflower
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon salt

Preheat oven to 425F. Cut out and discard cauliflower core and thick stems. Trim remaining cauliflower into florets the size of golf balls. In a large bowl, add cauliflower, olive oil, and salt. Toss thoroughly. Spread cauliflower on a baking sheet (Lined with parchment paper, if available, for easy cleanup). Roast for 1 hour, or until much of each floret has become golden brown. (That’s the caramelization process converting the dormant natural sugars into sweetness. The browner the florets, the sweeter they will taste.) Turn 3 or 4 times during roasting.

Use crumpled up aluminum foil or paper towels to create a false bottom in your popcorn container, fill it with cauliflower, and serve immediately.

I serve it in plastic Pop Corn Containers to up the whole fun vibe. These are delicious.

Click the link to read my review of Bob Blumer’s Glutton for Pleasure.

Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta, and Pine Nuts

from Cooking Light, March 2010

by Joi

Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta, and Pine Nuts

The following recipe is from the March 2010 edition of Cooking Light. Cooking Light is one of the magazines I always recommend for anyone who loves to cook. It’s one of a handful that I buy each month. In addition to wonderfully healthy and healthily wonderful recipes, the magazine always includes cooking tips, cooking advice, tutorials, fascinating facts about various foods, health and fitness articles and exercises… basically everything that’ll keep you feeling great, looking great, and cooking like a ninja.

Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta, and Pine Nuts

8 ounces uncooked cavatappi pasta
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons pine nuts
2 ounces diced pancetta
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

  • 1. Preheat oven to 400°.
  • 2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; add asparagus to pan during last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain. Sprinkle pasta mixture with garlic; return to pan, and toss well.
  • 3. Arrange pine nuts in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 400° for 3 minutes or until golden and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Place in a small bowl.
  • 4. Increase oven temperature to 475°.
  • 5. Arrange pancetta on jelly-roll pan. Bake at 475° for 6 minutes or until crisp.
  • 6. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with pine nuts, pancetta, and cheese.
Note: Pine nuts are particularly delicious in this dish, but walnuts would also be tasty.
The Heavenly Crostini you can see in the picture above is a White Bean and Thyme Crostini.  The recipe, also from Cooking Light, is below!
White Bean and Thyme Crostini
  • Arrange 8 (1/4 inch thick) baguette slices on a baking sheet; brush with 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil.
  • Bake at 475 degrees for 4 minutes or until golden.
  • Suate’ 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic in 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
  • Stir in 1/3 cup rinsed and drained cannellini beans, 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Mash with fork.
  • Add 1 tablespoon warm water and 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice.
  • Spread 1 teaspoon on each baguette slice; sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves.

Photo and Recipes Credit: Cooking Light

Healthy Roasted Potato Wedges

In Honor of National French Fries Day

by Joi

Chips
Available at Allposters.com

Today, July 13th, is actually National French Fries Day — a fun way of celebrating how much Americans love fries. Amazingly enough, the average American eats about 29 pounds of fries a year. That’s a heckuva lot of fries!

The problem is, fries aren’t exactly the healthiest thing in the world for us to be eating… and eating so much of at that. In honor of National Fry Day and as a way of encouraging healthier eating, Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa is sharing this delectable, 45-calories per serving, recipe for Roasted Potato Wedges with our food blog readers.

Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa’s Roasted Potato Wedges Recipe

1 pound russet potatoes, washed and thinly sliced into wedges
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Soak potato wedges in vinegar and water for about 30 minutes.

3. On a nonstick baking sheet, spread out wedges. Sprinkle with onion and garlic.

4. Bake in oven for about 20 minutes, turning once. Remove from oven when wedges are crispy on both sides.

Yield: 8 Servings

Nutrition Information (per serving): 45 calories, 0g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1g protein, 1g fiber, 0mg sodium.

About the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa:

Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa is a brand new, 650-acre fully renovated private wellness spa and weight loss health program. Complete with exceptional fitness trainers, award winning chefs, nutritionists and renowned spa treatments. The center boosts tons of experts from health to nutrition and fitness to spa and wellness. People from all over the world travel to Pritikin to get their health back on track and get their bodies back in shape. For more information, please visit www.pritikin.com.

Bottom of the Bag Chicken Recipe

From Eating Well on a Budget

by Joi

Mediterranean Diet Foods

I’m adding a new category to the food blog called Eating on a Shoestring.  The economy pretty much insists that we cut back a little in different areas of our life, but culinary compromises usually aren’t very appetizing.  Or healthy.  I was inspired to create this category and try to focus a lot on economical meals and dining by a great cookbook I was sent to review, Eating Well on a Budget (click the link for my review).

Since this great cookbook inspired the category, I thought it only appropriate to get things rolling with a recipe from its pages.   This one’s from page 195 – just one of the many, many delicious, nutritious, and budget-friendly recipes in the book.

Here it is exactly as it appears in The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Well on a Budget by Lucy Beale and Jessica Partridge.

Bottom of the Bag Chicken

Stop throwing away the crumbs at the bottom of a bag of whole-grain chips or crackers.  Turn them into a crunchy coating for oven-baked chicken strips.  Store crumbs in an airtight container until ready to use so they do not become stale.

1 lb. chicken breasts
1/2 cup crushed whole-grain chips or crackers
1 egg, beaten

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Rinse chicken breasts and cut into long 1-inch-wide strips. Set aside
  2. In a large bowl, crush chips or crackers. In a small bowl, beat egg.  Dip each chicken strip into egg and then into chip mixture.  Coat each piece well and place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.
  3. Bake 15 minutes until crispy.  Cool slightly before serving.

Variation: Use white fish or salmon in place of the chicken.  Different chips and crackers produce amazingly different tastes.  Try flavors such as real Cheddar, sea salt, and vinegar coarse stone-ground wheat, or crunchy corn.

Tasty Tidbits: Serve chicken fingers with several different sauces to add variety to your meals.  Try honey mustard, salsa, or for a buffalo wing flavor, serve with sour cream and hot sauce.

Yield: 16 chicken strips (serves 8)

Each serving has only 135 calories and 89 mg sodium

Order The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Well on a Budget by Lucy Beale and Jessica Partridge on Amazon.

Make Ahead Olive Bruschetta Topping

And More Olive Love

by Joi

In my last post, the Italian Olive Burgers, I confessed my undying, unwavering love for olives. Olives are, of course, more than just a pizza topping (although they are THE pizza topping as far as I’m concerned). I also love olives in pasta salads, tacos,  tossed salads, spaghetti, straight from the jar, in pickle trays, omelets, and on and on.   I also love to make a Mediterranean bagel with a toasted bagel lightly slathered with Cream Cheese.  On top of the cream cheese, I layer slices of roma (or grape) tomatoes and olives.  If my herb garden is in glorious bloom, I add a little basil… just a little though, one mustn’t steal the show from the olives.

Below is another great olive recipe.  How delicious does this picture look?!

Bruschetta Recipe: Olive Bruschetta

Make Ahead Ripe Olive Bruschetta Topping

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Servings: 12
1 container (6.5 oz.) Lindsay® Re-closeables Pitted Ripe Olives, drained reserve container
1/4 cup drained finely chopped sun dried tomatoes packed in oil
2 tablespoons shredded (not grated) Parmesan or Asiago cheese
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or oil from sun dried tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Quarter or coarsely chop olives; place in a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Return mixture to container; chill until serving time. Serve spooned over toasted French bread slices or pita or bagel chips.

Nutrients Per Serving:
Calories: 42
Calories from fat: 35
Total fat: 4g
Monounsaturated fat: 3g
Cholesterol: 1mg
Sodium: 137mg
Total Carbohydrates: 2g
Dietary fiber: 1g
Protein: 1g

My Favorite Salad: Salsa Salad

No Dressing Required!

by Joi

Salsa Salad

One of my favorite salad recipes, Salsa Salad,  is chock full of flavor. So much SO that adding dressing of any kind isn’t just unnecessary, it’s downright criminal.

INGREDIENTS

1 head iceberg lettuce
1 large can chopped green chilies (very well drained)
1 container grape tomatoes, chopped (or two large tomatoes)
1 bunch green onions chopped – the entire onion, except for the tips
cilantro, as much or as little as you want (I use a great deal)

Optional: Diced jalapeno (I usually use only a little)

I use my beloved ceramic chef’s knife and my beloved herb scissors to get all of the salad’s components nice and small.  (When you’ve finished reading this post, you can come back and click the links I just threw your way to read my reviews of two of my favorite new kitchen tools. I honestly don’t know how I ever got along without either one.) When making Salsa Salad, you can cut the vegetables as thick or as small as you like – that’s part of the beauty, there are so many alternatives!

One of the reasons I cut the vegetables for this salad so small is that we often use it in tacos, in tortilla shell bowls, and even on burgers.  When served on a Morningstar Farms Black Bean Burger, it’s so good you forget your own name.

If you like bologna sandwiches, you have to try a little of this salad on your next sandwich.  It doesn’t matter if the bologna comes to the party fresh from the refrigerator or if he comes “fried,” just put him on the guest list. It may sound kind of strange-ish, but this is honestly OUTSTANDING.  You could, of course, also invite a great slice of cheese to accompany the bologna to the meal.  Your call.

This is an amazingly beautiful and delicious salad and if you’re trying to cut calories, this is the salad for you.  It absolutely needs zero dressing. IF (and that’s a mammoth IF) you simply want a little dressing of some sort, a little freshly squeezed lime juice is divine.  (Did I just say divine?….. who says divine?)

As I said earlier, this salad is very versatile. Depending upon what you do with it, the salad can serve as a side salad or as a topping for sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, etc.  I have used Salsa Salad as a main meal before.  Since I knew it’d be used as the main course, I chopped the vegetables a little thicker and added a can of well-drained black beans, a can of well-drained red beans, some diced grilled chicken, and a mixed cheese blend. Served with rolled up, warmed tortilla shells, it made an excellent and healthy meal.

Other Ingredients I’ve Used in Salsa Salad:

  • Baby corn
  • Diced celery
  • Vidalia Onion, or other sweet onion
  • Avocado (chopped and sprinkled with lemon or lime juice)
  • Hominy
  • Chick Peas
  • Diced Green Pepper
  • Diced Red Pepper
  • Spinach
  • Cucumbers
  • Strips of Steak
  • Shrimp

 

EatingWell: 500 Calorie Dinners

An Excellent Idea and an Above Excellent Cookbook

by Joi

EatingWell 500 Calorie Dinners

Okay. What do I have to do to make you buy EatingWell 500-Calorie Dinners Cookbook? Name your price. What makes me so desperate? Sure, I want you to have an outstanding cookbook FILLED with healthy, delicious recipes. Make no mistake about it, I want the best for you!

But I have an ulterior motive as well. See, the way I figure it, if this cookbook sells like hotcakes, they’ll make another. Then another. Then another…

Yes. As a matter of fact I love EatingWell 500-Calorie Dinners Cookbook so much I already want sequels. I’ve made many of the recipes already – in fact, I’m cooking my way through the entire cookbook and loving every single second. Last night, while making the Black Bean Soup (page 42), I thought, “This is such a fun recipe, I don’t even care if it tastes good!” Fortunately, the soup was extraordinarily delicious – better than any Black Bean Soup I’ve gotten in any restaurant.

I was sent EatingWell 500-Calorie Dinners Cookbook to review on this very food blog and I’ll never be able to repay their kindness.  I do promise to think warm and fuzzy thoughts about them each time I reach for the cookbook – which will pretty much be everyday.

That’s a lot of warm fuzzies.

If Eating Well 500 Calorie Dinners were JUST another great cookbook, filled with beautiful illustrations, priceless cooking tips, and page after page of wonderful recipes, this review would still be a glowing review.  The recipes, themselves, can stand on their own.  We’re talking extraordinary and creative recipes, here.

Recipes that Include:

  • Middle Eastern Tuna Salad (made it today)
  • Thai Beef Salad
  • Black Bean Soup
  • Banana Pudding  Pops
  • Chicken Tetrazzini
  • Southwestern Rice & Pinto Bean Salad
  • Southwestern Tofu Scramble
  • An entire chapter is devoted to vegetarian meals
  • Cucumber Herb Vinaigrette (I’ll serve it with supper tonight)
  • Skillet Gnocchi with Chard & White Beans
  • Risotto with Broccoli Rabe & Red Pepper
  • Grilled Pork Tenderloin Marinated in Spicy Soy Sauce
  • Roasted Onion Soup
  • Artichoke Scrambled Eggs Benedict
  • Smoky Corn & Black Bean Vegetarian Pizza
  • Baby Tiramisu’ (you should see the picture!)
  • Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

I could go on, but frankly I’m getting hungry. It was the Grilled Pork Tenderloin that snapped my concentration.

As you see, if it were JUST a regular cookbook, I’d still be jazzed about it.  But it’s more… so much more.  We’re all trying to eat healthy and count our calories.  In the day of The Biggest Loser, we’re all very mindful of “Calories in… Calories out.”  We know the ugly truth:  When the balance isn’t right, the jeans get tight.

But who wants to count calories and even attempt to keep a running tab when filling your plate?  Math and I don’t get along nearly well enough for that.

Here comes the beautiful thing that separates this cookbook from the rest:  The saintlike authors have taken the “ciphering” (as Jethro would say) out of it.  They actually put together outstanding menus for the reader – complete with the main dish, sides, and dessert.  They tell you how much of each you can eat and still stay inside your caloric goal.

See? Saintlike.

What’s even better is this: The wonderful recipes in EatingWell 500-Calorie Dinners Cookbook are wholesome and nutritious, meaning you can actually have more food for less calories. This is where we foodies stand and cheer.

Book Description

Do you love food but hate “diets”? Do you want to be healthy and fit but find yourself too busy or simply at a loss about what to make for dinner? Then this book is for you. EatingWell 500-Calorie Dinners takes the guesswork out of healthy cooking by providing delicious, easy recipes and menus for dinners that come in at about 500 calories, an amount experts say will help most people lose weight without feeling deprived. Once you try the meals in this book you’ll be amazed at how well you can eat for 500 calories. One night you’ll have a steak sandwich with grilled peppers and a garlicky aïoli served along with roasted red potatoes and a green salad with a tangy vinaigrette, the next night braised chicken in a paprika-spiked sauce over egg noodles with snap peas tossed with a creamy tarragon dressing. Want a glass of wine with dinner or a dessert to end the evening? We’ve included those in our menus too. Try pork chops with an orange and fennel salad along with a side of quinoa and a dish of strawberry frozen yogurt.

And this book will help you to do more than just trim your waistline—it will help you to improve your heart health and reduce your risk for diabetes too. It provides solid advice from EatingWell Magazine’s nutrition experts on what foods should be included in any healthful diet, how to figure out how many calories you need, how to determine appropriate serving sizes and estimate calories (without carting around a kitchen scale everywhere you go) and how to lose weight while still feeling satisfied.

In this book, you’ll also find:

  • 140 delicious recipes that use simple techniques and easy-to-find ingredients
  • Quick dinners: over 100 of the recipes are ready in less than 45 minutes and many take less than 30 minutes
  • Secrets of successful weight loss from renowned weight-loss researcher Dr. Jean Harvey-Berino, chair of the University of Vermont’s Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, author of the James Beard Award-winning cookbook The EatingWell Diet
  • How to eat all day and still lose weight, including what a 1,500-calorie day looks like and easy ideas for breakfast, lunch and snacks
  • Diet tips to maximize flavor and satisfaction while minimizing calories
  • 256 gorgeous color illustrations

Back Cover Reviews:

I always say, ‘Life is hard…food should be easy.’ EatingWell 500-Calorie Dinners makes deciding what to have for dinner easy and delicious! With nearly 100 dinner menus that are satisfying and nutritionally balanced, this book is a great tool for anyone who’s trying to get—or stay—slim. (Joy Bauer, MS, RD, CDN, bestselling author of Your Inner Skinny )

I’ve been cooking East-West food my entire life, and one of the things I love about it is that the ingredients and techniques used most often are all inherently healthy. You can feel good about eating it and it tastes good too. The recipes in 500-Calorie Dinners deliver that same great promise—healthy food that’s actually tasty. And simple too—one of my favorite things! (Ming Tsai, chef/owner of Blue Ginger )

EatingWell has done it again! This book is packed with mouthwatering, inspiring and accessible recipes that make you want to get cooking right away. They do the calorie counting for you so you can relax and enjoy every bite. (Ellie Krieger, RD, author of So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week )

The deputy editors at the EatingWell Media Group, publishers of the 2008 James Beard Award-winning The EatingWell Diet, are back to help dieters prepare healthy dinners with yummy recipes designed to fill up the tummy while keeping the calories low. (Library Journal )

For some of the most delicious recipes you’ve ever seen – plus priceless tips about eating healthy – please do yourself a huge favor and grab a copy of EatingWell 500-Calorie Dinners Cookbook right away.

You really, really, really don’t want this one to get by you.

KIND Healthy Snacks, I Love You

I Thought You Should Know

by Joi

KIND Healthy Snack Nutritional BarsKIND Healthy Snacks has completely raised the bar.

My husband and I were killing a little time before seeing a movie Friday night and, well, you know me, killing time meant hanging out in Starbucks for a little C & C (caffeine and chatting).  I saw some outrageously delicious looking nutritional bars near the register, so I grabbed  one for me and one for my husband.  I’m sweet like that.  I wanted to have them to nosh on when we came out of the movie.

They were KIND Healthy Snack Nutritional Bars, the Apple Cinnamon Nut + Fiber variety.  I ate mine on the way home, as we were talking about how dang good the movie (I Am Number 4) was.  My husband didn’t reach for his right away… he was still too pumped up from the movie I guess… and after I took one bite of mine, I kind of slid his back into my purse – out of sight, out of mind meant mine for later.  I’m sweet like that.

Seriously, these are outrageously delicious.  Since that night, I’ve hunted down a few other flavors as well. Each blew me straight away.

KIND Healthy Snacks

  • All Natural
  • Gluten/Wheat Free
  • Dairy Free
  • Cholesterol Free
  • Very Low Sodium
  • Only 180 Calories

You can taste the natural goodness in these nutritional bars.  Literally taste the difference between them and their counterparts.  I think we’ve (unfortunately) become accustomed to additives, trans fats, tons of sodium, and sweeteners that are put into the things we eat – even the “healthy” foods.

It SHOULD taste unusual to eat food with any of these unnatural additions but it DOES taste refreshingly unusual  to eat something completely natural, wholesome, and un-violated by any unwelcome additives.

These bars are simply exceptional – so delicious I can’t even find the appropriate words.

Personally, I’ve only seen these little beauties at my 3 local Starbucks (yes 3, God loves me).  However, a Store Locator on KIND’s website actually showed me a few more locations.  Don’t think for a minute I’m not headed that way.  According to the website, there are many, many, many more varieties I MUST find.  Of course, I plan to also keep buying the Apple Cinnamon Nut + Fiber bar each time too.  SO wonderful!

Please check out KIND’s website to read about the health benefits, the wonderful story behind the company, and (get this!) how KIND bars can help you control your weight, even if “control” means dropping some pounds.  I couldn’t think of a more delicious way to do it.

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