Archive for the 'Healthy Holidays' Category

You’ll have Irish eyes smiling with our healthy green-themed, St. Paddy’s Day dishes — we’ve got ideas for everything from snacks to sides to a classic main course.

• Corned Beef & Cabbage

• Emerald Eggs
• Guacamole
• Garlic Spiked Broccoli With Cranberries
• Green Goddess Dip
• Green Beer

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Well, almost. When March comes around, I’m always searching for creative ways to celebrate the holiday that don’t involve high-calorie indulgences. This year, I’m trying an Irish-inspired salmon recipe that works for any meal but, when paired with kale-laced mashed potatoes, is a healthy, festive meal.

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Just because they call it “Fat Tuesday” doesn’t mean you need to interpret that literally. Celebrate Mardi Gras tomorrow with Southern-style dishes but leave the sticks of butter, mounds of meat and gobs of heavy cream off the shopping list. These healthy picks will make your mouth water.

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Valentine’s Day is here! For me, this means chocolates and romantic dinners, but that can also mean indulging in too many calories and fat. Fortunately, you don’t have to skimp on decadence tonight. Here, I’ve reworked a traditional Valentine’s Day meal, featuring a bison steak and comforting sides, to make easier on the waistline and pleasing to your palate.

Added bonus: These recipes contain some noted aphrodisiacs to help rev up the romance.

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I just adore the month of February. I feel like we’re almost over the winter hump and can start looking forward to spring. Valentine’s Day is smack in the middle of the month and love is in bloom — plus,  it’s National Heart Health Month! As a dietitian, I encourage eating healthfully for your heart,  but at the same time, I have a sweet tooth. I just love all the heart-shaped sweet treats that line supermarket shelves this month.

This Valentine’s Day, I want to strike a balance between sweets and heart-healthy foods, so I’ll be making loved ones my Pumpkin Banana Bread Pudding. It’s made with fiber-filled whole-wheat bread, pumpkin and bananas, which are all heart healthy. Better still, this vegan recipe is free of saturated fat and cholesterol, which means it’s a treat for your ticker, too!

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This Sunday, we ring in the year of the tiger on the Chinese calendar. Celebrate the new year with these Asian-inspired dishes. Make sure your feast features noodles, which symbolize longevity, and dumplings, a stand-in for wealth, so you kick off 2010 with good fortune.

• Asparagus and Chicken Stir-Fry

• Sesame Ginger Pork with Soba Noodles
• Asian Egg Drop Soup (shown above)
• Lychee Nuts and Pineapple Chunks with Mango Sorbet
• Crab Dumplings

Instead of buying overpriced flowers and gifts, whip up a tasty treat for your special someone. Serve these for dessert, give them away to friends or pack some in your little ones’ lunchboxes.

For the Kids:
• Chocolate-Covered Banana Pops
• Crispy Rice Squares
• Triple Chocolate Cookies

For the Kids at Heart:
• Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
• Chocolate-Hazelnut Smooches
• Gluten-Free Linzer Heart Cookies
• Cherry Almond Chocolate Clusters

More Valentine’s Day Ideas:
• Aphrodisiacs: 5 Foods for Romance
• A Lighter Valentine’s Day Menu
• Fall in Love With Chocolate

Valentine’s Day is just a week away. A great way to spoil that special someone is breakfast in bed. You can skip the chocolates (or save them for later) when this savory frittata is on the menu. This breakfast beauty is quick and simple to whip up and you can use whatever veggies your special someone loves. (It’s a great clean-out-the-fridge recipe for a week’s end, too.)

I don’t know about you but I believe in the old saying: the fastest way to a person’s heart is through his or her stomach!

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New Year’s resolutions sometimes seem like they’re made to be broken. Folks usually bite off more than they can chew (“I’m going to lose 20 pounds by February!”). Forget about the “all-or-nothing” and “cold turkey” approaches — how about some resolutions that are simple enough that you can actually stick to them?

Here are 10 ideas to help get you started.

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Get back in the healthy habit early and ring in the New Year with a smarter spread. Balance out the alcohol with plenty of food and virgin cocktails — nobody wants to kick off 2010 with a hangover!

[Photo by Lara Robby/Studio D for Food Network Magazine]

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