The magic technique to get people to eat their greens

 I used to always cook my dark leafy greens like kale, broccoli rabe and mustard greens to death. I did that because I thought I had to, to get rid of their sharp, cruciferous and often bitter taste. That’s probably why my husband met my “we’re having kale for dinner tonight, honey” announcement with something less than enthusiasm. He always politely choked the stuff down, but I bet he would rather have been eating castor oil.That’s until I discovered a new technique for “massaging” bitter...

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How to pick the perfect apple

 There’s something about that moment when you bite into the first, fresh, perfectly tart apple of the autumn season that reminds you: “Yes, this is what fall is supposed to taste like.” But while I love pretty much all in-season apple varieties, they’re not all equally suited for every purpose. I definitely plan to do some baking this fall (Don’t hate: Nothing goes better with Sunday afternoon football—Go Giants!), and when I do I’ll reach for certain types of apples while avoiding others....

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Healthy Mexican recipes that won't make you gordo

 Remember when chipotle was an exotic ingredient? Now we have Chipotle (the restaurant) on every other corner. Americans love Mexican food when we eat out. Mexican chain restaurants grew twice as fast as other chains in 2009, according to a recent report. I love nachos dripping with melted cheese as much as you do, but fat and calorie levels are sky-high on many of those oversized restaurant platters of enchiladas or chimichangas slathered in cheese and sauces. It’s enough to make you cry into...

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Fast, healthy 4-ingredient dinners

 With two little boys at home, I’m on a mission to streamline my dinner routine. My focus? Simplify. One of the awesome parts of working as the digital editor at EatingWell Magazine is that I’m surrounded by amazing healthy food every day. The problem is, I think I can go home and cook all of these awesome recipes on a weeknight, when what I really need to do is just get a healthy, simple meal on the table so my family can still have some time to enjoy our night. Recipes to Try: 20-Minute 5-Ingredient...

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7 easy ways to make your kitchen healthier

 Forget spring-cleaning: fall is the perfect time to spruce up your kitchen. Now that you’ve recovered from the laziness of summer (maybe I’m projecting a bit here) but before the craziness of the holiday season, there’s a perfect window for tossing those mystery items in the back of your fridge, replacing that gray-looking sponge sitting by your sink and cleaning those drips from the ceiling of your microwave. And while you’re scrubbing your cooking area to make it look nicer, you may as well...

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What Is the CarbLovers Diet?

The editors of Health magazine have big news for you. Our beloved carb-filled foods will not make us fat. Instead, they will actually make us thin. "Carbophobia," or the fear of carbs, is rampant. Almost every woman has skipped the bread basket or a pasta dish at some point in her life. We’ve learned to fear carbs because we’ve been told for more than 25 years that foods filled with carbohydrates make us gain weight. Well, we, the editors of Health magazine, have big news for you. There is new research—reliable,...

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Weigh in With Jen: Part 6 – First Week on the Plan

I was excited about starting my first week on my new portion-controlled eating plan.  I was excited about starting my first week on my new portion-controlled eating plan. I downloaded a little computer program that sat on my desktop and counted my POINTS, and I was enjoying my menu of Lean Cuisine steak-and-mushroom paninis (6 POINTS) and sugar-free, double-chocolate Jell-O pudding (1 POINT!). I was also pleased that my Weight Watchers plan had a minimum intake attached, so I wasn’t tempted...

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Weigh in With Jen: Part 5 – Starting on Weight Watchers

Your first trip to Weight Watchers includes an enrollment fee, some paperwork, and your first weigh-in. Your first trip to Weight Watchers includes an enrollment fee, some paperwork, and your first weigh-in. They give you a little book that kind of looks like an old-fashioned savings account passbook, and you bring it each week so they can record your attendance, weight, and payment. They keep the same info at the meeting site on a card in a big box. For one of the world’s most popular weight-loss...

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Weigh in With Jen: Part 4 – Choosing a Diet Plan

In my first entry, I listed a handful of diets I’d tried in the past. Trust me when I say that those were merely the tip of the iceberg. Frankly, I’m not sure if there’s a diet I haven’t tried. So how would I choose the next one? In my first entry, I listed a handful of diets I’d tried in the past. Trust me when I say that those were merely the tip of the iceberg. Frankly, I’m not sure if there’s a diet I haven’t tried. So how would I choose the next one? Ideally, I’d love to eat like Halle Berry,...

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Weigh in With Jen: Part 3 – Setting Goals

People have different ways of setting weight-loss goals for themselves. Some people want to fit into a certain size, or something crazy ambitious like their junior prom dress.  People have different ways of setting weight-loss goals for themselves. Some people want to fit into a certain size, or something crazy ambitious like their junior prom dress. Some people have an ideal weight in mind. Some people just want to “be healthy,” which – while vague – certainly sounds noble. Personally, I have...

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Weigh in With Jen: Part 2 – How I Started My Zillionth Diet

So we’ve established that I’m fat, and that I’m ready to do something about it. But what brought this on, anyway? I’m not about to get married, I haven’t received a high-school reunion invitation, and it’s not even bikini season. So we’ve established that I’m fat, and that I’m ready to do something about it. But what brought this on, anyway? I’m not about to get married, I haven’t received a high-school reunion invitation, and it’s not even bikini season. Maybe my jeans are a little tight, but my...

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Weigh in With Jen: Part 1 – My Absolute Last Weight Loss Attempt

Dear Diary,I’m fat. Pretty shocking revelation, I know, considering you can’t throw a dart in a room full of Americans without a 50-percent chance of hitting a fat person. Dear Diary, I’m fat. Pretty shocking revelation, I know, considering you can’t throw a dart in a room full of Americans without a 50-percent chance of hitting a fat person (maybe even better, really, since we tubbies take up more space and don’t duck as fast).Like some of you, I’ve struggled with weight my whole life. My first...

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Your What to Eat Guide

Tips on how to eat to reach your Feel Great Weight. Your metabolism will be transformed into a round-the-clock fat-incinerating machine with the flexible guidelines below. “This plan focuses on resistant starches and healthy monounsaturated fats to keep you feeling energized and satisfied all day long,” diet expert Marissa Lippert, RD, says.By loading up on the right (delicious) food, you’ll be getting fuel your body will use rather than store as fat. “You’ll lose weight, blast fat, and actually...

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What Is Good Protein?

 Protein is an essential macronutrient in your diet. It provides energy when carbohydrates aren't available and gives structure to cells, organ tissues and muscles. There's no such thing as bad protein, but some protein sources are healthier for you than others. These good proteins are complete, providing all of the essential amino acids, and have a minimal amount of fat and calories.Good proteins are complete. This means that they have all of the amino acids your body has to have from your...

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Why Is Iron Supplementation Important for Low Income Infants & Children?

 Photo Credit BananaStock/BananaStock/Getty Images Supplemental iron is important for all infants and young children, not just those from low-income families. But lower-income infants and children have a higher rate of iron-deficiency anemia than the children of middle and upper income families do. Low-iron diets and poor parental compliance when giving oral iron supplements contribute to increased iron deficiency in lower-income children. Because iron-deficiency anemia can cause lifelong health...

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