Although detox juices have their place, I much prefer a smoothie. Since you blend whole foods—skin, seeds, the whole kit-and-kaboodle—the end result is much more filling. As the weather gets warmer, my morning oatmeal ritual begins to feel a tad too hot—literally. So smoothies become my speedy (not to mention healthy) way to eat breakfast.

A little background on this particular smoothie recipe: My one-year-old daughter loves peanut butter and dates. For a snack, I’ll slice one side of a date and fill it with peanut butter—a surefire way to keep her busy for at least three minutes. As my mom watched me prepare this snack recently, she told me that her mom used to fill dates with peanut butter and roll the edge in coconut for dessert. I was intrigued, so I got a bag of unsweetened coconut and rolled my daughter’s snack in it, and—guess what?—she loved it! Not only is this snack 100 percent natural, it’s also full of fiber, healthy fats and protein.

I decided to try blending these puppies up with some silken tofu to see how it would go down as a smoothie. I like to use tofu in place of yogurt in smoothies, and I promise it doesn’t taste funny, especially with these flavorful additions.  But if you prefer, you can sub fat-free Greek yogurt and get similar results. The smoothie version of this classic snack was great: just sweet enough and very filling. Now, drink up!

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In an ideal world, I would have a healthy baked good on my kitchen counter at all times. That way I could snack on something delicious with a lot less guilt. It’s the whole “I can have my cake and eat it, too” thing.

The reality, however, is that most of the desserts I post on my blog aren’t meant for casual countertop snacking—at least, not if my skinny jeans have anything to say about it. Those high-fat, high-sugar recipes are to meant to impress guests at a potluck dinner. Period. So I’m always on the hunt for a sweet treat I can feel good about snacking on any ol’ time.

Fast forward to last week. I had four overripe bananas staring at me, so I knew it was time to bake. The words “Banana Snackin’ Cake” popped into my head. I imagined something that’s fluffier than bread and nutritious enough to give to my toddler while I make her oatmeal or to snack on with my morning coffee. Using all four bananas ensured that I wouldn’t need a lot of help from additional sweeteners. I added whole-wheat flour, flaxseed, applesauce, cinnamon, chocolate and a few other ingredients, and—voila!—a yummy banana cake that hasn’t kill me on the scale.

I hope you enjoy it as much as my family did!

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When you read the title on this post, I hope you didn’t imagine the typical mayo-drenched  tuna salad you begged your mom not to pack for your school lunch. This is really more of a bean salad that contains tuna and fresh veggies—one loaded with protein, vitamin C and iron, at that.

Although they can be tricky to work into any ol’ recipe, beans should be a permanent fixture in your day-to-day diet. Bursting with fiber (we both know there’s a little ditty written about that, right?), a cup of beans has at least 15 grams of protein and contains good doses of other nutrients, such as calcium and iron. With the addition of garlic, onions, tomatoes and basil, the white beans in this recipe taste impossibly fresh—and all you had to do was pop the lid off the can!

Speaking of cans, I’m totally cool with canned tuna. If you want to be a bit friendlier to Mother Earth, try to purchase pole- or troll-caught tuna (Whole Foods’s 365 brand is a delicious example at a reasonable price), both more environmentally responsible fishing methods than traditional long-line tuna fishing. You should also go for labels that say “light” rather than “chunk white,” as the light versions tend to have lower mercury levels. Lastly, to get the most of the healthy omega-3 fatty acids (and less calories), buy the tuna packed in water instead of oil. Canned tuna is in inexpensive and often overlooked way to get more fish into your diet.

This salad can be eaten by itself or over mixed greens; it lasts at least three days in the fridge and would be great side dish to bring to a friend’s house!

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My husband and I recently found ourselves elbow deep into an ice cream-every-night routine. I don’t know how we got there—I mean, it was technically light ice cream, but if I’m being totally honest, we were each having multiple servings each night and going through two gallons of the stuff a week. I felt shame. I invited my husband to share my shame, and he accepted the invitation. So we decided to forego ice cream and took it off the weekly food-shopping list, but we needed something sweet to satisfy our late-night cravings.

He opted for those old-fashioned caramel cream candies. And although I was tempted to go that route, too, I wanted something that would provide nutrients while still hitting the spot. After much searching and tweaking, I came up with the recipe below and excitedly pulled out my heavy food processor. I was honestly surprised and completely thrilled with the end result: a chewy, sweet-tart, chocolatey bite that I could feel good about eating. I quit the light ice cream that had an ingredient list full of words I couldn’t pronounce, and replaced it with a mindlessly easy recipe full of healthy, recognizable foods. Win.

I told my husband he could keep his caramels; I was no longer interested.

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We’re right around that time when the itch for spring is palpable. At school, the kids are wearing shorts (even though it’s still 50 degrees!) and the spring sports teams are in full swing. All of a sudden, the wintry comfort food seems dreary but the grill is still stored away—I call this culinary limbo.

This Mexican quinoa stew is brightly colored and studded with the promise of summer; green cilantro and creamy avocado present a “think-spring” meal while the spices, potatoes and hearty quinoa warm the bones and fill up the tummy. I love a dish that makes double-digit servings, as the leftovers can serve double duty as lunch for a few days. Plus, lots of food for a low number of calories (just 224!) can also help you get ready for the impending bathing-suit season.

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I’m usually pretty wary of the word “creamy” when it comes to food. More often than not, it signals a splurge-worthy dessert or pasta dish typically reserved for the no-no list. So I wondered: Is it possible to create a yummy, creamy chicken dinner that’s low-cal and low-fat to boot?

Yes, friends, it’s possible. I paired this tasty dijon chicken with brown rice and steamed broccoli for a nutritious weeknight meal and made a mental note to stash this no-fail recipe away for company. Even better, the total prep and cook time for this entree is just 20 minutes. But you can totally tell your guests you slaved away for hours—I won’t tell.

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Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that whole grains are good for you. While oats, wheat and now quinoa have become major players in our everyday diet, you may be overlooking one awfully delicious, nutritious whole grain without even knowing it. Yup, I’m talking about barley, folks.

With twice the fiber of brown rice, this ancient grain has a chewy texture and nutty flavor. Like many whole grains, barley is basically a blank canvas, ready for you to transform it into something spectacular. The best pilafs combine a variety of color, flavor and texture. In this case, the sweet potatoes add a creamy element along with a hint of sweetness, which complements the fresh scallions, cilantro and lime.

I topped this dish with a beautiful piece of grilled salmon, but since it made so many servings I put the rest in an airtight container (kept in the fridge) and had the perfect lunch on hand for the next few days. Filling, tasty and bursting with nutrition, I plan to make this on Sundays and bring it for work lunches throughout the week.

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Maybe you come from an Italian family and broccoli rabe (pronounced “rob,” and also called rapini) is a household name for you. Perhaps you live near a deli that makes the best roast pork, provolone and broccoli rabe sandwich, only you never realized you could make a mean batch yourself at home. Most likely, since you’re reading a Philly blog, you’ve at least heard of this vegetable—so let’s take it from there.

It’s not often that something considered “legendary” on the Philly food scene is healthy (see: cheesesteak, Rita’s, Twinkies, et al). Broccoli rate is the nutritious green tucked into the “pork with greens” option at Tony Luke’s; it’s the bitter bite that pairs perfectly with the tender pork. But it also tastes great with all kinds of meats, grains and pastas, and is a fantastic option for a pizza topping. A meatball hoagie with rabe? Out of this world. My husband had never eaten this before marrying me, and the fact that he is over the moon for it now makes me quite proud.

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If you’re stuck in a winter-induced fruit rut, then please let me reintroduce you to an old friend: the pear, a truly luscious and delicious—yet all too often overlooked—fruit. Soft and perfectly sweet, the pear is winter’s peach. Sure, they’re easy to store and transport, making pears a good snack, but they’re so much more than that: pears pair well with chocolate and work fantastically in baked goods.

Take the recipe below, for example. Here, spiced, caramelized pears shine in a blissful parfait, layered with a not-so-sinful whip made with fat-free cream cheese and Greek yogurt. Clocking in at less than 250 calories and 11 grams of protein per serving, it sure sounds like a win to me.

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Maybe for you it’s the festive décor. Or it could be the white twinkle lights, stockings tacked to the mantle, or even the annual party you look forward to all year. For me, it’s the food this time of year that really gets me in the spirit. After all, this is the season to get together with your friends and family, and spend time, well, eating.

Fact is, diet blunders abound this time of year, and you shouldn’t have to resign yourself to grilled chicken and steamed broccoli every night for dinner to make up for it. The key to balance during the holidays is to make the healthy food you eat into something special—something so satisfying and delicious that it won’t leave you pining for another gingerbread truffle.

So allow me to introduce you to delicata squash, an easy-to-prep, fail-proof winter squash that’s positively packed with beta carotene. With the recipe below, you can turn it into a dish (main or side, your choice) that’s elegant enough for a holiday meal and one so yummy you’ll almost forget you’re doing something good for you. We’ll call it a Christmas miracle.

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