1. Aloe

True story: I was at lunch a few weeks back with Dave Magrogan, the owner of Harvest Seasonal Grill in Glen Mills and University City, and he mentioned that his favorite thing to add to smoothies is aloe. My mind? One-hundred percent blown. I’d never heard of this! Turns out, adding a bit of aloe juice is a good call after all, since it seems to aid digestion and immune function. I’ll drink to that.

Recipe to try: Orange Aloe Creamsicle Smoothie [via Young and Raw]

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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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Okay, okay, so summer doesn’t officially arrive for a few weeks, but that hasn’t stopped me from breaking out the grill, oh, eight or nine times already this season. Now that I’ve already blown through the staples—chicken, salmon, chicken, repeat—I’m looking for some out-of-the-box things I can throw on the ol’ Weber. Here, 12 yummy recipes that are made for grillin’—and healthy to boot!

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The Cadillac Rio Margarita
via Shape

A twist on the classic margarita, the Cadillac Rio incorporates one part orange liqueur to give the tequila-heavy drink just the right touch of citrus.

ACTIVATE Margarita Cocktail
via SheKnows

ACTIVATE is an enhanced vitamin beverage without the sugar, calories or preservatives. Mix this with a simple margarita-inspired cocktail recipe, and what’s the result? The fountain of youth in a glass, my friends.

The SkinnyRita
via Mrs. Maki Cooks

A classic margarita that will help keep your waistline in check, natch.

The Latina Libre
via Examiner

Inspired by the rum-laced Cuba Libre, this drink is simple, slimming and—presumably—effective. Plus, the name is pretty cool, right? Bottoms 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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Mac and cheese gets a Greek-yogurt makeover.

Okay, so this whole Greek yogurt trend is seriously blowing up. Not only are the variations of the creamy concoction starting to outnumber the traditional yogurt types at the grocery store, I’ve also been seeing Greek yogurt popping up in all sorts of recipes lately, from smoothies to salads to entrées. And it’s no wonder: Using Greek yogurt is a terrific way to make recipes using heavy whipping cream, buttermilk and mayo a tad lighter. Besides, a cup of the fat-free variety packs 20 grams of protein and just 120 calories.

If you’re as Greek-yogurt obsessed as me, check out this massive roundup of 50 yummy recipes starring—you guessed it—Greek yogurt. Bookmark it, Pin it, print it—do whatever you need to do to keep track of this puppy. I’m thinking you’ll find it super useful.

Smoothies and Breakfast: Greek Yogurt Recipes

1. Blackberry Smoothie via FitSugar
2. Raspberry Mango Yogurt Smoothie via Smoothie Handbook
3. Kiwi Smoothie via Good Veg
4. Raspberry Greek Yogurt Smoothie via Weight Watchers
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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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Protein Ice Cream
via BodyBuilding.com

This recipe is extremely basic—with just three ingredients and five steps, you have every reason in the world to give this baby a try. Think of it as a gateway protein ice cream recipe into the others: once you’ve had a taste of its easy, delicious final product, you’ll definitely come back for more. In different shapes. And flavors. Luckily, you’re now equipped with this list!

Heather’s Protein Ice Cream
via Heather Eats Almond Butter

This blogger includes a video at the bottom of her post, which is especially helpful for those who might want a visual aid. She doesn’t actually include almond butter in the mix, but she uses it as a topping, which is good enough for me. Also: Look. At. That. Photo.

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