This is an easy summer salad that can be mixed up to incorporate any of the fruits/veggies in your kitchen. For me the key difference between this summer strawberry salad and any other is that I use a flavored balsamic vinegar (green apple), combined with extra virgin olive oil, as my salad dressing. Delicious and better for you than store-bought salad dressing. Go crazy and pour extra without feeling guilty, I do!
 
My mom makes this pineapple casserole for the holidays and it always seems to be a hit. The pineapples make it sweet without having to add too much sugar. Plus, it's extremely easy! Combine a few ingredients (no chopping required), pop it into the oven for 35 minutes, and voila!
 
This peanut butter spread packs a powerful protein punch! (Are you cringing from the corny alliteration?) The creamy spread is a lighter version of a peanut butter dip that goes great with veggies. The added yogurt also calms down the fat content of peanut butter. A healthy yet very filling snack.
 
I can demolish a bag of frozen fruit. It's a great snack and satisfies my sweet tooth without leaving me with a stomach ache. My favorite snack is frozen blueberries, mangos, or peaches. I've only found two downsides: 1) I have to huddle beneath a blanket when I eat these in the winter, and 2) The frozen blueberries turn my teeth and lips blue.

Just make sure you get the no-sugar-added frozen or fresh fruit and then freeze. Happy snacking!
 
I love pie! Well, really anything sweet but apple pie is a favorite. The problem is that when I eat a lot of really heavy sweet foods my stomach ends up hurting and all I want to do is lay around and wallow in my lack of self-discipline.

So... I decided that instead of setting the unrealistic goal of never eating rich/sweet foods again, I'd find ways to make my favorites healthier.

This apple pie recipe is mostly apples (they're good for you!), and only 2 teaspoons of sugar in the whole pie. There's also no added butter beyond what is found in your pie crust. I know you're thinking... without all the butter and sugar this is going to be gross. Well give it a try because it's really good. Every time I make a pie it seems to disappear quickly.

My preference is to top the pie with frozen vanilla yogurt, emphasis on the yogurt. Frozen yogurt tastes the same as ice cream (depending on the brand), and is much better for you. I prefer Edy's Frozen Yogurt. If you get it at Target it's half the price as Harris Teeter. And of course there are other delicious flavors you can try as well. The frozen yogurt still has a decent amount of sugar in it to give it a delicious flavor, but yogurt has many benefits for the body including good bacteria that help the stomach.

For this recipe I have included a store-bought pie because it's delicious and super easy. I buy them when they're half-off so it's hard to beat the price. But for those that want to be even healthier, I will include a homemade crust recipe in a future post.

Hope you enjoy the apple pie!
 
I love to start my day with a fruit smoothie. 1) It tastes good, 2) It gets me the fruit I need for the day, which can be hard to do in the winter, and 3) It gives my internal parts the fiber and nutrients needed to help me feel "on" and energetic for the day. The beauty of the smoothie recipe is that it is very forgiving. You can add most anything you want and it will still be good. I personally love frozen blueberries, strawberries, and mangos, but they're all good. I like to keep things exciting by trying new fruit when I see it. (Yes, I find that exciting.) Last thing: buy your fruit on sale and freeze it, or buy it in bulk at Target or some sort of Costsco/BJ's. 

Enjoy - and make sure you're getting some fruit each day!
 
This is my fiance's go-to dish and it's always a hit. So simple, and so good for you. Now... I hear people saying they don't eat avocados because they're high in fat. True, but it's GOOD fat - the kind that helps lower cholesterol. Check out the many other benefits of this amazing fruit.

All you need is 5 ingredients and 10 minutes. Check out the recipe now!