Blog Posts by The Editors of EatingWell Magazine

Quick Mixed Berry ToppingMy after-dinner cravings happen like clockwork-as soon as I've finished doing the dishes I start thinking of a quick dessert that will satisfy my sweet tooth.

Sometimes cravings get the best of me, but if I could take a time-out from them, I'd remember I'd rather eat fruit. It satisfies my need for sweets and is packed with vitamins and fiber. Plus, who has hours to spend on a complicated layer cake during the week?

These light fruit desserts are not only fast-they can be prepared in 15 minutes or less-but they are also a delicious way to get antioxidant-rich fruit into your diet.

4 Quick Fruit Desserts:

• Consider filling store-bought crepes with sweet and tangy Rhubarb-Vanilla Compote or using that same compote to top vanilla ice cream.

• Use frozen berries to make a Quick Mixed Berry Topping for angel food cake.

• Don't want to cook? Gingersnap-Banana Frozen Yogurt is simply layered bananas, crumbled gingersnaps and toasted pecans on top of frozen

Southwestern Cheese PaniniI did a quick Google search for "grilled cheese" and the first recipe I saw called for "2 slices cheese, 2 slices white bread and 2 tablespoons butter." That's for one sandwich. A seemingly innocent sandwich like a plain old grilled cheese is apparently not so innocent anymore.

A quick analysis showed that traditional grilled cheese contains:

• 410 calories
  
• 29 grams fat
  
• 18 grams saturated fat
  
• 840 mg sodium
  
• 1 gram fiber

All right, so it's not going to break the bank. But, come on! Who needs 18 grams of saturated fat in a single sandwich? I laughed at the numbers.

EatingWell's Southwestern Cheese Panini shows how 6 easy tweaks can take grilled cheese from plain-Jane to gourmet, adding more flavor, vitamins and fiber and cutting fat, calories and sodium.

Our sandwich has about 25 percent fewer calories, 60 percent less fat, 70 percent less saturated fat and 38 percent less sodium. Plus we've upped the fiber from 1 gram to 5 grams and

I absolutely love fruit. Always have. But lately scientific studies are giving me more reasons to reach for sweet, juicy oranges, kiwi, strawberries and pineapple (which I'm using in all types of recipes these days). These foods are packed with vitamin C, a nutrient that's important for our immune systems.

Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant-you know, the kind of compound that mops up harmful free radicals that have been associated with numerous chronic conditions, from heart disease to cancer. And it helps us to absorb iron-a nutrient that many woman fall short on-from plant foods.

But the most exciting news I've heard about this nutrient recently is that eating plenty of vitamin C may help ward off wrinkles. Sure, say what you want: finding this to be the most exciting health news is a little vain. But if obsessing about my skin results in my filling up on fresh fruit and fruit desserts, like Citrus-Infused Strawberries, isn't it, in the end, a good thing? I think

My fiance's mom and grandparents decided to visit us in Vermont one Easter weekend. Dan and I had been dating for two years, but I hadn't spent much time with his grandparents and, needless to say, I was a tad nervous that they were coming to our little condo for dinner.

We didn't have a dining room so we put our kitchen table in the sunroom and hung twinkly white lights. I didn't need to look long for the centerpiece of the meal-I made one of my favorite EatingWell spring recipes: Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Onion-Rhubarb Sauce.

Dan's grandfather, always quiet, was particularly silent as he devoured the pork. But there was a glint in his eye every time he took a bite. When they left to go back to their hotel after dinner, his grandfather hugged me and said, "You're a great girl." I was in. Who knew that rhubarb would be one of my soon-to-be-grandfather-in-law's favorites?

I think rhubarb is pretty perfect-I love how tart and tangy it is, begging to be paired with

My weekly grocery shopping trips practically require a manual these days. I have such a hard time remembering what I should buy-farm-raised or wild-caught, grass-fed or free-range? Is organic really healthier or will conventional do? And what about local?

Plus, some of the adjectives on food products are fancy marketing rather than fact-based claims. Take the term "natural," for instance. Since it's not defined by the FDA, it's more or less meaningless.

So to make the trip through the aisles a little easier, and figure out how to make the best choices, here's a little help.

For shopping and label-decoding advice, check out these handy Green Choices Buyer's Guides from EatingWell:

• Seafood Buyer's Guide
  Keeping track of which seafood is sustainable isn't an easy task. At present the USDA has no organic certification program for seafood. This guide tells you what to look for at the fish counter.
• Meat and Poultry Buyer's Guide
  Meat and

Blackened Salmon SandwichIn the spring, when stunning fillets of deep red-orange wild salmon begin to appear in fish markets, I get inspired. I'll buy a fillet and make a quick and healthy salmon recipe for dinner that night.

Salmon is a very forgiving fish to cook- it's pretty fatty as far as fish goes, so even if you overcook it a bit, chances are good that it'll still be moist and tender.

If the ease of cooking salmon isn't enough of a reason to eat it regularly, consider the health benefits. No common fish delivers more of the omega-3 fatty acids that help keep arteries clear and hearts strong than salmon. The past decade has shown that these fatty acids may also strengthen the immune system and eyesight, and even improve mental functioning.

My go-to EatingWell salmon recipes to cook at home are:

• Easy Salmon Cakes-which are terrific because you can use canned salmon, which is almost exclusively wild
• Roast Salmon with Salsa (quite possibly the most simple, delicious recipe

Haroset Cake with Zabaglione SauceThe Passover meal, or Seder, is both a joyous and solemn occasion and the food evokes many memories for Jews the world over. I attended my first seder just last year. I love learning about different religious traditions, particularly those that involve great food, and was thrilled to get an invitation from my neighbor.

Her large country kitchen was packed with folks of all ages, and we all gathered at three long tables for the meal. I enjoyed several bowls of perhaps the most delicious matzo ball soup ever. (Her secret is seltzer in the matzo ball mixture).

Make your special meal light and healthful with EatingWell's Passover recipes. Whether you choose to serve a traditional brisket or go a more contemporary route with Salmon Cakes, a light hand with fat and salt and a deft touch with seasonings keeps your meal flavorful and satisfying. Serve seasonal and easy side dishes, such as Endive & Watercress Salad or simple Roasted Asparagus. And for dessert, a Flourless Sponge

During my weekly trip to the supermarket, I spend about 70 percent of my time in the produce section. I love fresh fruits and vegetables and would love to buy all organic, but like most people, I can't afford the higher prices on every produce item from bananas to lettuce.

But when I factor in the health benefits of organics, suddenly I can justify adding a few higher-cost fruits and vegetables to my basket. In some cases organic is actually healthier than conventional produce.

According to the Environmental Working Group, these are the 10 foods worth buying organic (they're the most heavily contaminated with pesticides when grown conventionally):

• Apples
• Bell peppers
• Celery
• Cherries
• Lettuce
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Strawberries
• Imported grapes

And to help you justify your higher food costs, consider these three reasons to eat organic that writer Marissa Lippert uncovered in the March/April issue of