Blog Posts by The Editors of EatingWell Magazine

By Wendy Ruopp, Managing Editor of EatingWell

Freedom! Freedom from fuss. Freedom from extra work. Freedom from complicated cooking. That's what summer means and that's what summer suppers demand.

What we have here is the freedom to act like a guest in your own kitchen and just drop in for a few minutes. When I'm thinking about what to make for supper on a broiling-hot day, I gravitate toward a salad full of flavorful summer produce--our Vegetarian Taco Salad, perhaps (pictured; see recipe below), featuring fresh corn and ripe tomatoes. With a chop-chop here and a little assembly there, dinner for 6 is ready in 40 minutes.

Related: 4 "Magic" Ingredients of a Power Salad

Here are 5 recipes for summer dinner salads that will cap off a lovely summer day easily and deliciously. They are easy to double if you need to feed a crowd--and they'll help your crowd fill up on plenty of in-season summer veggies.

Thai-Style Melon & Beef Salad: We give this Thai-style beef salad a

By Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D., Nutrition Editor, EatingWell Magazine

All things coconut seem to be über popular these days. (A few weeks ago I wrote about coconut water: is it worth the splurge?) To that end, more and more I'm hearing about replacing butter with coconut oil--because it's (allegedly) healthier. The skeptical dietitian in me balked at the notion, but then I thought I ought to investigate. Here's what I found.

Nutrition breakdown (per 1 tablespoon)
•Coconut oil: 117 calories, 14 grams total fat, 12 grams saturated fat
•Unsalted butter: 102 calories, 12 grams total fat, 7 grams saturated fat

Based on the numbers, butter seems to be the better choice: it's lower in calories, total fat and saturated fat. Plus, the percentage of fat from saturated fat is lower: 58 percent versus 86 percent.

Related: Is Margarine Healthier Than Butter?

What about the buzz that the type of saturated fat in coconut oil is healthier?
Emerging research

By Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D., Associate Nutrition Editor, EatingWell Magazine

Losing weight is about calories in versus calories out. To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than you burn each day through exercise and general living. How much you need to eat each day varies based on your height, weight and activity level. (Find out how many calories you should be eating each day for weight loss by using this formula: [Your weight x 12] - 500 = Your daily calorie goal.) But most people will lose weight on a 1,200-calorie diet, which is also the lowest you really can go calorie-wise each day while still getting all the nutrients you need.

So what does a 1,200-calorie day look like?

Related: What Does a 1,500-Calorie Diet Look Like?

Here's a meal plan I created for EatingWell Magazine. Along with specific meal and snack suggestions, I've also provided a calorie goal for you to shoot for at each meal. Follow it and you should be on your way to losing the

By Wendy Ruopp, Managing Editor of EatingWell

Bananas are one of the most commonly eaten fresh fruits: the average American consumes about 30 pounds of bananas per year! However, if you're like me, the enjoyment that comes from eating a perfectly ripe banana is rare--it seems that as soon as I get them home from the grocery store, they are already turning brown. If Americans are eating that many bananas a year, I don't even want to imagine how many pounds are being thrown away because we've let them go pass their prime.

Never waste a banana again! This fruit is actually pretty darned versatile and can star in everything from banana bread to more adventurous concoctions like banana-corn fritters. (And don't miss these 4 tricks for the best banana bread from the EatingWell Test Kitchen.)

Here are 5 easy recipes that will help you use up those bunches in a hurry.

Banana-Cocoa Soy Smoothie: With plenty of protein from both tofu and soymilk, this banana-split-inspired

By Hilary Meyer, Associate Food Editor, EatingWell Magazine

In the height of summer, most people have forgotten about their slow cookers. But my slow cooker never gets put into storage; I think of it as a year-round tool. (Don't miss these 7 tricks for better slow-cooking in your crock pot.)

For starters, it never stops being convenient. Just the way it warms you up after a day skiing, your slow cooker can deliver an easy, nourishing meal after a soccer game or a day at the beach. And no, you don't have to be eating beef stew in August. Recipes like Pulled Pork with Caramelized Onions (pictured, see the recipe below) are great for summer. Just top it with some cool and crunchy slaw and a tart pickle and you've got yourself the perfect summer meal. Or make meatballs in your slow cooker for a crowd-pleasing meal. (Try this recipe: Nonna's Spaghetti & Meatballs). Pair that with a salad and you can't possibly go wrong.

And who would argue that lasagna is a dinner only to be

Tex-Mex Summer Squash Casserole (see recipe below)By Matthew Thompson, Associate Food Editor for EatingWell Magazine

Summer is great for getting outside and enjoying the warm weather and seemingly endless evenings with friends. It's the perfect time of year for a backyard potluck. But things can get tricky when it comes to figuring out what food to bring to a get-together. If everyone followed their first instinct--or at least my first instinct--you'd end up with a party full of salads and nothing else. Party foul.

Consider whipping up one of these delicious summer casseroles instead. They're quick to put together, packed with fresh seasonal veggies, great to make ahead (some are even freezable if you want to keep them on hand for future soirees) and sure-fire crowd-pleasers. Party on!

Zucchini Rice Casserole
We pack extra vegetables into this cheesy baked rice casserole. Plus we substitute brown rice for white, reduce the cheese by half and swap turkey sausage for pork sausage. If you're bringing it to a potluck,

By Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D., Associate Nutrition Editor, EatingWell Magazine

I had never heard of chia until a couple of years ago when a health-minded friend started crowing about her latest superfood. "It's loaded with omega-3s; the Aztecs used to grow it," she told me. Intrigued, I wanted to find out if chia truly did deserve the health hype. Here's what I learned--as Ana Mantica and Amy Levin-Epstein have both reported on chia for EatingWell Magazine:

Must-Read: 10 Everyday "Superfoods" You Might Already Be Eating

What is chia?
If your first thought is "Chia Pets," you're kind of right. Edible chia seeds (Salvia hispanica) are a cousin of the seeds (Salvia columbariae) you once used to grow a crop of green hair atop your clay "pet." If you've never seen or tried them before, chia are small round seeds-ivory to charcoal-colored-that dissolve a bit and form a gel when mixed with liquid. For this reason, they make a creamy addition to oatmeal and are

By Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D., Nutrition Editor, EatingWell Magazine

It's that time of year when many of us start thinking about back to school. And, as a nutrition editor and registered dietitian, that means lunch (and maybe even breakfast or snack). "What should I be packing for meals for my kid while they're at school?" is a question I hear often.

Don't Miss: 5 Healthy-Sounding Kids' Foods That Aren't

Here are a few suggestions to help you fuel your kiddo's young brain and body.

For breakfast: oatmeal. Reams of studies show that fueling the brain with breakfast is important for thinking, acting and learning. And children who are undernourished perform poorly on cognitive tasks. But not just any breakfast will do: research shows that fueling your kids with slower-burning carbohydrates (also called low-glycemic-index foods) like oatmeal instead of faster-burning, or high-glycemic-index, breakfast foods (think: sugary cereals) helps them to maintain their