Blog Posts by The Editors of EatingWell Magazine

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

As the afternoon rolls along (or drags on, depending on your take), the office candy bowl sees an uptick in traffic. But a new study shows that it's not sugar, but protein that you should reach for to beat an afternoon slump.

The study, from the University of Cambridge in England and published in the November 2011 issue of Neuron, found that while glucose (sugar) blocks certain neurons that help you feel awake, the amino acids in protein prevent that from happening. So, if you eat some carbs at lunch, a protein-rich afternoon snack may keep you from feeling sleepy. And since protein helps keep you feeling full longer, that snack might tide you over better than a sugary one and keep you from snacking too much throughout the afternoon.

Here are some protein-rich afternoon snacks to try:

Smoothie made with silken tofu or yogurt or this Banana-Cocoa Soy Smoothie

Steamed

By Michelle Edelbaum, EatingWell Digital Editor

When it comes to spring desserts, light and fruity takes the cake (or makes the best cake!). And the best part of EatingWell's recipes is that they're super-tasty yet healthier versions of the desserts you love and crave. Looking for new recipes to try? I combed EatingWell's Pinterest boards for the most repinned spring desserts to see which stood out from the pack. Here are some of EatingWell's most stunning and delicious spring cakes.

Banana Cream Layer Cake (pictured above)
In this cake we layer delicate banana-buttermilk cake with a fluffy Bavarian-style cream that's made low-fat by combining nonfat milk with a reasonable amount of whipping cream. The rich taste makes it hard to believe that this cake has only 300 calories and 3 grams of saturated fat per slice.
Get the Recipe: Banana Cream Layer Cake & More Amazing Spring Cakes

Key Lime Meringue Cake
A cake with a meringue? Though not unheard of, this

By Matthew Thompson, Associate Food Editor for EatingWell Magazine

My dad was a minister, so I'm not just bragging when I tell you I'm an old pro when it comes to Easter. Growing up, I'd go to the sunrise service (every kid's favorite…right?), the 10 o'clock service, the potluck brunch, the Easter egg hunt (even when I was WAY too old for it) and, of course, the big family dinner afterward. That's a lot of Easter!

But there's one aspect of this Easter ritual that I always genuinely loved: the post-service brunch. Whether we were eating at home, at a friend's house or in the church fellowship hall, the extra-special spread of eggy casseroles, honey-glazed ham (there HAS to be ham), baked goodies, delicious sides stuffed with fresh spring veggies and citrusy drinks always made my day. I loved it then and I still love it now.

Don't Miss: 20 Delicious Easter Brunch Recipes

Of course, not everybody has money to burn on a fancy spread. While the economy may have picked up a bit

By Hilary Meyer, Associate Food Editor, EatingWell Magazine

Now that spring has sprung, I'm loading up on more fresh veggies, and that has me thinking about the best way to store them to keep them at their freshest. I only go to the grocery store once a week, which means I have to keep my produce stored properly to avoid ending up with a giant pile of bad veggies ready for the compost pile at the end of the week.

Related: How to Break 4 Supermarket Habits That Make You Spend Too Much Money
How to Get All Your Fruits and Vegetables for $2.25 a Day

And as it turns out, the refrigerator is not the go-to storage unit for all your produce. Below are 5 types of produce you shouldn't keep in your fridge.

Recipes to Try: Quick Weeknight Meals Packed with Produce

Tomatoes: OK, a tomato is technically a fruit, but taste-wise, it's closer to a vegetable. If you've ever grown tomatoes, then you know that they love the heat and hate the cold. Turns out even after they're

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

I've always been a breakfast eater. It gives me a much-needed energy boost-along with a cup of coffee, of course-and it helps me from being so famished at lunch that I end up overeating.

Related: Do I Need to Eat Breakfast Even If I'm Not Hungry?

But eating a morning meal is also a healthy habit if you're watching your weight. Here's why: research shows that regular breakfast eaters tend to be leaner and dieters are more successful at losing weight-and keeping it off-when they eat breakfast. What's more, people who typically eat breakfast also get more fiber (more on why this is important later), calcium, vitamins A and C, riboflavin, zinc and iron-and less fat and dietary cholesterol. Perhaps it's because they often eat cereal, which is fortified with vitamins and minerals, and fruit, which is naturally nutrient-rich.

But that doesn't mean you have to eat cereal to stay-or get-trim. Instead,

By Michelle Edelbaum, EatingWell Digital Editor

I'm loving this early spring weather! Since it's still light when I get home from work, I want to go outside-not spend my evening in the kitchen making dinner. So I haven't put away my slow cooker, since crock pot recipes that practically cook dinner themselves are my answer to having it all.

Here are 5 of my favorite healthy crock pot recipes from the EatingWell Test Kitchen:

Greek Chicken & Vegetable Ragout: This recipe is filled with so many tastes of spring: new potatoes, artichokes, dill. Plus it uses one of my favorite cuts-chicken thighs-which stay moist and succulent during slow cooking.
Get the Recipe: Greek Chicken & Vegetable Ragout & More Crock Pot Recipes Packed with Produce

Pulled Pork with Caramelized Onions: This recipe is a keeper in my house-it's REALLY easy. While traditional pulled pork is barbecued, which gives it a smoky flavor, the slow cooker happens to be the absolute easiest way to cook

By Matthew Thompson, Associate Food Editor for EatingWell Magazine

Oh potatoes, I can't stay mad at you! No matter how many people want to badmouth you for your carbs, your habit of sopping up oil as French fries, your high ranking on the glycemic index (which measures how quickly different foods raise your blood sugar), I keep coming back.

And who can blame me? Despite peoples' knee-jerk reactions to this tasty tuber, it actually fits perfectly into a healthy eating plan. It offers plenty of immunity-boosting vitamin C, blood pressure-lowering potassium and fiber. And unless you're eating an absolutely plain potato all by itself, its GI value doesn't matter. (It's also worth noting that the glycemic index is an imperfect and controversial scale.) A high-GI potato becomes a low-GI meal if you simply add a little olive oil, because the added fat helps slow the absorption of the potato's carbohydrates.

The other thing I love about potatoes is how many ways there are to

By Hilary Meyer, Associate Food Editor, EatingWell Magazine

I love breakfast, but I'm not at my most creative in the morning. My fast fall-back: whole wheat toast with a little butter or jam. It gets the job done, but it can get a little boring.

Don't Miss: 3-Ingredients of a Healthy Breakfast
5-Minute Breakfast Recipes

I'm going to take my toast offering up a few notches with just a little creativity. I want to make my toast something worth getting out of bed for. So here are 5 simple but unexpected ways to dress up your morning toast.

1. "Nova" toast
I LOVE bagels and lox (a traditional combo of cream cheese and cured salmon on a bagel), so I'm going to try this combo on toast. I'll give it a Scandinavian spin by choosing rye bread instead of my standard whole-wheat, keep it healthy by spreading it with reduced-fat cream cheese and top it with some smoked salmon. It's much more flavorful than my plain toast for breakfast routine and just as easy to make.