Blog Posts by The Editors of EatingWell Magazine

By Matthew Thompson, Associate Food Editor for EatingWell Magazine

While many people think of winter as produce's "off" season, that couldn't be further from the truth. Even in the depths of February, you can find tasty veggies like tangy Brussels sprouts, creamy sweet potatoes and, my favorite, dark leafy greens like kale, Swiss chard and spinach.

I love dark leafy greens: the varied shades-from deep jade to pale chartreuse-the rich, firm textures, the unforgettable flavors. They're also packed with nutrients. Dark greens like chard and spinach are high in vitamins A and K, while kale has almost as much vitamin C as an orange! I love to cook with them, too, though sometimes it's tricky to come up with ideas beyond your basic salad or braise. That's why I was so excited to head down to New York a few months ago to interview chefs at Mario Batali's Italian food mecca, Eataly. I got all sorts of tips about cooking and prepping greens from two veggie-savvy chefs, Kiah Lotus and

By Hilary Meyer, Associate Food Editor, EatingWell Magazine

Some habits can be tough to break. When it comes to cooking, you may have some bad habits that you're not even aware of. Some may be keeping your meal just short of reaching perfection while others may actually be hazardous to your health. Below are 10 common bad cooking habits that you should break:

1. Heating Oil Until It Smokes-Most recipes start with heating oil in a pan. It usually takes a little time for the stove to warm up, so we pour the oil and then turn our backs on the pan to do something else while it heats. Before you know it, you see wisps of smoke, which means the pan is hot and ready for cooking, right? Wrong! Not only do many oils taste bad once they have been heated to or past their smoke point, but when oils are heated to their smoke point or reheated repeatedly, they start to break down, destroying the oil's beneficial antioxidants and forming harmful compounds. However, an oil's smoke point is

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

Let's face it: Hollywood makes losing weight look easy! Especially with all those toned bodies walking the red carpet this awards season. But if shedding a few pounds is on your to-do list, don't be so quick to follow in the footsteps of your favorite celebs.

Don't Miss: Lose Up to 2 Pounds Healthfully This Week with This Diet Meal Plan

Here are 4 popular celebrity diets to be wary of:

1. Paleo Diet
Megan Fox is rumored to have followed this diet, also called the Caveman Diet. On the Paleo Diet, you're supposed to eat like your ancestors, which means eating a lot of animal protein, "natural" carbohydrates (essentially fruits and vegetables) and some nuts.

The Paleo Diet is high in protein and fat-and there's an emphasis on getting health-sustaining omega-3s into your diet from oily fish like wild salmon, game meats, free-range chicken and grass-fed beef, all of which can be pricier than their

By Nicci Micco, M.S., Content Director, Custom Publishing & Licensing for EatingWell

Every year, 76 million Americans get sick from food, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Nothing you can do will ever guarantee 100 percent protection against foodborne illness, but taking certain precautions can help reduce your risk. Some of these protective steps are common sense, like washing your hands before you eat. Others aren't so obvious. Read on to discover five surprising sources of foodborne "bugs" in your kitchen, we've written about in EatingWell Magazine, and how to protect yourself.
Related: 10 Rules for a Healthy Kitchen

Kitchen threat #1: Your kitchen sponge. When participants in a study from NSF International (an independent public health organization) swabbed various items in their houses, the kitchen sponge was by far the germiest. In fact, it harbored 150 times more bacteria, mold and yeast than a toothbrush holder. "You pick up bacteria when cleaning, but

By Emily Kennedy, Recipe Developer & Tester for EatingWell Magazine

There is a small café called 3 Squares a few miles from the EatingWell offices that makes what I consider to be the world's best French toast. It's nothing fancy-made with challah bread and served with cinnamon whipped cream, sliced berries and bananas. It is the kind of breakfast that I crave, and I have made it my mission to figure out how to make it (and make it healthier) at home. Here are my secrets to perfect, healthier French toast:

Get the Right Bread: You want bread that does not have too chewy or tough a crust or too many holes. This means steer clear of your beloved French baguette and fancy artisan breads. And while bread made from white all-purpose flour may taste good, it won't do much for you nutritionally. But you don't have to sacrifice taste to get the benefits of fiber from a whole-grain bread. To make a tasty, whole-grain French toast, I like to use a medium-density, semi-soft bread like

By Wendy Ruopp, managing editor of EatingWell and Cassidy Tawse-Garcia, editorial intern for EatingWell

I'll admit that I have had my share of mishaps when it comes to cooking rice. Sometimes when the top came off the pot I'd find a mushy, sticky mess. Other times, the grains were burnt and stuck to the bottom. I always use brown or wild rice. Even though these "real" whole grains take a bit longer to cook, they are worth the wait: unrefined grains maintain more heart-healthy vitamins and antioxidants. Plus, they are high in fiber, which is important for a heart-healthy diet.

Don't Miss: 7 of the Healthiest Foods You Should Be Eating But Probably Aren't
6 Carbs to Add to Your Diet to Help You Stay Slim

Since brown rice is such an important and healthy staple in my kitchen, I figured it was high time to get smart about rice-cooking techniques. Through trial and some errors, and talking with our cooking experts in the EatingWell Test Kitchen, I've gleaned these tidbits

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

If you have high cholesterol you aren't alone: nearly half of all American adults have high cholesterol. Not all cholesterol is bad, though. Your body makes its own and uses it for important functions, such as producing cells and certain hormones. But too much of this waxy substance in the blood clogs arteries.

Though your genes determine how much cholesterol your body produces naturally, your diet plays a role too. If you're worried about your cholesterol, aim to eat less saturated fat (found in red meats, butter and full-fat milk and other dairy) and more fruits and vegetables. Add these foods to your diet, too, which Peter Jaret wrote about in EatingWell Magazine and research has pinpointed as cholesterol-friendly.

Related: What You Can Do to Raise Your "Good" HDL Cholesterol
10 Steps to a Healthy Heart

1. Almonds
Substances in almond skins help prevent LDL "bad" cholesterol from being

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

If you think cognitive decline isn't something that starts to happen until after age 60, think again. A new study from the British Medical Journal showed that cognitive decline-a decrease in memory and reasoning capacity-can start to affect our brains as early as 45! Give yourself a mental boost now with these four foods.

Must-Read: 7 Anti-Aging Superfoods
What to Eat for a Healthy Heart and a Healthy Mind

Leafy Greens
A 2006 study in Neurology showed that people who ate two or more daily servings of vegetables, especially leafy greens, had the mental focus of people five years their junior. Have a big salad for lunch; serve some sautéed spinach at dinner.

Related: Top Healthiest Foods You Should Be Eating (But Probably Aren't)

Whole Grains
Studies show that eating a breakfast of whole grains helps sustain mental focus better than a morning meal of refined