Blog Posts by The Editors of EatingWell Magazine

By Wendy Ruopp, Managing Editor of EatingWell

We went apple picking on Saturday and got a little carried away. It was a day that captured the essence of Autumn in New England: that "snap" in the air that puts color in your cheeks; the reds, oranges and yellows of fall foliage just like in a picture postcard; and apple trees weighed down with deep red, ready-to-pick fruit. We just meant to pick a few…and now we have so many apples we hardly know what to do with them all.
Somebody had the bright idea of making a whole dinner featuring our apple haul, to really celebrate fall. So when Sunday turned out to be cool and rainy and just right for cooking, we decided to prepare an apple-ceantric feast. Here's the menu.

Starters:
We'll begin with a cup of Curried Carrot & Apple Soup. (As one reader commented online: "The apples raise this soup from very good to superb.")
Then we'll have Roasted Apple & Cheddar Salad (see full recipe below). This salad has lots of

By Matthew Thompson, Associate Food Editor for EatingWell Magazine

I grew up in a city in Connecticut famous for its Italian food--New Haven's pizza places are some of the best in the world--so being able to enjoy fettuccine alla carbonara, osso buco, tiramisu and the like feels more like a birthright than a privilege. But whenever I want to enjoy a deliciously cheesy Italian dish, there always seems to be someone ready to make a disparaging comment about how unhealthy it is. Because Italian equals pasta and pasta equals carbs and carbs equal unhealthy, right? Wrong.

In actuality, authentic Italian cooking can be some of the healthiest on earth. The cuisine is packed with healthy staples that made the Mediterranean diet famous: heart-healthy olive oil, omega-3-packed seafood, fiber-rich whole grains and many more. It's no wonder that Italians boast some of the longest life expectancies on the planet.

Here's a look at some of the amazing benefits of essential foods in

By Hilary Meyer, Associate Food Editor, EatingWell Magazine

When I was in culinary school we learned a lot about how to develop flavors. These methods usually involved high-end ingredients, a lot of prep time and sometimes following complicated procedures to get good results. Little did I know a much easier path to culinary greatness was sitting in my pantry the whole time I was sweating in a restaurant kitchen. That would be my slow cooker.

The humble slow cooker can turn out some pretty mean food if you know a few tricks. Not to mention it's convenient, relatively inexpensive and very easy to use. (Dinner practically cooks itself!) Take EatingWell's recipe for Flemish Beef Stew (see full recipe below), for example. In culinary school I would have been meticulously trimming an expensive cut of meat, tournéing vegetables and bathing them all in veal stock.

Don't Miss: 12 Tips to Think Like a Chef

But in this version, I'm simply searing bottom round, chopping my veggies

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

Ever read a food label on a product and wonder why certain ingredients are called out as "Allergens" (e.g., "May contain soy, peanuts, etc.")? Although one could develop food allergies to many foods (I know people who are allergic to fava beans and strawberries), there are eight foods and food groups that represent the most common food allergies--what are known as the "Big Eight." In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires food manufacturers to list these eight common allergens on food labels. If you are allergic to one of these foods or if you are cooking for someone who is, you'll find this information below very helpful, since these ingredients can sneak into many unexpected food products.

Here are the "Big Eight," plus what foods these potential allergens lurk in and easy substitutes to try instead.

Related:
Foods to Fight Allergies and Asthma--What Works

By Alesia Depot, Assistant Managing Editor, EatingWell Magazine

During my morning scramble I'm rushing to cook breakfast and pack a healthy lunch for my kids. In that hectic time slot my multitasking-parent skills are on overdrive. Once the kids are eating breakfast, I start working on lunch. I don't necessarily pack the plain old PB & J. Instead I mix and match whatever I have on hand to send my kids off with a balanced array of foods. I think of lunch items as fitting into one of three categories: protein, fruit and vegetables, and whole grains. I just choose at least one item from each category and the lunchboxes are packed in a jiffy. Here's how my approach works:

Quick Breakfast Ideas: Healthy Breakfasts to Get You Out the Door

Step 1: Pick a protein.
Adding a little protein to your child's lunchbox is an easy way to keep them satisfied throughout the afternoon--gram for gram, protein will keep them feeling fuller longer compared to carbohydrates and fat. I

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

There's a super-important nutrient that, chances are, you're not getting enough of: omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are a nutrient powerhouse, shown to improve heart health and mood. There are two kinds of omega-3s, in particular, that are important for overall health: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). "They are longer than other omega-3s (like alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA), so they make your cell membranes more fluid, which helps brain, eye and nerve cells function better," says Kantha Shelke, Ph.D., a spokesperson for the Institute of Food Technologists. Yet most Americans only get 100 mg a day of DHA/EPA, far short of the recommended 250 mg.

Must-Read: 4 Foods You Should Be Eating for Brain Power

All sorts of foods have been boasting omega-3s lately, from orange juice to bread. Amy Paturel, M.S., M.P.H., reported for EatingWell magazine on how to get more of these

By Hilary Meyer, Associate Food Editor, EatingWell Magazine

It's hard to deny that bacon possesses some magical qualities. It regularly gets people out of bed in the morning, it converts vegetarians to meat eaters. In fact I'm having a hard time writing this blog because all I can think about is bacon's intoxicating aroma. Everything about bacon--its smoky perfume, its salty, yet subtly sweet bite--screams "Eat me! Eat lots of me!" But here's where the fairy tale ends. If you sit down to a plate full of bacon, you will probably die. Okay, maybe not. If you sit down to a plate full of bacon, you will probably regret it.

Don't Miss: The Bacon Calculator: How Much Fat Is In Your Dinner?

That's because though bacon does have its virtues, being a health food isn't one of them. Downing a 3-ounce portion of bacon will set you back 460 calories and 36 grams of fat. Like so many good things in life, we have to learn to use bacon in moderation. And, lucky for us, bacon is so

By Wendy Ruopp, Managing Editor of EatingWell

From chuck wagon to roadside diner to epicurean cook-off, chili has been an all-American favorite for well over a century. Here at EatingWell, we haven't been making chili for quite that long--but we do have some recipes that date back to the 1990s. We have chili recipes made with beef, lamb, chicken, and even some excellent vegetarian chili recipes too. Many of these recipes involve long, slow cooking on the back of the stove--just what you want on a chilly (get it?) fall weekend. (Got more time? Make chili in your crock pot.) There are times, though--and tonight is one of them--when I want to go home and make chili for dinner. In 30 minutes. (In the mood for soup? Try these 30-minute soup recipes.)

Impossible, you say? Not at all. Here are tips for chili success from our collective years of experience.

Don't Miss: 8 Tricks for the Best Healthy Chili

Chili Trick #1: Season Boldly
Using generous amounts of spice in your