Blog Posts by SparkPeople.com

By Melinda Hershey, for SparkPeople

We all know it's a good idea to eat leafy green veggies. They're chock-full of nutritious vitamins and minerals, and they're low in calories to boot. But if you can only stomach so much green in your life, which leafy green should you choose for the maximum nutritional benefits: Spinach, kale, mustard greens, Swiss chard, or collard greens?

The Winner: Kale!
Dietitians and other health professionals have been telling us to eat more kale for years-and for good reason! Although the other leafy greens we mentioned still boast impressive nutritional profiles, kale clearly takes the cake. Check out how kale stacks up against the other greens on the list when comparing several key nutrients. (All nutritional information is for one cup of raw greens. The percentages are for the recommended daily value (% DV) of each nutrient.)

Type of Green

Calories

Vitamin A

Vitamin C

Vitamin K

Read More »from The Healthiest Leafy Green--And How to Eat It

By Stepfanie Romine, co-author of "The SparkPeople Cookbook: Love Your Food, Lose the Weight"

Looking for a new way to use protein powder? We've got you covered!

1. Muffins: Try my High-Protein, Low-Sugar Blueberry Muffins! These muffins have 10 grams of protein--and less than a teaspoon of sugar and oil--in each one. Sweet, moist, and delicious, pack one of these tasty treats in your gym bag for a post-workout snack!

2. Pancakes: This sweet breakfast just got a bit healthier, thanks to these protein pancake recipes!

3. Pudding: From scratch or from a mix, pudding and protein powder are a perfect pair!

4. Smoothies: Give yours staying power with one of these recipes.

5. Cakes: Swap up to half the flour in your cake recipe with protein powder. Add an additional 1/2 cup water. Portion control your sweets by making cupcakes!

6. Protein Fudge: Enough said!


What's your favorite way to use protein powder?


Related links:
Protein Powder Dough Balls
How to Meet Your Protein Needs withoutRead More »from 6 New Uses for Protein Powder

By Chef Meg Galvin, Healthy Cooking Expert at SparkPeople.com

Garlic is good for more than keeping away vampires. It's also quite good for you and full of flavor. Roasting garlic mellows its flavor and gives it a creamy texture. This recipe is a staple in my house. I throw a couple of heads in the oven when I'm cooking other dishes, and I use it on bread, in soups and in stews. You'll love this recipe--it's low in fat and free of salt!

Minutes to Prepare: 5
Minutes to Cook: 30
Number of Servings: 6

Ingredients
2 heads garlic
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon thyme, dried
1/2 teaspoon sage, dried
1/4 teaspoon rosemary, dried and chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the tops off two heads of garlic, exposing the tips of the cloves. Place each bulb on a square of aluminum foil. Use a butter knife to gently loosen the cloves within the head, being careful not to completely separate them.

Combine all remaining ingredients

Read More »from Herb-Roasted Garlic

By Hillary Copsey, for BabyFit

When my mother said birth and parenthood were not something I could learn from a book, I bristled.

"I know," I told her. "I'm not stupid. I know it's something I have to go through to really understand. But that doesn't mean I can't be as prepared as possible."

I hung up the phone and went over the pain management section of "Birthing from Within" again.

And then The Boy was born. And I realized exactly what Mom meant.

The trick to motherhood is trusting yourself, even when you have no idea what you're doing. Especially then. Every child is different; no method from a book is a perfect fit for every baby. And even doing your best, you're probably going to screw up a little. But it's OK. You're the expert for your baby. All that child wants is to be fed, sheltered and loved. You can do that.

For me, the illusion that information could fix everything disappeared about a week in when breastfeeding just wasn't working for The Boy and me. We'd had the

Read More »from It's OK: All Moms Are Learning as They Go Along

By Melinda Hershey, for SparkPeople

All that leftover Halloween candy can be downright scary. Those colorful ''fun-sized'' bars may tempt you to have just one piece, but beware-those tiny, innocent-looking treats can add up if you're not careful! Some people forgo the chocolate candies altogether in favor of low-fat choices, such as Starbursts and Twizzlers, thinking that they are doing their waistlines a favor. But does low-fat always mean low-sugar? If you were to choose between a chocolaty fun-sized bag of peanut M&Ms and a serving of Twizzlers, which one would be the least sugary choice?

The Winner: Peanut M&Ms!

One fun-sized pack of peanut M&Ms clocks in at 90 calories, 5 grams of fat, and 9 grams of sugar. In comparison, one serving of Twizzlers (3 Twizzlers) has 120 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 15 grams of sugar. (As a bonus, you'll get 1.5 grams of filling protein from the M&Ms, whereas Twizzlers contain zero protein.) It just goes to show that low-fat doesn't always mean

Read More »from Battle of the Leftover Halloween Treats!

By Sarah Haan, for SparkPeople

Halloween marks the beginning of a two-month season packed with parties and desserts-now that's scary for anyone who is trying to manage his or her weight. Beyond the fun-size (and therefore calorie-controlled) candies of Halloween, several fall treats are big calorie bombs. Be on the lookout for these surprisingly high-cal foods, which can add up fast if you let your guard down.

Pumpkin Flavored Baked Goods
Pumpkin itself is a healthful food. Plain pumpkin puree contains a dose of vitamin A and fiber for a small amount of calories. But pair it with sugar, cream cheese frosting, shortening and butter and you've got a high-cal treat dressed in a healthy-looking orange outfit. Restaurants and coffee shops are the biggest villains, promoting their pumpkin scones, muffins, donuts and breads, which can contain up to 630 calories per serving. Don't let "low-fat" versions trick your either; low-fat is not the same thing as low-calorie. Your best bet is to

Read More »from The 3 Most Fattening Fall Foods

By Chef Meg Galvin, Healthy Cooking Expert at SparkPeople.com

Instead of a whole pie, try making bite-size tarts. The diminutive desserts cook quicker and are automatically portion controlled. Plus, they're easier to make for a crowd, and there's no need for a fork and plate.

Instead of a whole pie, try making bite-size tarts. The diminutive desserts cook quicker and are automatically portion controlled. Plus, they're easier to make for a crowd, and there's no need for a fork and plate.


Minutes to Prepare: 10

Minutes to Cook: 7

Number of Servings: 12

Ingredients

24 phyllo dough tart shells
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1 lemon, juiced
2 T butter, unsalted
4 T brown sugar
1/2 c caramel ice cream topping
1/2 c whipped cream (optional--nutrition info NOT included)


Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place tart shells on a baking tray. Combine lemon juice and apples in a mixing bowl. In a cast iron or heavy skillet, heat the butter until frothy. Add brown Read More »from Welcome November with Apple Tarts

By Chef Meg Galvin, Healthy Cooking Expert at SparkPeople.com

The pumpkin celebration shouldn't end with Halloween! Instead of just displaying those gourds, let's eat them! Here are some of my favorite pumpkin recipes to get you in the spirit.

















Chef Meg's 'Seedy' Pumpkin Pie
This pie crust has a crunchy addition: pepitas, or shelled pumpkin seeds. They add a nice nutty flavor.


Calories: 168.4
Total Fat: 7.2 g
Cholesterol: 38.4 mg
Sodium: 141.1 mg
Total Carbs: 24.6 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.2 g
Protein: 4.9 g












Chef Meg's Pumpkin Dip
Try this dip on a toasted whole-wheat bagel at breakfast or with apple slices or whole-grain crackers for a snack. It's even good with carrots.


Calories: 31.7
Total Fat: 1.7 g
Cholesterol: 5.8 mg
Sodium: 88.3 mg
Total Carbs: 1.6 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.2 g
Protein: 2.4 g













Chef Meg's Pumpkin Soup with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
After one sip of this savory pumpkin soup, you will be surprised to find it packs a little heat. Your taste buds will do a Read More »from 3 Perfect Pumpkin Recipes