Blog Posts by SparkPeople.com

5 Ways to Love Your Body
While many of us have an easy time showering other people with love, it's harder to love ourselves. Begin today to start appreciating, accepting and yes, even loving your body--during pregnancy and beyond.

Stop picking yourself apart
Let's face it: No matter how close-to-perfection your body may be (and just what is the perfect body anyway?), chances are that there is something you would change about it if you could. Even celebrities and models who have been stamped with the media's "perfect body" rating have parts they dislike - their feet, their hands, their ears - and they don't necessarily have high self-esteem either! Rather than pick your body apart, look at your body as a whole (and read the next point…)

Consider the marvelous functions of your body
There are millions of microscopic functions that go on in our bodies every day, and you don't even have to think about them. They just happen! Unfortunately, it often takes a crisis or a tragedy, such as a brush

Playing it Safe: Soft Cheeses It's true that pregnant women shouldn't eat soft cheeses, but that doesn't mean that every soft dairy product is out of bounds for 40 weeks.

Your morning bagel with cream cheese is a safe choice (just be sure to choose a low-fat variety), as is your yogurt smoothie. If you're craving cottage cheese and tomatoes, dig in.

However, because of your pregnancy, you should probably avoid some other foods in your refrigerator. Pregnant women shouldn't eat soft cheeses that are unpasteurized, mold-ripened cheeses like Brie or Camembert, or blue-veined cheeses such as Stilton and Gorgonzola (the blue veins are mold). Unpasteurized (also called raw) cheeses can carry a harmful bacteria called listeria.

Listeria is a type of bacteria found everywhere. Listeria can cause a food-borne illness called listeriosis, which is extremely dangerous for a pregnant women and her unborn baby. Listeriosis can cause premature delivery, miscarriage, and fetal death. A pregnant woman is more

Chef Meg's Orange-Miso Grilled SalmonBy Chef Meg Galvin, Healthy Cooking Expert at SparkPeople.com

Sweet and tangy oranges pair perfectly with rich, salty miso. A little goes a long way, and this salmon dish is decadent yet healthy! Pair it with grilled veggies and a slice of grilled whole-wheat bread rubbed with garlic.

Minutes to Prepare: 20

Minutes to Cook: 15

Number of Servings: 4

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Calories: 236.0
• Total Fat: 9.3 g
• Cholesterol: 80.5 mg
• Sodium: 97.8 mg
• Total Carbs: 7.9 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.1 g
• Protein: 29.3 g

Tips

I prefer wild salmon over farmed or Atlantic varieties. Not only does it have more Omega-3 fatty acids, but it's also more flavorful.

Keep the skin on when you grill. The skin will add moisture and serve as a safe barrier from the intense heat of the grill. It's super easy to pull off after the fish is cooked. When cooking skin-on fish, always place the flesh side down first.

Ingredients

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Chef Meg's Slow Cooker Kentucky Burgoo

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

Some folks throw Super Bowl parties. In Lexington, Kentucky, where I'm from, we throw a Derby party.

The Kentucky Derby is packed full of tradition: fancy hats for the ladies, mint juleps, Derby pie, asparagus, and, my favorite, Burgoo, a slow-cooked stew. I forgot to mention, there are also horses involved, but just like everything else in my life even the Derby is always about the food.

• Mint Juleps, an iced beverage made with Kentucky bourbon, mint and simple syrup and served in frosted silver cups
• Steamed and chilled asparagus
• Deviled Eggs with Diced Beets
• Fresh garden peas
• Beaten Biscuits with Country Ham
• Burgoo, a stew made with pork, chicken, beef, mutton… almost any combination of meats you want
• Chocolate-pecan pie with bourbon

Thinly sliced roast beef is the star ingredient of these Beef and Blue Sandwiches. Red meat can be a part of a healthy diet.












Red meat is making its way back to the plates of dieters and health-conscious eaters, but not every cut of red meat is a winner. Here are some considerations to make when selecting beef.
Grade: Grade refers to the amount of marbling, or fat, found in the cut of meat. It has nothing to do with the safety of the meat or how it was raised-it's all about the fat content. Meat that has a higher grade has more fat, and therefore greater tenderness. The three most common grades are:

1. Prime (the fattiest cut, most often found in restaurants)
2. Choice (moderate in fat)
3. Select (the leanest grade).

Cut: Cut refers to the part of the animal the meat has been taken from. Most of the leaner cuts come from the animal's hip or hindquarter region. "Round" or "loin" are keywords to look for when you want the leanest cut of meat (think top round, sirloin, top loin, tenderloin, eye round, etc.). When selecting ground beef, look at the percentages: 80/20% lean means the meat is 80% lean and

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

A crêpe might look like a skinny pancake, but it's so much more versatile than the good old American flapjack!

Yes, they are both made from a thin batter and cooked on a flat surface, but what happens to a crêpe after it comes off the griddle sets it worlds apart from the pancake.

Unlike the pancake, the crêpe is generally used as a wrapper for other foods rather than the main attraction. Crêpes can be sweet or savory, and they're eaten as hors d'oeuvres, entrees and dessert. It really is a world-class dish, and as such, it answers to many names:

In Italy, crêpes are crespelle. They're often filled with cheese and baked like manicotti. In China, they're known as "bing," and filled with everything from green onions to fruit. And in Russia, crêpes become blinis, stuffed with all sorts of sweet and savory ingredients.

Today we're focusing on the French version, the one we might know best stuffed

Food Showdown: Which Vending Machine Snack Should You Unwrap?

By Nicole Nichols, Managing Editor and Fitness Expert at SparkPeople

Ah, the infamous vending machine. It's great and convenient when you need an afternoon pick-me-up, but you probably already know that most vending machine foods are not the healthiest choices. Here are two common vending staples, both from Hostess: the cherry-flavored Fruit Pie and a three-cake serving of Ho Ho's. Okay, the cherry pie does contain some fruit, but also has lots of sugar. The Ho Ho's are chocolate cake with cream, but one package usually contains three cakes! If you want a good size treat, which of these Hostess treats will satisfy your sweet tooth for fewer calories?

Which snack is the winner?

What's the healthiest vending machine snack you've tried?

More from SparkPeople:

• Food on the Run: Best Vending Machine Choices
• Food for Thought: Should We Tax Junk Food?
• How Snacking Can Help--or Hurt--Your Weight Loss

SparkPeople Fitness Expert Nicole

Chef Meg's Raspberry Lemon Scones

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

Scones are perfect for weekend house guests, hostess gifts, or picnics. Traditionally made with loads of butter and cream, mine use far less butter--and whole-grain flour.

Minutes to Prepare: 10

Minutes to Cook: 20

Number of Servings: 12

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 12
• Amount Per Serving: 1 scone
• Calories: 174.2
• Total Fat: 5.2 g
• Cholesterol: 41.2 mg
• Sodium: 57.4 mg
• Total Carbs: 29.0 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4.9 g
• Protein: 5.2 g

Tips

Sprinkle a tablespoon of raw sugar on top of the scones for added crunch and sweetness.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup evaporated nonfat milk
zest of 1 lemon
3 cups white whole wheat flour
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