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from SparkPeople.com

Quick, healthy and delicious snacks...

If I close my eyes and concentrate, I can still remember how it tasted: The snack that my best friend introduced me to in the 10th grade. So delicious, it soon became part of an everyday after-school ritual. We'd each cut a plain white bagel down the middle, spread a thick layer of salty tub margarine on each half, pop it in the microwave until the margarine was liquefied and the bagel was piping hot and soft, and devour it while sitting cross-legged on her scratchy bedroom carpet, reading magazines and confiding secrets. Often we'd go back for seconds.

Those were the days. Thankfully, for my arteries' sake, I soon became far better informed about nutrition. During my first after-school job at a health-food store, I learned about the wonderful world of whole grains, healthy fats, and fresh produce. I also learned that these foods can taste just as good as the "junk foods" (and buttered white bagels) I once revered. And yes, there's more to healthy

Tips to Ease Bathroom Visits When You're away from Home
Mom-tested tips for braving the public potty.

from the experts at SparkPeople.com

With potty-training comes the perils of the public bathroom.

My son, who is about to turn 3, had no interest in potty-training for the longest time. We never pushed, but right around his second birthday--right before the birth of our second son--we mentioned "Peeing on the Potty" frequently, a fun activity he might like. He ignored us for six months.

That was, until just days before a 12-hour, two-plane travel day to see his grandparents.

As we embarked on a weeklong vacation, he wanted nothing to do with diapers. We took a crash course in dealing with toddlers and toilets in public.

In some ways, being able to lay a kid down anywhere, wipe off the nastiness and throw it away is so much easier. I am in no way advocating avoiding potty-training to avoid a public bathroom, but I am sharing some of the unforeseen difficulties we encountered and our best tips for

from the experts at SparkPeople.com

Get real tips from real moms.

All combined, BabyFit members have centuries of mothering experience. We decided to collect some of that institutional knowledge and repackage it in an easy-to-read article full of tips that will make your lives easier, help you save money and offer solutions to some tricky parenting problems.

Food

Make your own snack packs. When you get home from the grocery store, separate snacks like cookies and chips into plastic bags. It will minimize overeating and help kids learn what a sensible portion looks like.

Don't show the kids the wrappers if you give them candy. That way they don't get addicted to one and don't know which ones they like.

It's OK to keep a frozen pizza in the freezer for a day when Mom has just had too much to do.

To save money and time, make LOTS of extra pancakes on weekends and freeze them. Then just throw them in the microwave when you want to eat them during the week.

When it comes to cutting pancakes and

Mini taco cups are fun for kids and moms alike!

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

These bite-size tacos are always a hit in our house! They're ready in no time, and they require almost no cooking skills. Kids of almost any age can help with this recipe.

You'll find phyllo dough shells in the grocer's freezer; choose whole wheat if they're available. You can fill these tiny tacos with anything you like. The basic "recipe" uses black beans, Cheddar cheese and tomato salsa, but the sky's the limit with fillings. (Psst, mom: This is a great time to sneak in some veggies.)

Let the kids whip up a batch the next time they have a friend over. They can't make too much of a mess with this recipe--and no sharp knives required.

Minutes to Prepare: 5

Minutes to Cook: 12

Ingredients

Special equipment needed:
Mini muffin tins

1 package phyllo dough cups
3/4 cup vegetarian, fat-free refried beans
1 1/2 teaspoons Chef Meg's Taco Seasoning
2 tablespoons black

Get the exclusive Super Bowl chili recipe!

SparkPeople's head dietitian, Becky Hand, lives in Indiana, just a short drive from Indianapolis, the epicenter of the Super Bowl excitement. While most of us won't make it to the big game, we can pretend we're there by making the same chili they're serving in the stadium!

The ingredients for Farm Aid's HOMEGROWN Chili were all provided by Indiana farmers, one of whom is Becky's friend, and Becky shared info about the recipe with us: Find all the recipes here! The chili is available in beef, pork, and vegetarian varieties.

Yum! What are you making for the big day?

SparkPeople is the country's largest health and fitness website. Learn more--and get a free fitness and diet plan.

Work out while you watch!

By Nicole Nichols, Fitness Expert and Managing Editor, SparkPeople.com

The Super Bowl is synonymous with friendly get-togethers and party food. Too bad it usually leaves us feeling weighed down by the time the night is over. This year, let's change that!

Whether you watch the game on your own or invite over a few fitness-minded friends, vow to keep this year's game night healthy with light Super Bowl eats or my favorite: The Super Bowl Workout Game! It's a fun, calorie-torching, muscle-challenging game that you can play (if you dare!) while you watch on Sunday.

Try this workout on Super Bowl Sunday or while you watch any football game in the future.

Every time the call or action on the left happens, perform the exercise listed on the right.

Work out while you watch!

It's guaranteed to have you rooting during the game (for the right or the wrong reasons!) and to make you sweat…a lot.

Will you try the Super Bowl Workout Game?

Coach Nicole

SparkPeople Fitness Expert Nicole

Beans, beans, the magical fruit...

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

"Beans, beans, the musical fruit. The more you eat, the more you toot."

We've all heard that tune, and most of us have unfortunately experienced the reality of it.

Beans are an excellent source of fiber, and they are a great source of protein, especially for vegetarians. So many people are scared to eat them because of the digestive ditties that their bodies play later.

That unpleasant bloated, gassy feeling occurs when the sugars in the beans (called oligosaccharides) break down in your gut (we don't have the enzyme needed to digest it, so it ferments and produces gas).

Fear no bean. Learn how to make your beans less musical, no Beano needed:

The #1 tip: Rinse and drain canned beans. Not only will this reduce sodium significantly, but rinsing away the slimy canning liquid removes much of the gas-causing sugars.

If you cook your own:

Soak them first.

White chicken chili

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

Want to serve chili on game day but don't want to spend hours waiting for it to cook? This quick-cooking white chili is the perfect recipe for a crowd. If there are any leftovers (there never are in my house!), freeze them in single-serving containers for up to 4 months.

Minutes to Prepare: 10

Minutes to Cook: 30

1 T olive oil
2 lbs (32 oz) chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, diced into 1-inch cubes
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 t salt
1 t ground cumin
1/2 t chili powder
1/8 t cloves, ground
1/8 t cayenne pepper
4 (14.5-oz cans) cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed
1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
2 c frozen corn
2 (4-oz cans) green chilis
1 lime
3/4 c shredded Monterey jack cheese

Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the chicken and onion. Cook until the chicken