Sometimes, we all get a pizza craving. For me, it usually strikes at the worst time; I’ve spent all day eating healthy, being good, working out. And then, suddenly, the intense impulse to eat an entire pizza by myself hits. It just seems too easy. It’s just pizza! I can get it delivered to my door! Oh, and breadsticks, because I love breadsticks.

But at the end of the day, eating a day’s worth of calories and carbs isn’t a good choice. But how do I get rid of that pizza craving? You know, the desire for pepperoni, cheese and sauce? How on earth do I shake that? Through trial and error, I found the solution. And it includes three of my favorite salad greens ever: spinach, arugula and romaine. You’ll get tons of nutrients, including iron, along with some major flavor. Combined with tomatoes (full of lycopene, one of the best minerals out there), mozzarella cheese, fresh basil and tons of other yummy ingredients, your pizza craving will fade to only a memory and you won’t be left feeling guilty for eating two days’ worth of food while watching Law and Order: SVU. Read More »

Before I began, I had a lot a questions like “What is clean eating?” and “What foods are clean?” Well to be honest, even after doing loads of reading since my first post on the subject, I am still not entirely sure, so I have decided that I am going to slowly, but smartly, build my way up to much healthier eating. My first stop has been to cut out fried foods, microwaveable meals and simple carbohydrates (whole-wheat spaghetti = yum!).

So how has this been working out for me? I believe that a writer, like any artist, needs to be fully dedicated to her art – even if that requires perseverance in the face of pain, terror and piping hot broccoli soup. Yes, you read that right.  Broccoli soup.

Always a planner, yours truly scheduled herself to have two of her wisdom teeth taken out earlier in the week – which most of you know is no picnic. Yet, a week of yogurt, soup and healthy frozen yogurt didn’t sound so hard.  In fact it sounded quite refreshing – and easy. Read More »

I love spicy food. Okay, that’s kind of a lie; I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to spicy foods. I’m that person who gets teary-eyed and needs milk present at all times. Needless to say, my “spicy” or Mexican-inspired dishes are rarely all that spicy, but they are easy to customize, so you can always add more of your favorite spice (or hot sauce, or whatever you love).

Why am I talking about spicy food? I’m currently lying in bed with the flu and there’s nothing like spicy food to clear up the sinuses. I have a voice like a miniature frog; aches and pains like I’m about to give birth; and it feels like there is a small balloon locked up in my head that won’t deflate. I made spicy enchiladas to help — and of course to get some veggies in me. Read More »

Eating Clean: The act of eliminating foods that are processed and/or nutritionally devoid.  (This includes choosing complex carb products over simple – i.e. brown rice over white rice.)

Advocates of “eating clean” tout a laundry list of benefits – more energy, better skin, weight-loss, and better muscle definition, etc…  They say that one should see a different within a couple of weeks – so I thought, how about a month? Then I thought, why keep all these benefits to myself? As your kindergarten teacher would say, sharing is caring!

So how is this really a challenge? As a recent college grad trying to make my way in the big city (NYC) with a roughly 50-60 hour work week on average, my schedule is pretty tight – especially if I want to fit in regular workouts, maintain my friendships and read CollegeCandy! [Editor's Note: Awwww!] Read More »

No, I’m not talking about a new diet from the Kardashian Klan (God, can you even imagine what that would entail?). This DASH Diet, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, was named the number one diet for the second year in a row by U.S. News. Though it was designed for individuals suffering from hypertension — not those specifically looking to lose weight — the diet is one of the most nutritious and most-well rounded out there.

If you’re looking to kick off 2012 by revamping your healthy eating habits, check and see if the DASH Diet works for your lifestyle.

Processed foods are generally not good for us, regardless of how they are advertised. I’ve lived with roommates who firmly believed that they were on wholesome, perfectly nutritious diets all the while subsisting on Power bars, frozen TV dinners from the health food section of our local grocery store and Gatorade. Just because a product is advertised as a health food does not make it one! A trip to the grocery store quickly confirms this simple, yet often forgotten principle. In fact, many of the foods advertised as “energy bars” or nutrient packed “protein powders” are some of the most dangerous foods you could possibly consume. Take for instance PowerBar’s Triple Threat Chocolate Peanut Butter Crisp. Putting aside the fact that the name of this bar doesn’t sound healthy to begin with (albeit it does sound decadently delicious), let us pretend that we fall for the claim that this bar provides “long lasting energy” as marketed on the packaging. Now, let us begin to become enlightened about why this PowerBar can do no such thing and doesn’t even taste decadently delicious for Pete’s sake. Read More »

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Potatoes are a staple of most diets. True, you really shouldn’t eat them everyday (despite really wanting to), but for a quick week night dinner, they are a great staple to know how to cook.

White potatoes – such as russets and fingerling potatoes – are the most traditional, but I really love to use yellow or red potatoes, which are smaller and therefore, cheaper to buy only 2-3 of them for a single meal. I won’t pretend potatoes are packed with nutrients; as far as nutrition goes, potatoes are well known for being high in carbohydrates, but very low (on their own) in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. They are great sources of vitamin C, potassium and manganese.

This recipe is very easy and very yummy. I like to use Yukon gold potatoes, but feel free to use russets, fingerlings, or whatever potato (or root – sweet potatoes and carrots would be yummy too!) you want. Read More »

Salmon. Cooking this delicious fish is a little bit terrifying at first. What do you do with it? How do you know when it’s done? Do I need a non stick pan?

I will admit: it took me a long time to conquer my fear of cooking salmon. But once I did, I realized it is basically the easiest, quickest way to a healthy, tasty dinner. This recipe is one of my absolute favorites. I use frozen salmon fillets — available at most bulk stores — in very good brands, which are easy to defrost in about 15-20 minutes when held under warm, running water.

Salmon is packed with nutrients, especially omega 3s, which are a necessary fat that the human body doesn’t produce on its own. Omega 3s reduce inflammation and help to reduce the risk for chronic diseases, like heart disease.

Salmon is good with pretty much anything, but I love to serve this recipe with brown rice.

Lemon and Parmesan Salmon

You’ll need…

• 1-2 salmon fillets (2 salmon fillets serves about 2-3 people)
• 1 tablespoons of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
• 3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice (about the juice of one lemon)
• 1 teaspoon of garlic salt Read More »

Hot Pockets. Tiny capsules of molten hot cheese and questionable meat products and even more questionable vegetables. For a quick lunch, they aren’t terribly satisfying. They’re also packed with fat… even the low calorie varieties are packed with salt and MSG flavorings that aren’t too good for you.

You know what’s an easy, healthy solution? Making your own at home. Don’t panic. It’s easier than it sounds. Plus, these guys are delicious.

The main vegetables I use are broccoli, carrots, tomatoes and spinach. Broccoli is a great source of vitamin E, protein, and calcium. Carrots are great sources of vitamin C and iron. Tomatoes are known for being excellent sources of lycopene, which is believed to prevent certain types of cancer. Spinach is one of the most nutrient rich foods out there – it’s a great source of fiber, iron, protein and a slew of vitamins Read More »