Smoothie Queen

We're always in search of the perfect smoothie. Smoothies are like a guilt-free dessert if you make them right. They can be sweet and creamy and full of lots of vitamins and nutrients. Linda LaRue, founder of Crunchless Abs gave us her favorite smoothie recipe. She recommends using fresh, seasonal berries because they will have the best taste, most nutrients, and will be least expensive because they are most likely local.
Wild Berry Smoothie:
Ingredients: 3 cups unsweetened apple juice 1 (12.3 oz) package extra-firm, reduced fat tofu 1 cup fresh, seasonal berries (you can sub. with your favorite frozen) 1 small banana
Directions:
1. Pour the juice into a blender. Add the tofu and fruit and process until smooth.
2. May refrigerate for up to 4 days. The mixture may separate when standing, but just give it a shake to homogenize.
Storage Instructions: Refrigerate promptly; may be frozen.
Makes 4 1/2 servings. Nutritional Content: Serving size 6 ounces. Calories: 144; protein 12.75 grams; Carbohydrates: 36 grams; Fat: neg; Fiber: 2.8 grams. Excellent source of Vitamin C, B, A, folacin, iron, fiber.

Spaghet Me Not

We all sigh at the spaghetti scene in "Lady and the Tramp" — partly because it doesn't get any more romantic than two dogs sharing a spaghetti, but mainly because we're jealous of the fact that Lady doesn't know how many carbs she's ingesting and as a dog, she doesn't really have to worry about it. Lucky. If you've gone low-carb, but miss your old spaghetti nights, we've found the perfect substitute for you. Try Sophie Pachella's Spaghet-Me-Not.
Ingredients:1 large spaghetti squash 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese Flaxseed oil Any tomato pasta sauce (which does not contain high fructose corn syrup) Or: dry pesto powder mix - reconstituted with skim milk
Directions:
1. Poke holes all over squash and microwave squash for 15 minutes or until completely soft. Turn occasionally in microwave.
2. Cut open, get rid of the seeds, scrape all the squash into a serving bowl
3. Mix in the rest of the ingredients.

Pop Stars

There are many options in the popcorn family and just like any family, there is the angel child and the trouble maker. The troublemaker being, movie theater popcorn, that bucket full of salty goodness hosed down with butter which is a dieter's worst nightmare. But it's angelic sibling, homemade air-popped popcorn can be a healthy snacker's best friend According to Dr. Fred Stutman, author of "100 Weight-Loss Tips That Really Work". This type of popcorn is one of the best diet snack available because it is low in calories, cholesterol and high in fiber — as long as you lay off added salt, oil and butter. Most microwave popcorns hold a high amount of fat but new low-fat brands are 'popping' up everywhere so just check the label. You could also invest in a hot-air popper that uses no oil, has no added fat and is quick and easy. One of the best things about popcorn is it is very versatile and you can add it to a bowl of unsalted peanuts or mix it with different flavors like cheddar cheese or garlic. Be sure to go easy on the amount of sugar and fats you add to the popcorn.

Put A Little Sizzle In Your Salad

Summer is a time to try all the fresh new light salads. Here's one to try from BOCA Meatless Products. This salad is perfect for a sunny afternoon when you are grilling poolside and it's easy!
INGREDIENTS:
2 frozen BOCA Meatless Bratwurst
Dressing:¼ cup olive oil 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard or country Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar Pinch of black pepper
Salad:3 cups torn mixed salad greens ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion ¼ of a medium cucumber, sliced 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
Grill bratwurst as directed on package. Meanwhile, mix dressing ingredients with wire whisk until well blended. Toss salad ingredients with 1/4 cup of dressing in large bowl. Cover and refrigerate remaining dressing for another use. Divide salad mixture between two plates. Top each salad with one bratwurst, cut crosswire into slices.
Each serving contain 340 calories, 4 grams of fiber and 16 grams of protein.

Coo Coo For O'coco's!

As much as we wish it weren't true, it's hard to find a healthy substitute for a chocolate craving. When you're feeling loco for cocoa, rice cakes with peanut butter are just not going to cut it. Fortunately we did find one substitute that seems a little more up to par. O'Coco's Organic Baked Chocolate Crisps. They come in 90 calorie packs of chocoholic satisfaction. Despite the small packaging that may leave you wanting another bag, these crisps contain the perfect amount of rich flavor to tame your inner chocolate beast. O'Coco's Baked Crisps also come in mocha and cinnamon flavors. You can even enjoy the chocolate crisps for a guilt free dessert. Carry them in your purse for a quick fix.You never know when a chocolate craving is going to hit and eating this bag is way better than grabbing a bag of any other chocolatey cookie.

Fiberlicious Dessert

There's a new yogurt in town. Yoplait's new digestive system friendly yogurt, Yo-Plus, contains 3 grams of fiber per serving but unlike most fiber packed snacks, you can't taste it. It's creamy and sweet and the vanilla flavor taste most like a dessert than a fibery yogurt. And you can get it all for only 110 calories per serving. The yogurt will come in four packs and is recommended that you make this a daily routine to help regulate your digestive system. Four packs of a daily yogurt mean four day work weeks, right? This yogurt also comes in three other tasty flavors, strawberry, peach and cherry. Look for Yo-Plus in stores in August.

On The Run

One way to feel less guilty about that vending machine snack is to up your mileageyou're your calories burned each day. Ever wonder how many miles you are running or walking? Those blocks really do add up when you are walking them everyday. Sometimes it is hard to estimate the distance you are burning off calories for. Now you can figure it all out with mapmyrun.com. This website allows you to put in your starting and ending location and you can see how many miles you ran or walk. You can mapwhere you might want to jog and will help you in adding up your total miles ran each week. You can also save and email yourself routes that you want to try out. This site also allows you to find races, events and local routes in your area.