Ideas

What do you get when you add dark chocolate and black cacao to traditional banana bread? Magic.  You get pure delicious, decadent magic. This is one of those recipes that uses a not-so common ingredient – black cacao – but can be easily substituted by adding swapping it with dark chocolate (or regular cacao) powder,

And here it is – the world’s best low-carb chicken crust pizza. A pizza that’s low-carb AND high in protein? With the crust made of savory, lean chicken breast, guarantee this will be love at first bite. It’s pretty much a fail-proof recipe that you can easily make your own. Just don’t get TOO carried

Here’s the quick backstory on this amazing date and walnut snack… Last year I traveled to Tel Aviv for an amazing food tour. You can watch part 1 and part 2 of my adventure in Israel on my YouTube channel. While I was there I got to visit Jerusalem where I met one of the

Here’s a delicious 20-minute excuse to: 1) fire up the grill this summer; and 2) to finally get yourself a cast-iron skillet. The 12-inch cast iron skillet I’m using is by the Food Network – they have a lot of quality cooking products that are exclusively available from Kohls. Get the skillet used in this

Here’s a quick 15-minute spin on a popular comfort food, Pad Kee Mao. It’s a delicious shrimp and noodle stir-fry drenched in savory, spicy sauce. While there are several version out there – some with more vegetables, others with a different base sauce, etc – the end result will always be the same…Delicious! HEALTHY PAD

Here are the 5 smoothies that you’ll need for the 5-Day Smoothie Challenge.  Be sure to check out the official challenge page for all the details as well as the complete grocery list! Again, the purpose is to increase our consumption of raw veggies and fruits, as well as give us ideas/inspiration for new flavor

Whether you’re pressed for time or cash, eating healthy doesn’t have to be a chore.  All you need is a little creativity.  Spiralizing vegetables is a great way to “trick” yourself or your family into eating more vegetables.  Plus, they’re gluten-free and in the raw form, very hearty and filling. All you need is a

It’s no secret that one of my favorite foods is sweet potato. It’s up there with rice and bread for me – I just have to have it (in some way) in my diet.  On a recent flight from Nigeria to the States, I was served a creamy rice dish that got me craving risotto…

Like every other honest person in the world, I get cravings…and I have to admit that sometimes I cave and enjoy a non-scheduled indulgent treat, or two…or three.  And yes, I try to plan when I’m going to eat something that is less calorie-conscious because if I actually plan for it, then it’s not really

With all of the writing I’ve been doing for my upcoming book on meal prep and meal prep recipes, I wanted to do a deeper dive on an article I wrote a while back on cooking chicken in bulk and having variety.  Besides over cooking the protein, I often hear complaints about the lack of variety.

On April 22 we will celebrate Earth Day, and millions of people across the globe will engage in activities that “celebrate” and appreciate our planet.  I want to touch on a topic that is often overlooked (in many parts of the world), food waste. In the US alone, it is estimated that we throw away about

Whether you’re trying to impress someone for the first time, or you’re trying to boost the romance in your existing relationship, here are few “rules” that I try to abide by: Keep it simple. This is especially true if this is one of your first dates. Make a recipe that is not so complex and really focus

I’ve been experimenting a lot in the kitchen recently to prepare for my upcoming book. Not everything I make is going to make the final cut to go to print but it doesn’t mean it’s not worthy of a little link “love.” Here’s a recipe I made with a calorie-conscious date-night in mind. Check out

One of the most important aspects of any healthy eating journey is variety – it keeps us all sane and satisfied.  I draw a lot of inspiration from various cuisines around the world.  It’s not as complicated as you may think – it’s just a matter of pairing different spices and herbs together, and when

Ditch the store-bought stuff and make your own delicious salsa that you can easily customize for your tastes and preferences.  I use salsa for nearly EVERYTHING! Salads, eggs, protein, grilled vegetables, etc.  Essentially anything that needs an extra kick, gets a serving of my fresh homemade salsa. It’s a great lower-calorie alternative to give your

Here is a “cleaned up” and more calorie-conscious version of a big queso dip that people usually eat at Super Bowl parties.  This version uses about 67% less cheese and cream and lean ground beef which nearly 50% reduction in calories. My fat calorie count per serving is 11g vs the original version of this queso

When you think you may miss eating your daily serving(s) of fresh fruits and vegetables, grab a smoothie to save the day! Below are 7 that I enjoy… Quick note: when I reference coconut milk and almond milk, I mean the UNSWEETENED, lower calorie non-dairy milk you can purchase in a carton or jug. The calories should be

This year has come and gone and we have already arrived at the “SuperBowl” of cooking – Thanksgiving. Many people have a lot of angst around this time of year because we while we want to enjoy our favorite, family indulgent recipes, we don’t want our enjoyment to totally derail our healthy eating efforts. But

Just in time for the holidays! Here’s a delicious, Southern-inspired comfort food treat for your family get-together or your weekly meal prep.  Keep in mind that some of the ingredients below are optional – that’s just me trying to add a little something “extra” for the holiday.  With that in mind, make this recipe your

Tis’ the season of calorie-conscious comfort food and tailgating for football and luckily, I picked up the perfect tool for both.  Recently, I picked up the amazing panini/grill skillet from Kohl’s to test out and I haven’t put it down since. I love it.  It adds grill marks to just about anything, so you lock in

Having survived a pretty hot summer, no one is looking forward to cooler weather more than me! Only drawback is that many of us become less active in colder weather. It’s understandable because we generally like to be comfortable and stay where the warmth is – which is usually inside! That’s not a problem, so