Try This 42-Calorie Spaghetti Swap

Fall and winter squash varieties, including acorn, butternut and spaghetti, are now showing up in farmers’ markets. You’ll be delighted by how delicious, easy to prepare and versatile spaghetti squash can be.
 
Spaghetti squash is named for its uncanny resemblance to pasta once cooked. The squash is tasty yet neutral enough to pair with anything you would normally eat atop pasta.
 
And, if you're watching your carb intake, spaghetti squash should go in your cart. Take a look at how it measures up against standard noodles: Read More ›

10 Healthy Sweet Potato Recipes

Fall in love with sweet potatoes again and again with these 10 deliciously healthy recipes.

Nutritional Goodness
One medium tuber contains 105 calories and 4 grams of fiber. These babies are bursting with antioxidant vitamins A and C, potassium and manganese. They also contain lycopene, another antioxidant that’s been shown to help fight certain types of cancer and heart disease. Read More ›

14 Last-Minute Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Are you still looking for Thanksgiving meal plan ideas? Don’t panic. Instead, use these simple recipes to give your Thanksgiving dinner the special touch you're looking for. These recipes utilize ingredients you may already have on-hand and are healthier versions of the traditional full-fat calorie laden side dishes. Happy Thanksgiving!  Read More ›

10 Ways to Eat Pumpkin (That Aren't Pie)

Whipped cream-laden Thanksgiving pie notwithstanding, pumpkin has a healthy nutritional profile, with more than 200% of our RDA of Vitamin A, plus about one-third of our daily Vitamin C and nearly one-quarter of our fiber requirements. And it has just 40 calories per serving. (Without that whipped cream, of course.)
 
Canned pumpkin is widely available in grocery stores during the fall/winter holiday season. (Note: Be sure to grab plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix in a can, which includes sweeteners, spices and other ingredients to make a pie.) One can of pumpkin contains about 1 3/4 cup. Some canned pumpkin can have a slightly bitter taste, so it’s best suited for sweet recipes. For pumpkin-based dips or sauces, try making your own pumpkin puree; it’s super easy. Read More ›

Better Butternut Squash Recipes

Butternut squash is my favorite fall vegetable. I tell my kids that it's like vegetable candy, because roasting brings out its natural sweetness and reduces the need for sugar in our favorite fall deserts.
 
Consuming butternut squash adds fiber, potassium, magnesium, vitamins A and C to your diet. Here's an easy way to pick the perfect one at most stores. For maximum efficiency, roast extra squashes and freeze the extra flesh for later use. If you're short on time, just pick up some pre-cut Butternut Squash in the freezer section at your market. Another fun tip is to grind the seeds in a coffee or spice grinder and use as a natural thickening agent in soups and stews. 
 
Celebrate fall with these butternut squash recipes.  Read More ›

Family Circle's Healthy Thanksgiving Menu

Sacrifice neither your diet nor the traditional Thanksgiving experience with this menu. Each serving of these classic dishes contains less than 500 calories, less than 18 grams of fat and less than 800 mg of sodium.
 
Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Makes: 8 servings
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Roast: 30 mins
Get recipe  Read More ›

5 Healthy Ways to Embrace Fall

It can be easy to complain about the dark mornings, chilly temperatures and gloomy weather that fall brings. It's also the start of the holiday season, which can be cheerful (presents, family and fun!) or dreadful (food, stress and calories!), depending on your viewpoint. But if you look on the bright side, this season of changes has a lot to offer when it comes to your health and fitness.
 
In fact, according to SparkPeople.com polls with more than 5,000 responses each, fall is a clear winner for exercising outdoors (46%) and offering the best activity options (47%) of all the seasons.
 
So how can you avoid the pitfalls and let this season work in your favor—so that you get fitter and healthier and continue reaching your goals? Read More ›

Do You Really Need a Flu Shot? (Everything You Need to Know about the Vaccine)

Fall is here. Apples are in season. Leaves are falling. Pumpkin just begs to be baked into a pie.
 
But with all of those good things comes at least one not-so-good thing: the flu.
 
Flu season can begin in October and end as late as May, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Influenza is caused by viruses and because these can change, each flu season is a different. Individuals also are affected differently by the flu, including fever, cough, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea or respiratory distress. Typically the worst cases are in people 65 or older. CDC estimates of flu-related deaths between 1976 and 2007 range from 3,000 to 49,000, and in a normal year, about 90 percent of deaths are in people older than 65.
 
Several years ago, swine flu – the H1N1 virus – hit the U.S. and caused a great deal of concern because it seemed to strike pregnant women and younger adults much harder than the typical flu virus. Odd flu seasons like that are when you start seeing headlines about the flu killing people and urging people to get vaccinated against the virus.
 
But the CDC and other health organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a flu vaccine every year for anyone older than 6 months. The vaccine especially is important for people who might develop complications, such as pneumonia, from the flu – this includes people older than 65 or people with asthma or other respiratory illnesses – as well as pregnant women and anyone caring for someone who might be struck harder than normal with the flu.
 
How does the vaccine work?
Read More ›

12 Savory Pumpkin Recipes

In my home town, near San Francisco, orange and black is bursting forth and its not just because the Giants won the World Series. Halloween pumpkins have arrived! These colorful gourds come in all different shapes, colors and sizes, but they're not just for decorating. Pumpkins are a delicious base in many savory dishes. A simple one-cup serving gives almost double the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of Beta-Carotene, not to mention vitamin C, niacin, phosphorus, potassium and fiber too.  Look for smaller pumpkins with minimal blemishes. They should be heavy for their size with stems intact. Pumpkin can be boiled, baked or steamed. Instead of tossing the pumpkin seeds, roast them for a delicious snack or topping.   Cook double or triple the amount you need for your recipe and freeze the rest. Enjoy each bite of these savory pumpkin recipes.  Read More ›

7 Veggie-Packed Meals for Fall

BLT Pasta
Makes: 6 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 22 minutes  Read More ›

More Fall Favorites for Every Budget

I'm not one who loves a lot of stuff, and I'm constantly trying to get rid of things rather than amass them. That said, when I find something I love, I want to share. Today I'm spreading the word about some of the products that I love this fall. Read More ›

12 Songs to Energize Your Fall Workouts

Are you struggling to stick to your fall workouts now that the weather is turning cold and the mornings and evenings are getting darker? You're not alone.
 
My favorite way to get excited about working out is a simple one: I update my workout playlist. With some new get-up-and-get-moving tunes ready, I hit "play" instead of hitting snooze; and I re-energize my runs instead of relaxing at home.
 
Pull out your tunes, put in your earbuds, and put the fun back into your workouts with these song ideas. Read More ›

Tap into the Potential of Taproots This Fall

By definition, a taproot is the single root of a plant that extends deep into the soil to supply the above-ground plant with nutrients.  My definition of a taproot is YUM! It is such a shame these vegetables are grown below ground because many are just too pretty to hide.  Maybe that's their plan: to hang out underground and develop earthy flavor notes and then when plucked from the earth it's like a walk down the red carpet showing off their textured and colorful skin. Taproots such as parsnips, beets, carrots, and celery root have been around for ages and still shine as cooler weather favorites. 
I love what a little cool weather can do to sweeten up parsnips and how a hot oven will transform the  flesh into to a golden sweet vegetable dish. 
 
Look for different varieties of taproots at your local market and follow the guide below to incorporate them into all your fall and winter meals.  Read More ›

Fabulous Fall Salads

As the trees begin to change color, I'm reminded of so many dishes I love to cook. Fall is a busy time with back-to-school, sports, and after-school activities. To maintain a healthy rhythm, I turn to soups and salads that are quick and nutritious. Start with seasonal dark green leafy veggies at your local grocer or farmer's market. Create a base of arugula, lettuce, and/or kale, and top it off with peppers, corn, beets, and cucumbers. Mix in fresh herbs like basil, cilantro, and parsley to taste. Don't forget a splash of sweetness with apples pears, figs, and grapes. You can also add protein and crunch with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, nuts, fish, boiled egg, and beans. Enjoy these fabulous fall salad recipes from SparkRecipes.  Read More ›

How to Make Yourself Work Out When It's Dark Out

As much as I love fall, I don't love the darkness that comes with it. It's already getting darker earlier each night, and it's staying dark even when I wake up in the morning. I am not a fan of that!
 
It's hard enough to be a morning person and wake up to work out, but when the moon is still out when your alarm goes off, forget about it! Then again, if you hit snooze and wait to work out after work, you might be faced with the same problem.
 
I will admit that it's not easy for me to get up and be gung ho for a workout session. I am not and never will be a morning person. It's hard for me to wake up just about every day. But I do manage to stick to my morning workouts (most days anyway). And no, I don't have super human powers …which means you can do it, too. Here's how. Read More ›