Healthy AND Delicious?

I hate the term "health food".  It just doesn't sound so appealing to me.  I love all types of food and, honestly, it's not always healthy.  I find taking small steps to improve the nutritional value of the foods I already love makes staying healthy a lot easier than constantly depriving myself.  I will never be the type to live off of celery sticks and spinach smoothies.  

I absolutely love pancakes and waffles.  I like making them by replacing half of the white flour with whole wheat.  Not only is it healthier, but I find it actually gives them a more "nutty" flavor.  I also jam-pack them with fresh fruits, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and/or lemon.  The more flavor in the pancake, the less syrup necessary (make sure you always use real maple syrup--it's still sugar, but it's REAL sugar!).

 

These stuffed peppers are a great recipe.  They're low-carb, low-fat and packed with nutrients.  I used lean ground turkey with classic taco seasonings, quinoa, black beans, and just a bit of melted cheese over the top.  So tasty and absolutely packed with protein and vitamins.

While I was pre-wedding dieting last year, I found great value in cutting my meat intake practically in half.  Meat can be very healthy when you choose the right kinds.  Fish, poultry, and lean pork are great, but all red meats should be very limited.  One of my favorite vegetarian meals is the veggie wrap above.  It's made with spinach, corn, peppers,guacamole, and hot sauce.  The healthy fats in the avocado and the spicy hot sauce make it so satisfying.

Forgive the blurry photo, but these cookies are genius!  They're made with whole wheat flour, whole grain oats, banana (to replace the butter!), Chia seeds (look these up--they're AWESOME), and antioxidant rich dark chocolate chips.  I'm not kidding, these are so delicious and completely guilt free.

I'd love to hear some of your favorite ways to save a few calories without skimping on flavor! 

Enjoy your weekends