In honor of Mardi Gras and National Pancake Month, I’m in the mood to indulge in a sweet plate of pancakes. But with off-the-charts sugar and carbohydrate levels, they’re such a guilty pleasure! A stack of four Banana Nut Pancakes at IHOP has 957 calories, 31 grams of fat and 155 grams of carbs! But you can give them a healthy makeover. Reduce fat by swapping in skim milk, increase fiber with whole grains and embrace the vitamin, mineral and protein benefits of eggs. So I’m going to try this recipe for Whole Grain Banana Pancakes With Blackberry Syrup from Weight Watchers.

For the syrup mix 2 cups blackberries (unsweetened frozen or fresh) with two tbsp powdered sugar in a sauce pan. Bring to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes or until it thickens.

While it cooks, use a fork to combine 1 cup boxed pancake mix, 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ, 1/4 cup flax seeds in a large bowl. Then whisk together 1 cup skim milk, 3 egg whites, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tbsp walnut oil (small lumps are okay). Slice 2 bananas.

For each pancake, pour 1/4 cup batter onto a preheated griddle, cooking until you see bubbles around the edges. Sprinkle on banana slices before flipping. Cook until golden. Top each pancake with about 3 tbsp of syrup.

Every athlete and fitness addict has their favorite post workout snack or drink–maybe it’s a protein shake, a sports drink or a granola bar. I was always partial to cottage cheese or a handful of almonds, but now I’m going to put another item on the list–milk.

Milk helps rebuild muscles. In fact one 2007 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition compared the effects of three different drinks on building muscle and burning fat after weight lifting workouts. Milk drinkers saw the best results after training five days a week for 12 weeks. The moo juice helped them build 60% more muscle than the carbohydrate drinkers and 40% more than the soy drinkers. And they lost almost 2 pounds of body fat.

So the next time you need to nosh after the gym, reach for a muscle-building glass of milk. Or mix up a smoothie. Try this recipe filled with antioxidant-packed acai juice, green tea, blueberries and more.

Fourth of July is here and it wouldn’t be a summer holiday weekend without grilling, right? Here are a few tips to make sure you get your grill on the green and healthy way.

Choosing your grilling weapon: Electric and gas grills are the greenest options (unless you can find a solar one). Even though propane is a non-renewable resource, charcoal and wood burning grills release more emissions into the air. If you’re partial to the flavor of charcoal, at least choose an eco-friendly charcoal to reduce the low-level smog and toxic chemicals traditional varieties create.

Cooking safely: Grilling meats can actually produce toxic carcinogenic chemicals in your food. There are two major problems–one is when fat and juice drip and burn, coming back to settle on your food in smoke later. So choose skinless and leaner cuts of beef and remove fat before cooking. Read the rest of this entry »

Blueberries are packed with phytonutrients, fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Manganese giving them lots of healthy benefits. Studies show they can help improve memory, promote healthy aging, prevent urinary tract infections and improve vision health. And since it’s clear that all of you love blueberries based on your comments in the Skin Appetit giveaway, I wanted to share one of my favorite light blueberry desserts from Cooking Light: Upside-Down Berry Cakes.

This recipe creates single serving warm blueberry treats that offer all the nutrients this superfood has to offer along with the sweet deliciousness you crave for dessert. And it’s easy! Mix together 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and a dash of salt in a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup skim milk and 4 teaspoons reduced-calorie stick margarine, melted; stirring just until the flour mixture is moist. Coat two 10 ounce custard cups with cooking spray and divide the batter evenly between them. Then top each with 1/2 cup of blueberries. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes or until they’re bubbly and lightly browned. For extra credit, pick your blueberries yourself!

In the summer, there’s nothing better than a dinner from the BBQ so why not cook your dessert there too. Grilling fresh fruit enhances the natural sugars and gives it a caramelized flavor. It’ll be sweet enough to eat on its own (and that’s the healthiest choice), but a little ice cream, low-fat yogurt or low-fat Cool Whip can make it an extra special treat.

You can go the easy route and skewer chunks of your favorite fruits. Then cook the kabobs over low heat, turning them every few minutes until they’re lightly browned and tender without being mushy. But if you’re more adventurous in the kitchen (or on the BBQ), here are a few other recipes.

Grilled Summer Fruit from Martha Stewart

Grilled Fruit with Cinnamon Yogurt Sauce from The Worldwide Gourmet

And a not so healthy version: Grilled Plantains with Cinnamon Ice Cream from Bobby Flay

I was watching Today this morning and saw a segment featuring the Olympic Committee executive chef, Jacque Hamilton. She’s the one in charge of feeding the 600+ American athletes that are training for the Beijing Olympic Games. Judo fighter, Myles Porter revealed that he often eats 10,000 to 12,000 calories a day, which is probably a week’s worth for most of us. Of course that’s not cupcakes and ice cream–it’s a lot of protein and carbs. He can eat 3 pounds of beef in one sitting! On the day he was filmed, he burned so many calories in practice that he still lost 4 pounds!

Ok, so you probably don’t want to consume that many calories (unless you spend your entire day at the gym that is), but Hamilton’s Baja Chicken Salad (Porter’s favorite) sounds pretty good. And if you don’t pair it with a triple-pounder hamburger, you should be alright.

Over the weekend I was in the Dominican Republic where I rekindled my love affair with plantains. I love their sweet flavor, but since they’re often fried I haven’t considered them a healthy treat in the past. But I just did a little research and discovered that plantains are filled with vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and potassium.

So I also came up with a healthier way to cook this yummy fruit–Cooking Light’s Grilled Grouper with Plantains and Salsa Verde. It’s an easy recipe made for grill pans, but you could cook it on the grill this summer too. Simply cut underripe plantains in half crosswise. Then drizzle lime juice, cilantro and a pinch of salt on the grouper fillets. Grill everything for 4 minutes on each side. Top the fish with green salsa and reduced-fat sour cream with a side of plantains. Fast, easy, delicious and healthy. Perfect! Get the full recipe here.

Sure, you can find just about any fruit or vegetable at any time of year these days, but here are three reasons to choose ones that are in season.

1. You’ll be able to purchase locally grown produce which can help both the farmers in your area and the environment. Buying locally, cuts down on carbon emissions due to shipping fruits and veggies from far away places.

2. Since your produce won’t be traveling long distances, it’ll get to your table when the flavors and nutrient levels are at their peak.

3. You might be inspired to try something that you wouldn’t normally buy like mangoes or artichokes in the springtime.

So what else is in season right now? Apricots, asparagus, avocado, carrots, chives, collards, fava beans, fennel, morels, mustard greens, new potatoes, pineapple, rhubarb, spinach, spring baby lettuce mixes, strawberries, sugar snap and snow peas, vidalia onions and watercress. Bon appetit!

Since we’re having a sudden burst of summer-like weather, this weekend I’ll be hosting the first BBQ dinner party of the season. And even though I love indulging in a big juicy cheeseburger, I know there must be a healthier option.

I found this yummy recipe for California Burgers from Cooking Light. Instead of beef, the patties are made from ground turkey mixed with shallots, garlic and Worcestershire sauce. And they’re topped with alfalfa sprouts, avocado slices, pickles, red onion, red leaf lettuce and a special sauce. The added fiber and nutrients combined with the reduction in saturated fat make this 384 calorie burger a more diet-friendly choice.

Get the full recipe here.