Tag Archives: brownies

Healthy Labor Day Recipes for the Last Weekend of Summer

Seeing as Labor Day is right around the corner, many Americans will be pulling out their grills this weekend. Equipped with our figure-friendly summer cookout recipes, you ought to be one of them.

The problem with most cookout recipes, however, is that they’re usually high in calories and fat. In addition, they leave you feeling lethargic long after the table is cleared. Thankfully though, the line-up we’re sharing today won’t have you reaching for your stretchy pants. Instead, think light, savory, and scrumptious dishes that are the perfect, healthy way to kiss summer goodbye.

First up, enjoy the end of summer with a glass of our famous Red, White, and Blue Sangria. This sangria is perfect for any cookout because it’s light, refreshing, perfectly sweet, and loaded with antioxidant-containing strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Cheers to that!

Sides

Avocado Serrano Coleslaw will make a great side dish for your cookout side. Our slaw contains pineapples and orange bell peppers with a light avocado dressing. Using avocado instead of mayo is a healthier substitute and adds more southwest flavor to the dish. (more…)

HealthBuzz August 17: Yoga at School, Best Health Blogs, and Sweet Vegan Recipes

We’re just hours away from the weekend! So that means it is time to catch up on buzz-worthy health news. This week’s headlines include a story about yoga classes helping students succeed at school, the best fitness blogs of 2024, and three recipes for delicious vegan treats that you could sneak past anyone!

Our First-Ever Food Awards

DIR spent the summer scouting grocery shelves for the best nutritional food. Mary Hartley, RD, our resident nutrition expert, developed a nutritional criteria for 13 different grocery categories. Find out which brand of bread, ice cream, and many more food items were given the DIR approval badge.

Is MSG Bad for You? The Facts about Monosodium Glutamate Make for a Hung Jury

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is an ingredient in countless numbers of processed foods. MSG enhances the flavor of food without giving a flavor of its own. So is the ingredient good or bad for your health? A number of experts weigh in on the argument.

Students Succeeding with Yoga Curriculum in the Classroom

School is back in session! What will the school year be like for millions of kids across the country? For starters, cafeteria food is getting a healthy make-over and P.E. programs are being shut down. But, schools are using yoga to replace or enhance physical fitness classes. Not only is yoga benefiting a student health, but it is helping them perform better in and out of class. (more…)

Dark Chocolate Brownies for Julia Child’s 100th Birthday

If you have any level of love for food, then you likely recognize the name Julia Child. My earliest memories of Julia stem back to childhood when my parents would mention not only how talented of a cook she was, but also how vibrant of a personality she had.

When I began taking more interest in cooking as an adult, Julia’s recipes would inevitably surface from time to time and I always recognized how incredibly high quality they were, and how she executed them with such professionalism and love. This, I hope, is the way I approach food every time I enter the kitchen.

 

 

Julia passed away just two days before her 92nd birthday in 2004, and today would’ve marked her 100th birthday. In commemoration of a chef who brought classic French cooking with her own unique twist to America and beyond, we’re celebrating her the best way we know how: By cooking. (more…)

Dr. Oz Claims You Can Lose Your Behind with a “Butt-Busting” Brownie

dr oz show black and white logoToday, The Dr. Oz Show is featuring a four-step guide to getting rid of butt fat. The “Butt-Blasting Plan” consists of a supplement, a low-fat diet, a seven-day workout and a brownie. How can eating dessert help you lose fat? Dr. Oz claims that his no-bake dessert “revs up your metabolism.” There’s no sugar in this brownie either, just raw cacao powder, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, milk, raisins and oats (see the full recipe at the end of this post).

For the rest of the diet, Dr. Oz recommends eating plenty of complex carbs and no more than 34 grams of fat. He explains that the butt is prone to storing fat, so it’s better to increase your carb intake when targeting this area. Dr. Oz adds that you should supplement this diet with 100 milligrams of kudzu root at breakfast. Kudzu is a climbing vine native to Japan and southeast China and is used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Of course, exercise is also key to the butt blasting plan. Dr. Oz lays out a seven-day workout schedule, which consists of a different exercise to work the booty for each day. The exercises are donkey kicks, twisting lunges, dead lifts, a squat-to-jump move, glute glides using a chair, leg lifts while lying on your back and a bridge pose. Each exercise will be done 10 or 15 times.

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Even Vegans Can Eat Brownies! 6 Recipes to Help Make the Vegan Transition

By Dana Schultz of MyLittleCelebration.com

Veganism.

Either you get it or you don’t.

Whichever camp you may fall into, this animal-friendly diet is growing in popularity faster than I can change my pants in the morning. As word of its benefits have spread, more and more people have become curious about it. Are you among the curious crowd? The enthusiasts? Or perhaps calling out “Why, why?” in utter confusion at the concept?

Well, not to worry as this article acts as a quick guide on what veganism is, the ‘why’ behind it, and how someone interested in going vegan might make a smooth transition into the diet. That transition is made all the easier with a few favorite recipes. (more…)

25 Healthy Recipes for Graduation Parties

This month is a popular one for graduation celebrations, with high schools and colleges throughout the country concluding their academic years.

Whether you’re planning a graduation celebration for your favorite recent graduate or attending a potluck party, we have the perfect recipe for you – from finger foods to decadent desserts.

Finger Foods: Simple to prepare and easy to eat, finger foods are a fun and portable way for your guests to nosh while they mingle. These recipes don’t require forks or knives, but they might call for extra napkins.

Boneless Buffalo Strips

Low-Calorie Pigs in a Blanket

Rosemary Skewered Chicken with Orange Glaze

Antipasto Skewers from Mele Cotte

Cucumber Cups with Caramelized Onions & Bacon from Lemons & Anchovies

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Bake a Healthier Brownie with Truvia Spoonable [Video] [Recipe]

GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment below with how you would use Truvia and we’ll select three people to receive the new Truvia Spoonable and a box of Truvia packets. Drawing 8/2/10.

I’m all for practicing moderation. This is what allows me to eat a healthful diet of lean proteins, whole grains and a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, and still have room for something indulgent once in a while. While I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, a brownie is my weakness. So when I make them, once in a while, I do so from scratch using ingredients like whole grain flour and Greek yogurt, allowing me to have greater control over what I’m eating than what I’d find in a pre-mix box.

That’s why I was excited to try baking with Truvia. In its new Truvia Spoonable, a re-closable container, you have greater quantity at hand allowing you to bake without having to open 50 of those tiny packages! This all-natural, zero-calorie sweetener actually helped me turn out a pretty delicious brownie. A brownie that had three grams of sugar less than a typical one.

Read on to see the recipe! (more…)

Will Power vs. Won’t Power

brownie with nutsMy uncle has always been a large man, the kind that has to duck to go through many doorways. He is used to respect and likes being in control. He is also full of advice, wanting to share with people the things that he has learned throughout his life. I am sure when he was diagnosed with diabetes a few years ago, it took some time for him to adjust because this was uncharted territory, not something he knew already or knew how to control. He has learned how to manage his diet and glucose levels. He has even learned how to indulge in small portions of favorite desserts without causing any health issues. As a result his disease is not at a severe level.
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Food Fight: Brownies

food fight

Stepping into our Food Fight ring this week are two rich, fudgy and decadent contenders- No Pudge Original Fat Free Fudge Brownie and Betty Crocker Low-Fat Fudge Brownie. Are brownies a health food? No! Do you need to indulge occasionally? Yes! And when you do, shouldn’t you do it responsibly? Yes!

no pudge brownies betty crocker

Fighter Notes
Betty Crocker is of course the beloved baked-goods-at-home-made-easy brand. It was the only brand at the grocery store that offered a low-fat variety, making it my only choice for competition against No Pudge. They do not mention this product on their Web site.

No Pudge has been taking the fat out of this dreamy dessert since the 90s. (more…)