I can say that the Fourth of July is my hands-down favorite holiday of the year. It’s smack dab in the middle of summer and everyone is happy. It’s a good-time vibe all day, and usually all weekend when the holiday doesn’t fall on a Wednesday.

Like most Americans, I love the food aspect of these patriotic celebrations. Picnic food has got to be some of the best, but it tends to be some of the worst for us. Just like I had to rethink my go-to beef burgers and swap them for a pretty tasty turkey burger, I had to rethink my sides. Particularly potato salad.

I love potato salad! I used to day dream about that big yellow dollop on my plate. Now I kind of shudder when I see that pail of mayo-mustard mess. I felt like I owed it to myself and my guests to come up with something better, and so I did.
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Earth Day is April 22nd. How should we celebrate? I know – dirt n’ worms sundaes!

One of my favorite treats as a child was a dirt n’ worms sundae.
Mounds of rich vanilla ice cream and hot fudge topped with whipped cream, oreos, gummy worms and a cherry: Does it get any better than that?
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This is my absolute fave breakfast solution, and something the Biggest Loser contestants all love! The Fiber Fix Yogurt Parfait quickly became one of their go-to options for a quick, easy, delicious and good-for-you breakfast.

Despite the word “cake,” the stats are anything but dessert-like: each mini cake contains only 80 calories, and a hefty 13g of fiber. The contestants call these cakes “hockey pucks” because of their appearance, but they’re surprisingly moist and tasty.

It takes one minute to warm the cake up and crumble it over Greek yogurt, add a dash of cinnamon and some fresh berries on top for an antioxidant boost and you have a guilt-free homemade parfait.
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By Arleigh Aldrich

Ben and Jerry’s has been a favorite of the frozen treat aisle for years now, and they’re an environmentally, socially and economically aware company to boot. Just when you didn’t think you could love them any more the ice cream company becomes more aware of our waist lines. Next week they roll out their new line of Greek Frozen Yogurts.

Now you can enjoy your favorite comfort food with a clear conscience in Banana Peanut Butter, Raspberry Fudge Chunk, Strawberry Shortcake, Blackberry Vanilla Graham Cracker, Vanilla and Strawberry Shortcake. This is no doubt a delicious frozen spin on the Greek yogurt phenomena.

Greek yogurt has started gaining popularity (not pounds!) in the USA as a low-fat, lower calorie alternative to traditional yogurt. With traditional yogurt, the fat content might be low while the sugar content is high, particularly in fruitier flavors. Greek yogurt can get you twice as much protein on top of all the benefits regular yogurt has, without all the sugar.
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Greek yogurt is growing in popularity and seems to be popping up for sale at every grocery store. Aside from being thick, rich and high in protein, Greek yogurt has intense versatility. You can use it to cook with or in place of condiments that might be higher in fat and calories. At Diets in Review, we like to lean toward Chobani and Fage for our Greek yogurt purposes. The possibilities with this product are endless and it can all be done with zero percent fat, plain Greek yogurt.

We recently spoke with recipe developer, cookbook author, lifestyle blogger and President of Ingredients, Inc. Alison Lewis about some of her favorite uses for Greek yogurt. “I love to use it instead of sour cream in dips, tacos and fajitas. I also love to use it in spreads, dressings and in baked good recipes for muffins, cookies and quick breads,” Alison said.

You may be wondering about substituting and if it will affect the taste of your items, so I asked Alison if she noticed a difference in flavor when using Greek yogurt. “Actually I think it gives all of the foods a richer, tastier flavor. My kids cannot even tell when I have replaced it on top of baked potatoes or tacos. I think it adds even more moisture and fluffiness to baked goods,” she said.

Using Greek yogurt in some of your favorite recipes can definitely help you cut fat, calories and add protein without sacrificing flavor. Below are some suggestions for using plain Greek yogurt in your favorite dishes.

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