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There is no time like spring when it comes to healthy eating. The veggies are fresh, it seems like almost everything is in season and the weather makes for the perfect picnic conditions.

Honestly, there’s no better spring activity quite like a nice meal at the park or out on the grass. Picnics are a great way to enjoy being outside and get active when the temperature is right. Staying local means you can ride your bike or go for a walk with all your food packed tight. So we thought we’d share a few of our favorite picnic recipes that are both easy to carry and easy to enjoy.

How about a nice starter? An easy and perfect picnic snack like snow peas can put a little crunch in any meal. To start, add some sliced almonds, a squeeze of lemon juice, a tablespoon of unsalted butter or olive oil and a few bits of diced shallots and you’ve got a great salad that doubles as a finger food.

Maybe you’ve brought some heart-healthy wine for a nice evening under the stars. We’ve got just the thing – Apple-Goat Cheese Bruschetta. Toast some sliced French bread and store it in a zip-top bag. Then in another bag combine 1 chopped red apple, ¼ crumbled goat cheese, some fresh pepper and a little oregano for a nice mix that will compliment any picnic wine. Dip  your bread or spoon it out onto each piece.

Now it’s time for the main course! Chicken is truly versatile and can accompany almost any starter. If you plan on grilling, why not marinade your chicken while on the way to your favorite picnic spot? If not, simply grill the chicken before leaving and you’ve got a great tasting main course that’s easy to carry and won’t spoil in the sun. Put your chicken strips in a bag with some orange and lime juice. Add a little bit of olive oil, some ground cumin, and a little fresh time for the perfect citrus marinade.

Now, everyone’s favorite part, it’s time for dessert. But have no fear, you can hit that sweet tooth without having to worry about what you’re eating. If you’ve got a grill you’re using, try making some fruit kabobs. Skewer your favorite fruits like peaches, pineapple, grapes and strawberries and toss them on the open flame. In a few minutes, the sugars on the outside will start to caramelize leaving some sweet and crunchy grill marks behind. You can sprinkle a little chocolate syrup on at this point as well – we won’t tell anyone.

If you don’t have a grill, just prepare you fruit salad ahead of time and bring a light Angel food cake or whipped topping for the perfect complement to your fruit.

If you’ve got some favorite recipes or fun ideas on how to keep your picnic fun and healthy, let us know! Join the conversation by posting a comment below or reach us on Facebook and Twitter.

This super-food is as much a head scratcher as it is a tongue scorcher. Today, we’re talking about cayenne pepper.  It seems loopy, but adding cayenne pepper to your diet can actually improve your overall physical health in just a few short days.

Now, cayenne increases metabolism by immediately influencing the venous structure which is great for overall metabolic health and digestion. This can help you reach and maintain a healthy weight. Great! That alone would be enough for some of us to get on board – but trust us, when you hear all the benefits of this little spice you’re almost not going to believe it.

Cayenne feeds vital elements into our capillaries, veins and arteries helping adjust and keep blood pressure at a normal level. But it doesn’t stop there. Cayenne is like a bad cholesterol targeting machine, cleaning the body’s arteries and helping to get rid of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides (AKA, the bad stuff).

Cayenne is also great for stomach and intestinal health. It can stimulate the intestines and aids in assimilation and elimination of waste. Because of its warming effects, cayenne has even been used by some to help heal wounds due to frostbite as it can help to revitalize damaged skin cells.

It’s useful in alleviating allergies and muscle cramp thanks to Capsicum – a common ingredient found in muscle creams. And, surprisingly enough, this also makes cayenne peppers great for heartburn. Yep, that’s right – a pepper good for heartburn.

So, enough about the benefits – here are some great ways to add this super-food to your diet:

• Add a dash to water with some fresh lemon juice and a little maple syrup for a simple, cleansing drink.
• Mix diced cayenne with some olive oil, chickpeas, garlic and salt for a great hummus dip.
• Toss some powdered cayenne into your chocolate chip or double chocolate cookies – it will add a rich flavor and really make the chocolate shine!
• Add some powdered or dried cayenne to peanuts, pretzels and trail mix for some nice heat.

Do you have any surprising ways you like to add cayenne to your diet? Let us know! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

It can be hard to maintain a healthy diet. Counting calories, deciphering ingredients – it can all get overwhelming. Well, forget that. We want to share one of the most basic ways to determine a healthy meal – just use your eyes.

See, the natural pigments that give foods like fruits and vegetables their color also have beneficial nutritional properties. By including foods in a variety of colors, you can add nutrition and vitality to any meal. We want you to literally eat a rainbow every day!

Side note: We’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day so eating a nutritional rainbow and posting a picture below or to our Facebook and Twitter page by March 22 may very well lead you to a pot of gold – a 3-day guest pass. See below for details.

So why is it important to eat a rainbow and not just your favorite fruit or veggie? Well, a study in the medical journal, Nutrition states that the variety of vitamins and antioxidants absorbed from a range of sources can, even in small amounts, provide greater health benefits than consuming only a few types of vegetables in large quantities. Here are some good places to start:

Red. Colored by lycopene, red foods like cherries, beets, grapefruit, watermelon and even red potatoes and wine help reduce risk of several types of cancer, including prostate cancer.

Orange. Colored by carotenoids, foods like mangos, persimmons, apricots, yellow apples and sweet corn are vital to healthy eye sight and may reduce the risk of heart related diseases.

Green foods are colored by chlorophyll and lutein. Honeydew melon, onions, limes, kiwi and avocado can all help protect against cancer, fight cataracts and reduce the risk of birth defects due to the high amounts of folate often found in green veggies.

Blue foods like plums, eggplant, juneberries and raisins are colored by the pigment anthocyanin which is a powerful antioxidant helping to protect cells against damage and improve memory all while fighting against strokes and many forms of cancer.

So, now that you know the benefits – why not show us what ya’ got? We want to see pictures of your favorite, colorful meals. Post pictures and recipes below or on Facebook and Twitter, join the conversation by liking us and participate to win prizes. This time we’re giving out a free 3-day guest pass. The contest ends March 22, 2011 so be sure to get your picture entries in soon!

March is Nutrition Month. That means we’ll be highlighting several super-foods throughout the coming weeks – foods that truly need to be a part of any healthy diet. Along the way, we’ll be offering some helpful tips and recipes making it easy to add a nutrition spike to any one of your daily dishes.

We’re back with another super-food, and it’s a sweet one. Now, before you get excited that we’re going to reveal the health benefits of cupcakes, we want to make it clear that this one is tasty in a different way – were talking sweet potatoes.

Although many of us picture sweet potatoes as a Thanksgiving Day food, they can actually be found year-round and are best during the spring and summer months. Aside from being easy to find and cheap, Sweet potatoes (or yams) are literally a powerhouse of nutrients and a great way to enhance any meal with few added calories.

A medium-sized sweet potato often contains more than your daily required intake of vitamin A, nearly a third the Vitamin C we all need every day and almost 15 percent of your daily dietary fiber intake.  All this from just a simple side dish low on the glycemic index!

So – we all know you can just pop a potato in the oven or microwave for a simple and fast baked side, but we’re talking about super-foods here. We want to mix things up and really explore great ways to add health to our diets without being boring. Here are some great places to start:

How about Sweet Potatoes with Warm Black Bean Salad to start? Microwave your yams covered in plastic wrap for 10-15 minutes until tender (or bake in a 425 degree oven for about an hour). Then, mix black beans with some fresh diced tomato , olive oil, cumin and cilantro in a bowl. Microwave or simmer this mixture until warm and spoon on top of your halved potato with some low-fat sour cream. The cumin adds tons of flavor while helping aid in digestion. You can find a more detailed recipe here.

Or, if you’re looking to have some more fun, try Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Fries. Slice your potatoes into fries. Then, place them in a zip-top bag with some canola oil, cayenne pepper and pre-packaged taco seasoning. Shake the mixture and spread it onto a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes in a 425 degree oven and done! It’s a perfect side for those spring-time and summer barbeques. Find the full recipe here.

There are so many ways to add this super-food to any meal – why not take some time and discover some recipes of your own? If you’ve got any you’d like to share, we want to hear them! Join the conversation by leaving a comment or by adding your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent – A time when many look to cut extravagance and sacrifice a vice or two in the process. But today is different. It’s Mardi Gras and that means anything goes.

Ahh, Fat Tuesday. One last shot of indulgence just before we resolve to forgo some of our most cherished pleasures. Today, many will venture out in the spirit of Mardi Gras by celebrating at home or with friends in traditional New Orleans fashion. And that can only mean one thing – fried food, drinks and more food. But have no fear – we’re here to let you know you can still take a dip into indulgence and come through the other side unscathed and with balanced nutrition intact.

First things first – don’t be afraid to treat yourself. While it can be tough to make it through a party eating the right foods, it’s even harder going through a party not eating at all! Take a small serving of your favorite dish, recite the mantra “Everything in Moderation” and enjoy yourself. Happiness is a vital key to a healthy lifestyle.

Now, with that out of the way – make sure to eat your salads and greens first. Leafy greens are packed with fiber which can truly make you feel full while providing a great source of nutrients. Research even indicates that those who eat a salad before a meal cut up to 20% off their overall calorie intake.

When you’re done with your greens, try grabbing a dish you know contains protein. Proteins will fill you up and keep you blood sugars level – this will come in handy later on when that King Cake is staring you in the face. Time-honored New Orleans recipes are packed with protein if you know where to look. These include red beans and rice, shrimp gumbo and Creole chicken. Trust us – you’ll be cutting the calories but not the flavor with these options.

Last, but not least – hydrate. Water will help keep you full as well as aid in the digestion process. Having a cold drink in hand will also prevent you from grabbing a fizzy, sugary one. If you’re looking to celebrate with a few cocktails, try alternating a mixed drink with water every other glass. Again, moderation is key here and be responsible. And, let’s face it – we could all use a little more water throughout the day.

With these tips in mind, you’ll be wondering why they even call it Fat Tuesday at all. And if you’re cooking at home, check out some of these great recipes we found for a Mardi Gras with a healthy twist:

Blackened Salmon Sandwich, Fried Green Tomatoes and Diabetes Friendly King Cake

Most importantly, have fun, be safe and enjoy. Happy Mardi Gras, everybody!