Food safety: Protect your family's health this year
Exercising and dieting are excellent goals Americans set to stay healthy. But the best tip to keep the entire family healthy is by focusing on food safety in the kitchen.

Healthy foods that taste great
When you determine that you want to get good nutrition and eat healthier foods, you don't want to sacrifice taste. But there are many new foods and beverages available that are great for you, and surprisingly delicious.

High quality food doesn't necessarily come with a high price tag
In the current economic climate, budgets are tight and families are trying to make every penny count. A recent survey by the Midwest Dairy Council revealed that "more than half of consumers say price, not nutrition, is the most important factor when grocery shopping in this economic climate."

Easy ways to center your diet on foods that help keep you healthy
Americans could learn a lot about healthy eating habits from the ordinary people of the Mediterranean nations. Eating healthy foods is a mindset, and while it may take some practice to change your habits, it's not difficult.

How to make your New Year's resolution last
Failed New Year's resolutions are a dime a dozen. That promise to go to the gym every day dwindles to three days a week, then two days a week, before falling into "whenever I can make it" territory. Diet and weight loss resolutions are among the most common, year after year, which says a lot about what kind of results people are getting from the promises they make to themselves.

Beat the 'winter bulge' by making smart nutritional decisions
The winter temptations of hot chocolate, mashed potatoes, warm pumpkin pie and other enticing treats can launch you into a comfort zone. But they can also make your New Year's getting-in-shape resolutions harder to achieve. This year, get ahead of the "winter bulge" by making smart, healthy and nutritional decisions.

Liven up cocktails with coffee
Getting good friends together for some good food, good times and laughter is a lot of fun during the winter months. When it comes to celebrating with drinks, use your imagination in the kitchen and incorporate ingredients that your guests won't expect, like coffee.

A slice of nutrition advice on wheat
"White or wheat?" Restaurant patrons are often presented with this familiar, yet inaccurate, question when ordering toast or a sandwich. Given the confusion between whole and enriched grain products, it's not surprising that this phrase is universally accepted among the general public. The truth is, whole (wheat) and enriched (white) wheat bread are both wheat-based products and part of a healthy diet.

Get back to healthy nutrition basics
Even the healthiest eaters have their weaknesses - those foods that make them "splurge," ignoring calorie counts and fat grams. It's an easy trap to fall into; we're surrounded every day by foods that taste good and inspire cravings.

All about broth
Cooler weather and warm coats - it's the season when heartier, warmth-building fare arrives on American dinner tables. And heartier fare cries out for the rich flavorful versatility of broth!

Discover fabulous new recipes this spring
Rain showers and blooming flowers aren't the only things that will be kind to your sense of smell this spring. It's also the time of year when you start to bake up homemade breads, cookies, and moist crumbly muffins.

Be party smart - simple rules to avoid calories
With the abundance of parties this time of year - from the holidays to Mardi Gras - it can be easy to over-indulge and see the result in your waistline. Even so, it's possible to enjoy party favorites with the right approach.

Buying from bulk bins saves cents, makes sense
When you hear the term "bulk," do you envision 5 gallon containers and think, "I just don't need that much of anything?" Actually, one of the advantages of buying in bulk is that you can buy a pinch or a pound. A natural foods expert offers tips for your trip to the bulk aisle, where you'll find herbs and spices, gourmet nuts and granola, whole-leaf teas and even body-care items.

Rediscovering the joys of shared meals
Having a family meal isn't easily accomplished these days. Busy schedules, long work hours and even technology make it feel easier to simply grab a meal and go, rather than take the time to sit everyone down together around the table. But American families really do miss coming together around the table. Americans who eat with others more frequently are more satisfied with every aspect of their own lives, including their relationships, their physical and mental health and their level of achievement in life.

Have a heart and serve quick-to-fix healthy treats
Your loved ones will feel the love when you serve up dazzling dishes that delight the taste buds and promote happy healthy hearts that make both you and the doctor happy.

Simple steps to help your heart stay healthy
Americans know what they need to do to keep their hearts healthy. But is their heart really in the effort? A new survey seems to indicate many of us aren't as diligent about making heart healthy choices as we know we should be.

Simply sensational homemade soups
No matter what the season, people frequently turn to a comforting bowl of soup for lunch or dinner. What surprises many is how easy it can be to make sensational homemade soups. Whether serving soup as part of an entertaining menu or an easy weeknight meal, making soup from scratch does not have to require hours in the kitchen.

Favorite foods without the extra calories
During the colder season, our hunger instincts can emerge causing us to seek out the cozy foods we knew and loved as children. These days those same foods impact our waistlines, rack up thousands of calories and are high in fat. You can still nestle up with your favorite foods this winter without sacrificing flavor and compromising diet by making a few easy modifications.

Reduced sodium doesn't have to mean reduced flavor
Sodium intake is increasingly being watched by consumers, regulators and health groups as public service organizations are referring to high sodium diets as the single greatest problem in the American diet. Whether it's a traditional turkey sandwich or a pasta primavera, favorite foods can still be enjoyed when trying to reduce sodium.

Ladies who lunch with satisfaction
Active and busy women may find it difficult to create and choose healthy, low calorie lunches that are convenient yet still taste delicious. Stay on track throughout the day, even well after the lunch hour.

Beyond the basics: How to create a one-of-a-kind wedding
Summer is right around the corner, and that means one thing - wedding season. Spring is crunch time for millions of couples planning their summer wedding, but what many couples don't know is that there are easy ways to avoid stress while planning their big day.

The lean protein that can help you fulfill forgotten resolutions to eat better
The new year is well under way - do you remember your resolution to live a balanced lifestyle in 2010? Are you making progress toward that goal? Or has the resolution drifted away as the calendar pages turned? It's not too late to get a fresh start at keeping that promise to yourself.

Surprising secrets of sea salt
Does the word "sea" invoke romantic images of voyages to distant, foreign lands? If so, it's probably no surprise that Americans' renewed fascination with the glamour of exotic cuisine has vastly expanded the market for sea salt.

10 reasons to fall in love with potatoes
Want to do something good for your heart? Find new ways to increase your intake of potassium. This nutrient may help reduce the risk of high blood pressure and promote heart health. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports that diets containing foods that are a good source of potassium and that are low in sodium may help reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.

Tips from a pro: Home baking for professional results
It's pretty easy to fall into a baking rut. There's the classic chocolate chip cookie, or maybe your kids have a home-baked favorite that you've made a thousand times. Once you get a recipe down, it sometimes feels easier to just go with what you know. But many bakers find that getting creative in the kitchen can be rewarding - literally.

Convenient comfort foods warm the winter months
When old man winter just won't seem to go away soon enough, one of the best ways to fight off the chill is with savory, hearty meals that can warm the body and soul. Known as classic comfort foods, these homemade favorites can satisfy even the heartiest of appetites.

Nutritional tips for feeding even the pickiest tots
Moms and dads know that young kids need a solid nutritional foundation to grow up healthy and strong. But for many little kids, stubborn eating habits can stand in the way of a healthy meal. It can be tempting to give in to a tantrum and let your child eat whatever he or she wants. But nutrition experts and pediatricians agree that the right balance of nutrients, including calcium, protein, and certain vitamins, is critical for a healthy future.

Planning a bridal shower? Relax and enjoy it with these food shortcuts
Your dear friend or sister announces she's engaged. She wants you to be her maid of honor. It goes without saying, you're thrilled for her. If the bridal shower causes you anxiety, help is on the way. Cut down on stress with these time-saving tips to host a simple but sensational shower for the bride.

Fun, tasty ways to get fit in 2010
If you want to get healthier this year, you've probably started evaluating exercise programs and healthy foods to eat. But don't forget to include fun and enjoyment, because that is the best way to keep it going all year long.

Mood-boosting foods: Tips to jump-start your body and your brain
If you're determined to eat right to lose weight or improve your health, the foods you choose could also make you happier. We've all heard the old adage "You are what you eat," and the importance of eating for physical health. But did you know that at the same time you could also be eating to improve your mental sharpness, energy and inner peace?

Got kids bored by winter? Get them cooking
What can you do to keep kids entertained indoors this winter? Cook with them. Engaging kids in planning and making family meals has a host of benefits - including having someone to help with the dishes.

Cooking with root vegetables
Cooking with vegetables is deeply rooted in the culinary arts. Eating foods that live and breathe beneath the earth's surface is just about as close as a person comes to being one with Mother Nature. Although beets, kohlrabi and carrots are wonderful in raw form, there are a variety of ways to cook root veggies to add fresh, new flavors to any meal.

Salt central to a healthy Mediterranean diet
In the diet craze that has captured our attention over the last four decades, the one plan that stands out from the rest is the Mediterranean Diet. Since the Mediterranean embraces more than 20 countries, each with its own cuisine, the diet is really a fusion of the many foods consumed by the nations bordering the sea.

Winter cooking: Don't give up the grill
Winter is becoming the new grilling season, according to the NPD Group's 23rd annual Eating Patterns in America report. So if you find yourself looking wistfully at the patio and dreaming about grilling without having to stand in the cold, an indoor grill is your best bet.