Ooh La La! 7 Nights of (Fit) French Food

While a trip to Paris might not in be the budget, a few French-themed meals likely are. Put some Edith Piaf on the stereo, pour a glass of wine, and whip of one of these dinners worthy of a fancy bistro--but with less fat and fewer calories. (And this meal plan comes just in time for Bastille Day tomorrow!)

Weekly Menu: Meatless Meals

Whether you're vegetarian or just in search of new meal ideas, you'll love these meatless meals. They're easy on your wallet and your waistline.

New from Chef Meg in June

Wonder what Chef Meg's been cooking this month?

Our healthy cooking expert started by giving fajitas a makeover. She ditched the tortilla and served them inside a pepper! (And she created a salt-free rub that's great on any grilled meat.)

With all the time spent outside in the almost-summer sun, she's been sipping on flavored, low-calorie teas and lemonade. She has a few secret ingredients from the garden.

And when she wasn't weeding the garden or cheering on her boys at baseball games, Chef Meg was grilling up a (healthy feast). Shrimp with a tropical fruity sauce was on the menu.

She also took on a challenge: How can you make over Alfredo sauce and keep it light enough for the warmer months? Her take on the Italian classic is packed full of veggies, with half the calories and fat as the original. (Her secret ingredients: goat cheese and evaporated milk!)

Finally, Chef Meg set out to re-create a Spanish favorite--paella. She simplified the recipe, omitted a couple of pricey spices, and focused on layering in flavor without fatty cuts of meat.

Keep reading to see photos of her creations--and get the recipes!

Celebrate Your Freedom from Greasy Burgers: Save 50% on Our 'Grilling Guide'

Looking for new recipes for your Fourth of July or Canada Day cookout?
SparkPeople has you covered. Check out our "Ultimate Grilling Guide"--which is on sale to help you celebrate your independence from greasy burgers and mayo-laden salads. For just $1.99 (50% off through July 4) you can make grill season the healthiest season with "SparkPeople's Ultimate Grilling Guide" by World Master Chef Meg Galvin and Becky Hand, R.D., M.Ed.

With 75 hearty, healthy recipes from Chef Meg, plus SparkPeople's members, this book is a must-have for the grill master in your house.

More than just a collection of recipes, you'll get:

• Tips on grilling burgers, veggies--and everything in between
• 13 ways to top your burger for 100 calories or less (including bacon!)
• Step-by-step instructions for perfect steak, burgers, chicken, and more
• Dozens of sauce combinations, plus 10 ways to spice up leftover grilled chicken
• Advice on which meats are healthy, tasty choices for the grill
• Tips for staying on track at BBQs, potlucks, and picnics
• Answers to all your toughest BBQ questions

Get a sneak peek inside the "Ultimate Grilling Guide" with our new slideshow, 13 Ways to Top Your Burger for 100 Calories or Less!

7 of Our Favorite 15-Minute Meals

Even on your busiest nights, you always have time for a home-cooked meal--as long as you plan ahead for such occasions.

Here are a week's worth of meals that are ready in less time than it would take to round up the family's fast-food order and drive through for burgers and fries. Some of these meals are so simple they don't require a recipe and allow you to customize them based on what's in your fridge, freezer, and pantry.

13 Super Salsa Recipes

Though most of us think chips when you hear the word salsa, it's really quite a healthy, versatile condiment. Spoon fresh salsa over grilled meats, cooked whole wheat pasta, or even plain yogurt. And no one ever said your salsa had to be just tomatoes, onions, and peppers. You can make salsa with any combo of fruits, veggies, herbs, and spices.
 
Tips for making great salsa

• Choose the freshest ingredients possible. 
• To control the heat of the salsa, remove the inner ribs and seeds of all peppers.  Remember to wear gloves or wash your hands just as soon as you finish the task.
• Use a meaty tomato for salsa such as Roma, grape, or cherry tomatoes.
• You can make salsa in winter, too. Just use canned tomatoes.  Be sure to select a no-salt variety and drain the excess liquid before using.
• If you are using a food processor to make your salsa, use the pulse mode.  If you process too much, your salsa will become gazpacho!
  • Chef Meg's general rule of thumb for a salsa ratio is: 2 parts main ingredient
  • 1 part contrasting ingredient
  • 1 part acid and/or herbs

• For example, a traditional salsa contains tomatoes, peppers, onions, vinegar, and herbs.  The rule would be 2 parts tomato, 1 part peppers and onions, and one part vinegar with fresh herbs.
• This isn't a time for exact measurements. Be creative. Salsa recipes are very forgiving, so adjust as needed!

7 Nights of Healthy, Hearty Salads

It is H-O-T! Rather than heat up the kitchen to cook up a heavy meal, why not serve up a cool, refreshing salad for dinner instead? Our weekly menu is full of meal-size salads that are as hearty as they are healthy.

Keep reading to see the menu!

A Week of Dinners on the Grill

As the song goes: "Summertime... and the living is easy..." especially when dinner is cooked on the backyard grill. You don't have to heat up the kitchen, you can enjoy the beautiful weather, and you can create a healthy, flavorful meal without any added fats or oils.

With the start of summer upon us in a couple of weeks and temperatures rising every day, who wouldn't want to head outside and enjoy dinner alfresco? That's why this week's menu this 7 Days of Dinners on the Grill!

Keep reading to see the menu, and get a clickable, downloadable, printable version.

What Chef Meg's Cooking! 6 NEW Recipes

What was cooking in Chef Meg's kitchen last month?

After last month's asparagus feast and Derby Day party, our healthy cooking expert started looking ahead to summer. She served up 6 sweet and savory brunch recipes, then fired up the grill for a super-simple side dish for all you potato lovers out there. Chef Meg made scones for weekend guests and devised a way to get us to actually like anchovies!

Keep reading to see photos of her creations--and get the recipes!

Get 75 Healthy, Hearty Recipes for the Grill

Summer is fast approaching, and with that comes grill season!

Who wants to heat up the house when you can barbecue in the backyard instead?
While picnics, potlucks, and parties are known for burgers, dogs, and other not-so-healthy fare, we believe that any meal can be a good-for-you one--even festive occasions.

That's why SparkPeople's healthy cooking expert and head dietitian paired up to write our latest e-book:  "SparkPeople's Ultimate Grilling Guide: 75 Hearty, Healthy Recipes You Can Really Sink Your Teeth Into," available now on Barnes and Noble and Amazon for $3.99.

Make grill season the healthiest season with "SparkPeople's Ultimate Grilling Guide" by World Master Chef Meg Galvin and Becky Hand, R.D., M.Ed.

With 75 hearty, healthy recipes from Chef Meg, plus SparkPeople's members, this book is a must-have for the grill master in your house.

More than just a collection of recipes, you'll get:

• Tips on grilling burgers, veggies--and everything in between
• 13 ways to top your burger for 100 calories or less (including bacon!)
• Step-by-step instructions for perfect steak, burgers, chicken, and more
• Dozens of sauce combinations, plus 10 ways to spice up leftover grilled chicken
• Advice on which meats are healthy, tasty choices for the grill
• Tips for staying on track at BBQs, potlucks, and picnics
• Answers to all your toughest BBQ questions

Secrets to Great (Guilt-Free) Grilled Cheese

Forget the cellophane-wrapped cheese slices and spongy white bread. It's time for a grown-up grilled cheese! Even if you're tracking calories and eating healthier meals, there's still room for this comfort food.

So how can you guarantee that this classic sandwich turns out just as good as you'd imagine? Follow these tips:

• Use good bread. Choose bakery bread, one that's firm not spongy. This isn't a time for a pita, sandwich thin or flatbread, which won't grill as easily. Whole-wheat is best; avoid seeded whole-grain breads, as the nuts and seeds can sometimes burn.
• Use shredded cheese, which melts more evenly. A little bit goes a long way--use about an ounce. Grate it yourself for even better results.
• Coat the bread evenly with non-stick spray or butter--just a little won't add many calories, but it will taste amazing. One teaspoon of room-temperature butter should be enough to coat both sides of bread, for 34 calories. (Don't use margarine; it's more likely to burn.)
• Keep heat medium-low. Start out on high and you'll end up with burned bread and cold cheese.
• Use a non-stick skillet so the cheese doesn't stick to the pan. You also won't have to use as much fat, which is not only healthier but can prevent a soggy sandwich.
• Choose gooey cheese--mozzarella, jack, provolone, cheddar and fontina are all great grilling cheeses. Hard cheeses like Parmesan and Asiago and creamy cheeses like goat and feta don't melt as well.
• Cook two minutes per side, then cover until the bread is toasted and the cheese melts. Covering it helps the cheese melt before the bread burns.

Do Not Expect Perfection, and Do Not Sit in Silence

As we prepared to chant the opening prayer, Kino advised us to speak up and avoid being shy. The words were in Sanskrit, and we'd repeat each line after her.

"It's better to not expect perfection than to sit in silence," she said.

Though the words were in the context of a yoga practice, later I considered how they can be applied off the mat.

How often in life have you waited to make a decision, to take action, to do something, because the timing wasn't right, because something was missing, because it wasn't perfect?

How many times have you said, "I might as well not try because I know I can't be the best"?

That you should quit (losing weight, playing soccer, studying French) because it isn't easy.

As a kid, I was paralyzed by the fear of not being the best. I was a straight-A student, a good dancer, and a talented writer. Tall and lanky, I was not an athlete. I knew I wasn't strong or fast, and my hand-eye coordination was lousy.

I didn't make it past the training wheel phase of bike riding until I was 26 (with a 21-year hiatus), and I never tried out for T-ball or soccer. In grade school, I deliberately wore dresses to avoid gym class, and when I reached high school, I feigned cramps. I refused to ride roller coasters, and I cried the first time I flew in an airplane. I hyperventilated at the prospect of ziplining.

I didn't try any of those things because I was afraid to fail, of making a fool of myself.
I sat in the proverbial silence because I was afraid.

A Delightful Brunch Menu for the Mom in Your Life

Still trying to decide what to get Mom for Mother's Day? How about a delicious home-cooked brunch?
 
Just in time for mom's big day, we've launched our first FREE e-book, "Light and Easy Mother's Day Brunch Recipes from SparkPeople," which gives you a sneak peek into "The SparkPeople Cookbook: Love Your Food, Lose the Weight."

Written by SparkPeople’s very own healthy cooking expert, Chef Meg, this e-book contains 3 sweet and 3 savory dishes that are perfect for Mother's Day brunch, including:

• Skinny Eggs Florentine
• Light Lemon Sauce
• Spring Cupcakes with Citrus Icing

Make Cinco de Mayo Healthier, with 30+ of Our Best Mexican Recipes

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, we rounded up our favorite Mexican-inspired recipes. Let's get this party started!

Is Your Life Too Cluttered?

Seven years ago, I lived in a 240-square-foot apartment on the 15th floor of a high-rise building on the outskirts of Seoul, South Korea. Just 10 feet wide and 24 feet long, my furnished apartment had a galley kitchen with two burners, a bathtub that was about the size of a utility sink, and a bedroom that doubled as an office and living room.

Everything I owned could fit in two suitcases and a couple of carry-ons, and for over 12 months, I bought only those items I could either mail home, donate, or use after my time in Korea was up.

I baked cookies in a toaster oven, hung my laundry on a rack near the foot of my bed, and had only a small closet for my clothes.

I loved it.  I felt safe, cocooned, and comfortable in that cozy little apartment. I had everything I needed and little more. It was easy to clean and I never wasted time searching for objects.

I hate clutter, but I struggle to control it. It stresses me out to amass objects that I don't need, and I don't take comfort in having more "things" in my life. I'm terrible at decorating, and truthfully, my apartment is barer than most. Still, I felt like I had too much stuff, especially when faced with the prospect of packing and moving all of it.

Before my last move, I set out to get rid of 25% of my belongings.

I hosted a clothing swap party, gave clothes and shoes to friends and family,  then donated the rest.

I sorted through my books, DVDs, and magazines. Anything I hadn't watched in a year or that I wouldn't consider re-reading (or consulting for reference), I recycled or sold at a used book store.

All the boxes of stuff--photos, letters, train tickets, and scraps of paper--I've collected during my travels were whittled down to one box. I had saved every train ticket and Metro stub from a half-dozen trips to France almost a decade ago. They heat-sensitive ink had faded, and they weren't legible. Into the recycling they went.

Not even the kitchen, my favorite room in the house, was exempt. I shed all the single-use gadgets (like a shrimp deveiner--I'm vegan!), any duplicates, and moved all my bulk items into jars and plastic containers.

I still have enough clothes to wear in any situation, enough photos to remember all my trips, and enough kitchen gear to whip up a multi-course meal.

Getting rid of all that stuff felt good. Very good.

So I kept going, aiming to strip down other areas of my life as well.

But why?

Today I read this: "Most of us have little idea how many things in our lives keep us from enjoying life more. But one’s life can be cluttered by more than household objects. The irritating extras can include activities that are no longer rewarding but are continued out of habit or guilt. Perhaps it’s time for a more extended kind of housecleaning."