They say it ain't easy being green, but I beg to differ. Green smoothies may seem intimidating at first glance, but the truth is they're delicious, not to mention healthy and filling. The key is adding just the right amount of sweetness (usually with a sweeter fruit like banana, mango, or pineapple) to keep the drink from tasting too bitter. More

I love this time of year when my kitchen is brightened by piles of citrus. Meals take on an experimental air as I find new ways to relish these oranges, grapefruits, citrons, and kumquats. So, naturally, when my mom mentioned having "no fruit" to eat with our morning yogurt, I had to come up with a citrus solution. More

Q: I'm looking to cook Christmas dinner for my parents for the first time this year. They're very traditional in what they like to eat and my mother is also gluten-free. Can you recommend some traditional but interesting gluten-free recipes for sides and appetizers? More

Parties to attend, gifts to wrap, flights to catch ... with all the busyness of the holidays, finding the time and energy to cook a proper, nourishing meal can be a challenge. But unless you intend to eat cookies for dinner (it's okay, we won't tell!), it can make all the difference to plan for a few simple and healthy dishes. Here's one of our go-tos: savory stuffed sweet potatoes with beans and greens. It can be a complete meal by itself, and is adaptable to what you have on hand. More

It can be confusing and intimidating when you or a loved one starts a restricted diet of any kind. How do you go about preparing meals that fit within the restrictions, but are still satisfying and tasty? This year we tackled many questions about special diets, including the best gluten-free travel meals, diabetes-friendly desserts, good vegan meals that don't rely on meat substitutes, and 20 more, with tons of helpful advice from our readers. More

Item: Kitch + Table Gluten-Free Baking Mixes
Price: Between $6-$7
Overall Impression: The packaging for these gluten-free brownie and pizza dough mixes reads "so crazy good that you may not believe it's actually gluten-free." I couldn't have said it better myself!

I have worked various jobs in countless restaurants over the past 13 years, and in all my time in the industry I have seen plenty of diet fads come and go. So while I am sympathetic to those with food allergies and restrictions, I am also quite weary of the commercial exploitation that inevitably seems to follow. (Atkins, anyone?) More

When it comes to cookies, deliciousness usually arrives in the form of ingredients like flour, butter, sugar, nuts, and chocolate. So what happens when you can't eat any of these foods? In my case, you start playing with coconut. More

In the usual order of things, one decides to have a party, and then figures out which dishes to serve. But in this case, it was a stellar pomegranate and olive relish that got the ball rolling. "We have to throw a holiday party so people can taste this!" exclaimed my partner, and pretty soon we were discussing the guest list between bites. More

It happens every year at this time and you know it. Whatever your normal — and hopefully healthy — eating pattern is, you lose it.

Normally I have a very balanced diet, which not only means it's balanced nutritionally, but it's balanced emotionally: I manage to try everything I want while rarely over-indulging. Then the holidays hit and gatherings fill up the calendar. On one hand I can't complain; I've managed to make a career out of encouraging people to cook and eat together, and it doesn't happen more than at the end of each calendar year. However, these gatherings rarely showcase light, healthy foods. Don't get me wrong: I like a good boozy cup of eggnog and a slice of roast beef as much as the next guy, but everybody needs a break.

Take Tuesday night for example: I went into a dinner party situation wanting to eat light and not drink alcohol. Two blinks of the eye later I found a margarita in one hand and a goat cheese-stuffed, bacon-wrapped date in the other. Pretty soon there were pork loin sandwiches and chile rellenos. There was simply no escape. More

It's about to begin, the parade of sweet treats through your office, your holiday parties, and probably your very own kitchen. Consider this granola a much-needed savory break for you and anyone lucky enough to receive it from you as a gift. Savory curry granola?, you may be thinking. That's right: salty, crunchy, curry-spiked granola studded with toasted pecans and browned coconut chips. You don't need milk or yogurt to enjoy this granola -- it's good enough to eat plain by the handful, but if you're nice you'll make a double batch to give out as gifts as well. More